A newly released silver proof set from the Perth Mint of Australia showcases four of the world’s most famous city squares on square-shaped coins.
Reverse designs of the square-shaped, 99.9% fine silver coins are emblematic of St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican City; Trafalgar Square of London, England; Red Square of Moscow, Russia; and Tiananmen Square of Beijing, China.
St. Peter’s Square is directly in front of St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City. It was redesigned by Gian Lorenzo Bernini from 1656 through 1667 and is often used as an iconic location for Papal appearances.
Trafalgar Square is in central London, England. It is named after the famous naval victory of Lord Nelson at the Battle of Trafalgar. Landscaping of the area commenced in the 1820’s with its present-day architecture completed in 1845.
Considered by many as the focal point of Moscow, Red Square separates the Kremlin from a historic merchant quarter known as the Kitai-gorod. The major streets of Moscow radiate from Red Square cementing its place as a landmark of the city.
Finally, Tiananmen Square of China is bordered by the ancient gates of Tiananmen to the north and Zhengyangmen (or Qianmen) to the south. Along the west side is the Great Hall of the People with the east side containing the National Museum of China.
Designs and Specifications for Famous City Squares Silver Coins
A colored aerial view of the featured famous squares is offered on the reverse sides of the coins. Below the design is an inscription indicating the location with "ST. PETER’S SQUARE," "TRAFALGAR SQUARE," "RED SQUARE" or "TIANANMEN SQUARE."
To the top of the reverse design, "1 oz 999 SILVER" is inscribed. The reverse also includes the Perth Mint’s historic ‘P’ mint mark found toward the bottom left. The reverse designs are credited to Perth Mint artist Aleysha Howarth.
Shown on the obverse of each coin is Ian-Rank Broadley’s effigy of Queen Elizabeth II. Surrounding the Queen’s portrait are inscriptions "QUEEN ELIZABETH II," "TUVALU," "1 oz 999 SILVER," "2013" and "ONE DOLLAR."
Each silver coin features a side length of 33.20 mm, a thickness of 4.00 mm and a gross weight of 31.135 grams. They are legal tender of the island nation of Tuvalu with a face value of one dollar per coin.
Every silver proof set is in a display case that comes with an illustrated shipper and a numbered certificate of authenticity that indicates a mintage of 1,000 sets.
The 2013 World Famous Squares Silver Proof Four-Coin Set is available from the Perth Mint for AUS $389.09, or US $41012. Pricing is subject to change due to fluctuations in the silver market.
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See additional Perth Mint products from this site’s guide of Australian coins.
About the Perth Mint
The Royal Mint of England originally opened the Perth Mint of Australia (http://www.perthmint.com.au/) in 1899 as a branch of the London facility. It continued in operation as a branch of the Royal Mint until ownership transferred to the State Government of Western Australia in 1970.
Today, the Perth Mint is the official issuer of the Australian Federal Government’s Gold and Silver Bullion Coin Program. In addition, it produces some of the world’s most unusual collectible coins.
These are going to jam vending machines. :-).
I dunno. When I think “coin” I think “round.” I guess I’m the one that’s square.
Coins have been round forever, probably because they were easier to flip “head or tails” than square coins.
All four offerings are from Socialist or Communist countries. Why couldn’t they include Times Square? Oh wait, that’s in a socialist country too….