Silver Coin 5 Oz Marco Polo 2024 Pearl Proof

5 Oz silver coin with pearl - Marco Polo

This unique silver coin with an inner core of genuine mother of pearl is part of the "Mother of Pearl" series. Issued by the State of Solomon Islands for 2024, the coin is minted from the purest 99.9% silver and weighs 5 Oz (155.5 g). It celebrates the historical legacy of Venetian merchant and explorer Marco Polo on the 750th anniversary of his first visit to China.

The inner pearl in a deep red hue, set into the coin, bears the portrait of Marco Polo on its reverse. He is depicted as a mature man in period dress. His arm is holding a bound book, Il Milione (The Million), containing the findings of his travels to the Middle and Far East. The background at the top is illustrated by a map of China with the route of the journey marked. The high waves of the stormy sea below are overcome by a Chinese junk, on which the Venetian adventurer returns to his homeland. Parts of the image transition to the coin's silver rim, which bears the inscription "MARCO POLO" and the year of issue "2024".
Marco Polo has gone down in history as a traveller who gave eyewitness accounts of the Middle and Far East to the general public. In the 13th century, he set off with his father and uncle on a trading journey along the Silk Road that linked Europe and Asia. During his adventures, he spent more than twenty years on the road, traversing Persia, crossing the Himalayas, and arriving in China, where he served in the court of the Mongol ruler Kublai Khan. He recorded his observations and experiences in a book called 'The Million', which became one of the most important travelogues of the Middle Ages. Marco Polo thus opened a window on a hitherto unknown world and brought fascinating stories of distant lands and exotic cultures to Europe. His travelogue contributed to enriching the European awareness of the East and became an inspiration for generations of adventurers and explorers. Marco Polo left a lasting legacy in world history through his courage to explore unknown regions and share his knowledge with others.

The obverse features a traditional portrait of Queen Elizabeth II by Ian-Rank Broadley and the inscriptions "ELIZABETH II", "SOLOMON ISLANDS", the face value and weight and fineness information.

The coin comes in a deluxe gift box along with a numbered certificate of authenticity in a limited edition of only 750 pieces for the entire world!

Mother of Pearl Series
Coins in this series go through a lengthy and sophisticated production process. The mother of pearl is extracted from the shells of the largest pearlfish (sea pearl) in the world - the Pinctada Maxima, which can grow up to 30 cm in diameter. The oysters are farmed on pearl farms in perfectly isolated areas of the oceans off the coasts of Australia, Tahiti, Fiji, Indonesia and the Philippines. Their shells have a very thick inner shell made up of pearl. It takes up to 12 weeks to select the most beautiful pearl shells for the Mother of Pearl series. They are then shaped to the desired form and ultrasonic waves are used to create a motif that is worked out in minute detail. To achieve the individual colouring, the pearl is soaked in a bath with the appropriate colour for a further 5 weeks. The mother-of-pearl core is then inserted into the coin using a complicated technical process.

This product is part of the following product sets: