Silver Coin 500 g First Mechanical Flight - 120th Anniversary 2023 Antique Standard

120th Anniversary - Mechanical flight

A unique silver coin with rotating elements and a semi-permeable enamel filling was issued by the State of Barbados for 2023, weighing 500 grams of the purest 99.9% silver, to mark the 120th anniversary of the first mechanical flight.

The design on the reverse of the coin depicts a transport aircraft soaring high into the sky powered by turboprop engines. The blades of the two propellers, plated with 24Kt gold, can be easily spun to create the illusion of a living image. The bluish sky is transformed into a transparent enamel filling in the inner part of the coin. The scene partially transitions to the outer ring, which bears the anniversary descriptions "120th ANNIVERSARY" and "MECHANICAL FLIGHT" and tiny propeller leaf symbols. The edge of the coin is numbered.
The first controlled flight was made by brothers Orville and Wilbur Wright on December 17, 1903. The Wright Flyer powered biplane took off in windy weather near the then settlement of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. The plane was controlled by wing-clipping and powered by a small engine and propeller of its own manufacture. The entire flight lasted only 12 seconds and a distance of 36.5 metres was achieved at an altitude of 3 metres. Three more launches followed on the same day, with the two brothers taking turns to reach greater heights and distances. The fourth of these was an actual manned flight, with the machine reaching a distance of 279 metres in less than a minute in the air. This event wrote the first chapter in the history of aviation and represented the fulfilment of man's dream of flying.

The obverse of the coin is a brief glimpse into the history of aviation, set against a backdrop of puffy clouds. A biplane, a propeller monoplane, a helicopter, an airship, a military fighter plane, and a transport plane alternate around the perimeter of the coin. The design includes the national emblem of Barbados, the year of issue "2023", the face value "10 DOLLARS" and information on the weight and purity of the metal.

The coin comes in a deluxe box along with a certificate of authenticity in a limited mintage of only 299 pieces for the entire world!

This product is part of the following product sets: