2011年10月28日星期五

Meet the World's Largest Gold Coin

Australia reveals the world’s largest gold coin at Pert Mint to kick off the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.
The coin weighs in at about 2,231 pounds, is 31 inches wide and over 4.7 inches thick. The coin is 99.99 percent pure gold, and is valued at $53.5 million.
On one side the Queen is pictured, and the other side shows a kangaroo.
The Queen is on a ten-day tour of Australia and will be at the opening ceremony for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting this week.
"To cast and handicraft a coin of this size and weight was an incredible challenge – one which few other mints would even consider,” said Perth Mint chief executive Ed Harbuz, according to The Telegraph. Here's Harbuz posing with the coin.



aussie coin
And take an inside look at the 18 month process the mint undertook to create the massive coin:



This is not the first oversized coin to break a few records; several countries have produced similar coins over the years.
Top five most colossal coins ever made:
  • In 2000 China minted the country’s largest coin ever. The coin weighed in at just over 22 pounds. The coin was 99.99 percent gold. Since its creation, the coin has been auctioned off for around $1.18 million.
  • In 2004 Austria created a 1000-ounce gold Philharmonic coin to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the bullion coin. The coin’s face value was 100,000 euros at the time. Fifteen coins were made and sold, each taking 130 hours to mint.
  • In 2006 Perth Mint produced the world’s largest silver coin. This coin weighed in just over 22 pounds, and had a diameter of 8 inches. The coin was created to commemorate “The Year of the Dog,” according to Collectors Society.
  • In 2007 Canada took record for the world’s largest pure gold coin, weighing 220 pounds, with a 20-inch diameter. The coin was listed as 99.999 percent pure gold bullion and picture Queen Elizabeth II on one side and the Canadian maple leaf on the other. The coin has a face value of about $903,628.
  • In 2008, Guinness World Records flew to Dubai to award a leading jewelry retailer for having the world’s largest coin-like medallion. The coin was created in honor of the Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Awards for Medical Sciences. The coin measured 3 feet 2 inches in diameter, weighed over 409 pounds, and was made of solid silver plated with gold. 
More photo here

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