REPUBLIC OF THE FIJI ISLANDS
100th ANNIVERSARY OF THE SINKING OF THE RMS TITANIC (1912-2012)
RARE 5-OUNCE SILVER PROOF COMMEMORATIVE BOXED SET WITH GENUINE ETCHED MOTHER OF PEARL INNER CORE
LIMITED WORLDWIDE MINTAGE OF ONLY 750 PIECES!
OBV: PORTRAIT BUST OF ELIZABETH II WEARING TIARA RIGHT.
REV: INNER MOTHER OF PEARL CORE DEPICTING IN RELIEF A 3/4 FRONT VIEW OF THE TITANIC WITH ICEBERG LEFT; DATE AT BOTTOM OF OUTER SILVER CIRCLE FLANKED BY ORNAMENT, LEGEND "THE R.M.S. TITANIC" ABOVE.
THE BRITISH PASSENGER LINER RMS TITANIC DEPARTED SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND ON APRIL 10, 1912, BOUND FOR NEW YORK CITY ON HER MAIDEN VOYAGE. A WHITE STAR LINE VESSEL BUILT AT THE HARLAND AND WOLFF SHIPYARD IN BELFAST, IRELAND, SHE WAS THE LARGEST OCEAN LINER IN THE WORLD AND PROCLAIMED TO BE "UNSINKABLE". THE OLYMPIC CLASS OCEAN LINER, ONE OF THREE BUILT FOR WHITE STAR, OLYMPIC AND BRITANNIC BEING HER SISTER SHIPS, WAS BUILT TO BE A FLOATING PALACE. TITANIC WAS THE MOST OPULENT AND LUXURIOUS LINER OF HER DAY, AFFORDING HER HIGHER CLASS PASSENGERS UNMATCHED APPOINTMENTS AND COMFORT. ON HER DOOMED VOYAGE SHE CARRIED 2,224 PASSENGERS AND CREW, INCLUDING SOME OF THE WEALTHIEST PEOPLE IN THE WORLD, AS WELL AS FAR LESS AFFLUENT EMIGRANTS FROM IRELAND, GREAT BRITAIN AND SCANDINAVIA.
AFTER LEAVING SOUTHAMPTON, TITANIC STOPPED IN CHERBOURG, FRANCE AND QUEENSTOWN, IRELAND. AFTER FOUR DAYS, SOME 340 MILES SOUTH OF NEWFOUNDLAND, THE GREAT SHIP STRUCK AN ICEBERG AT 11:40 PM ON APRIL 14th. THE GLANCING COLLISION ALONG HER STARBOARD SIDE CAUSED THREE HULL PLATES TO BUCKLE INWARDS, OPENING UP FIVE OF SIXTEEN WATER TIGHT COMPARTMENTS. THE PASSENGERS AND CREW BEGAN EVACUATION, BUT THERE WAS ROOM FOR ONLY 1,178 PEOPLE, A THIRD NECESSARY TO EVACUATE EVERYONE. WOMEN AND CHILDREN WERE GIVEN PRECEDENCE, LEAVING MANY OF THE MEN BEHIND, AND SOME LIFEBOATS LAUNCHED PREMATURELY WITHOUT FULL CAPACITY. AT 2:20 AM ON THE 15th OF APRIL, THE SHIP BROKE IN TWO AND FOUNDERED, WITH OVER A THOUSAND SOULS LEFT ABOARD. AS TITANIC SANK BENEATH THE WAVES, THE CUNARD SHIP CARPATHIA ARRIVED AND RESCUED 705 SURVIVORS. HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE WERE HANGING FROM THE VERTICALLY ANGLED STERN AS THE SHIP PLUNGED BELOW. ALL BUT 13 PEOPLE THAT WENT INTO THE WATER DIED FROM HEART ATTACK OR HYPOTHERMIA IN THE DEADLY COLD WATER, WITH OTHERS DROWNING IN MINUTES. IN ALL, 1,502 PEOPLE PERISHED IN WHAT WAS AMONG THE WORST PEACETIME MARITIME DISASTERS OF ALL TIME.
THE WRECK OF THE TITANIC WAS DISCOVERED IN 1985. HER REMAINS REST ON THE SEABED AT A DEPTH OF 3,784 METERS. SALVAGE EFFORTS HAVE RECOVERED MANY ARTIFACTS FROM THE ONCE GRANDE DAME OF THE OCEAN, THE RELICS ON DISPLAY IN MUSEUMS WOPRLDWIDE. THE STORY OF TITANIC HAS BEEN IMMORTALIZED IN FILMS, BOOKS, SONGS, MEMORIALS AND EXHIBITS, AND SHE HAS TAKEN HER PLACE AS ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS SHIPS IN HISTORY.
THIS AMAZING BOXED SET INCLUDES A STUNNING FIVE-OUNCE .999 FINE SILVER PROOF COIN. ITS INNER CORE ON THE REVERSE IS MADE FROM REAL IRIDESCENT NACRE, OR MOTHER OF PEARL, WITH SHIMMERING AND MULTICOLORED HUES OF BEAUTIFUL DEEP BLUE/VIOLETS, HIGHLIGHTED BY GREEN AND YELLOW TINGES, REFERENCING THE DEEP BLUE OF THE ATLANTIC OCEAN THAT EVEN NOW EMBRACES THE TITANIC. ENGRAVED IN RELIEF IS THE IMAGE OF TITANIC, ITS STACKS BILLOWING SMOKE WITH THE ICEBERG THAT BROUGHT ABOUT THE SHIP'S DOOM LURKING AT ITS STARBOARD SIDE. THE SHIP IS ENCAPUSULATED IN HARD CLEAR PROTECTIVE PLASTIC AND NESTLED IN ITS DISPLAY STAND/FRAME. THE CAPSULE IS SET WITHIN A HARD PLASTIC PORTHOLE AFFIXED TO A RECTANGULAR WOOD BACKING. UNDERNEATH THE COIN AND PORTHOLE IS AN ENGRAVED BRASS PLAQUE WITH THE SHIP'S NAME, THE MINTAGE OF 750, AND THE SERIAL NUMBER OF THE COIN/SET.
THE DISPLAY COMES IN ITS ORIGINAL CUSTOM BOX AND IS ACCOMPANIED BY A CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICITY PRINTED WITH A FACSIMILE OF A WHITE STAR/RMS TITANIC BOARDING PASS. ALSO INCLUDED IS AN INTERNATIONAL MERCANTILE MARINE COMPANY TITANIC STOCK CERTIFICATE ISSUED FOR 100 SHARES, CANCELLED, SIGNED AND STAMPED SEPTEMBER 3, 1936.
COIN CONTAINS 155.5 GRAMS OF .999 FINE SILVER (5.0 OZS ASW) PLUS MOTHER OF PEARL
65 MM IN DIAMETER
ONLY 750 MINTED!
