Silver Coin Chauvet Caves 2011 Proof Niue

RAZITKO_POSTOVNE_ZDARMA_NENI

Prehistoric Art, Cave Paintings series

An exclusive silver coin issued by the Republic of Niue in 2011 from the Prehistoric Art, Cave Paintings series depicts a beautifully coloured prehistoric painting on its reverse (a unique colouring technique that provides amazingly realistic colours), along with the inscriptions "CAVE OF CHAUVET", "CATS CA. The obverse shows a state portrait of Queen Elizabeth II.

The coin comes in a blue gift box with grey and silver trim along with a numbered certificate of authenticity in a limited edition of only 1000 pieces for the entire world!

Cave of Chauvet

It was Sunday, December 18, 1994, but French caver Jean-Marie Chauvet had other things on his mind than running around supermarkets looking for gifts. Together with Éliette Brunel and Christian Hillaire, he was caving in a corner of a small cave in the Ardeche valley. A stream of fresh air blew in from a small opening, and Chauvet hoped to finally learn what was behind the boulder cave that ended the cave. The three experienced cavers quickly removed the accumulated rocks and made a narrow passage. However, this only led them to a steep shaft-like passageway, which they did not have the necessary equipment to negotiate. They returned to the car in the midday rays of the winter sun.

They knew they should leave further exploration for tomorrow, but curiosity finally got the better of them. They descended the rope ladder to the bottom of the shaft and found that they were standing on the edge of a huge cavernous dome with a high vault. In the light of cave lamps they admired the glitter of crystals on the walls.They passed into another cave dome, the bottom of which was covered with scattered animal bones. Chauvet and his colleagues systematically explored every corner of the newly discovered cave.

When they had a fairly accurate idea of the cave's interior, they decided to return.At that moment, the light from Éliette Brunel's lamp fell on a brown spot.Éliette stared at it in disbelief for a moment. On a rock protrusion hanging from the ceiling, a small painting of a mammoth in red clay stood out. "They were here!" She shouted, and the cave walls echoed her cry back many times over. Chauvet, Hillaire, and Éliette Brunel ran around the cave, frantically shining their lights on its walls and ceilings. Hundreds of paintings and engravings deflated before them. There were mammoths, woolly rhinos, cave lions, bears, wild horses. Some rendered in paint, others just sketched in black charcoal. Some of the paintings shocked with the plasticity that the painter achieved by subtle shading. Elsewhere, it was clear that the artist was playing with the viewers' senses with ingenious tricks using perspective. In a daze, the cavers emerged from the cave and drove home to Éliette Brunel's house to rest and think about their next course of action. It was clear to them that they had made a unique discovery. After the first burst of enthusiasm, a feeling of great responsibility was inevitable. On Christmas Eve, they announced their discovery to the world.