Description
This 2 Oz Silver coin combines a historic photograph with an emblem of art created by Gustav Klimt: “The Kiss”. Both depict love and the importance of being present in the moment, together with the ever present humanity’s desire for love, affection, understanding and shared moments. This is portrayed countless times in a myriad of different ways on all kinds of media since the beginning of history, uniting every moment and every love shared by this common thread. A “thread” that is clearly visible on the obverse, which depicts two lovers kissing, outlined by a single unique line, representing this concept. The coin features a Black Proof Finish, Smartminting Ultra-High-Relief technology and comes in a case with a Certificate of Authenticity. Limited mintage to 499 pieces worldwide.
Design
The reverse of the coin shows an extraordinary combination of a historic photograph and a famous artwork. The scene in the foreground, features “V-J Day in Times Square” a historic photograph by Alfred Eisenstaedt, capturing the excitement of 1940s Times Square during the announcement of the end of the war with Japan. The background reveals the onlookers witnessing this iconic moment in history. Intersecting this historic scene is Gustav Klimt’s “The Kiss” depicted in light relief. The painting shows two lovers in an intimate embrace against a gold, flat background, and is perfectly lined up to make the two kisses match, almost merging and uniting them in a symbolic way. Notably, the key feature of the coin is that the painting is visible through a “punched out” hole in the photograph, merging the two moments and celebrating human desire and affection,across all time and space and troughout history. Clearly visible on the reverse are the “tears” in the photograph, which are minted with Smartminting Ultra-Hight-Relief technology, making them one of the key features of this piece. On the reverse, the inscriptio on different relief levels: “KISS KISS” – mentioning the coin’s theme. The obverse of the coin presents two stylized profiles with curved, elegant lines, sealing a kiss. The inscription: “Sealed with a Kiss” is on the right side, accompanied by two stylized love letters. The layering of the satin finish profiles on the Black Proof background evokes the idea of capturing a moment within a moment. At the top-left, the coin displays the coat of arms of Palau, indicating the issuing country, along with the inscriptions: “10$” – the face value and “2024” – the year of issue is engraved on the lower right side.