Silver Coin 5 Oz William Shakespeare - First Folio 2023 Antique Standard

William Shakespeare, First Folio

Issued by the Republic of Cameroon in 2023, this unique 5 Oz (155.5 g) silver coin of the purest 99.9% silver with Antique Standard patina finish commemorates the 400th anniversary of the publication of William Shakespeare's collection of plays, The First Folio, and is a magnificent tribute to the vast body of work of the most important theatrical classic.

The reverse of the coin depicts the literary genius at its centre with a book of text under a canopy of theatrical cues. Symbolically, he leads the action on the stage that unfolds around him. Together with the author, we can watch the performances of the actors who embody characters from his most famous tragedies, comedies and historical plays. At the same time, we are drawn into several theatrical scenes in which, for example, Romeo and Juliet pledge their love to each other in front of the hostile Montague and Capulet, Macbeth listens to his wife's intrigues, Othello and Desdemona's embrace is witnessed by the treacherous Iago, Hamlet utters his question "To be or not to be", the evil woman Catherine is tamed by her love for Petruchio, and the villain Richard III offers his kingdom for a horse. The artistically valuable high relief mintage is meticulously detailed in remarkable detail. The clean design is free of accompanying text and reaches all the way to the edge of the coin.
The comprehensive collection known as the First Folio was published in 1623 under the title The Comedy, History and Tragedy of Mr. William Shakespeare. The collected edition was published by the author's close friends at the Theatre Company after his death. It contains 36 plays, half of which were published for the first time. The first folio is considered the most important source of texts of Shakespeare's plays, and has been instrumental in passing on the monumental work to future generations.
William Shakespeare (1564-1616) is rightly hailed as the most famous and widely performed playwright of all time. The leader of the Elizabethan theatre transcended his time with his work and his stories have lost none of their relevance in the centuries that followed. New adaptations continue to emerge, which continue to bring powerful emotion, instruction and wit to audiences. The characters of dramas and comedies have become immortal and their names synonymous with archetypes. Shakespeare's mastery of poetic style has given voice to the dialogue of now-classic plots. In addition to his plays, he also wrote 154 sonnets. The popularity and prevalence of William Shakespeare's legacy is evidenced by the fact that his works have been translated into every living language of the world.

The obverse of the coin bears a portrait of William Shakespeare, created by engraver Martin Droeshout in 1622 for the cover of the First Folio collection. The likeness is accompanied by the inscription "WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE 400 FIRST FOLIO". The year of issue '2023', the country of origin 'REPUBLIQUE DU CAMEROUN', the face value '5000 FRANCSA CFA' and the weight and purity of the metal are shown on the rim.

The uniqueness of the coin is presented by the luxury packaging. It consists of a wooden case, a certificate, a publication with quotations from the work in three languages and a book cover. All parts are marked with the description of the edition. The edition is limited to 333 copies for the whole world!