Numismatic Series "Wealth and Pride of Peru"
The Central Reserve Bank of Peru has issued a new Numismatic Series named "Riqueza y orgullo del Perú" - "Wealth and Pride of Peru" containing 24 coins with the value of one Nuevo Sol. The first coin of this series has been put into circulation in March 2010. With this series the Central Reserve Bank of Peru seeks a new way of spreading the diverse and rich cultural heritage of Peru with one of the most commonly used coins in the country (value S/. 1.00).
The new coins are also legal tender and are not thought to be a replacement for the current S /. 1.00 coins. The coins will circulate simultaneously and can be used in any transaction. Each coin represents cultural highlights, typical Peruvian art or important cultural sites. Every couple of months there should be a new coin with a new motive (we will update or gallery accordingly).
"Wealth and Pride of Peru" coins currently in circulation (4 of 24)
1. Tumi de Oro
The "Tumi de Oro" has been put into circulation as the first coin of the series on the 24th of March 2010. The front side of the coin shows the "Tumi de Oro" (*1), a typical Peruvian short bladed (semi-circular) knife with the mythological figure of "Ñaylamp" (Lambayeque Culture) as the handle. The symbol on the right represents the mark of the National Mint on a background of vertical lines.
The back of the coin shows in the center part the Peruvian Coat of Arms surrounded by the writing Central Reserve Bank of Peru (Banco Central de Reserva del Perú) and the year of issue. This side of the coin is nearly identical to the previous issued S /. 1.00 coins that have been in circulation.
(*1) The tumi is a sacrificial ceremonial knife used by some Inca and pre-Inca cultures in the Peruvian Coastal Region. Other Andean cultures have used it for the neurological procedure of skull trepanation. The tumi is one of the national symbols for Peru and has also become a popular symbol used by the tourism industry.
2. Sarcófagos de Karajía - Stone Coffins of Karajía
The "Sarcófagos de Karajía" has been put into circulation as the second coin of the series on the 22nd of June 2010. The front side of the coin shows one of the "Stone coffins of Karajía" located in the Amazon Andes on the edge of a hill facing the abyss (Archaeological Complex of Chípuric). The real coffin capsules are about 2.50 meters tall, made from clay and symbolize a human being. Their creators the Chachapoyas assembled these coffins in small groups of 4 to 8 units to form small burial grounds. The local residents call them Purunmachos. The symbol on the right represents the mark of the National Mint on a background of vertical lines.
The back of the coin shows in the center part the Peruvian Coat of Arms surrounded by the writing Central Reserve Bank of Peru (Banco Central de Reserva del Perú) and the year of issue. This side of the coin is nearly identical to the previous issued S /. 1.00 coins that have been in circulation.
3. Estela de Raimondi - Raimondi Stela
The "Estela de Raimondi" (Raimondi Stela / Monolith) has been put into circulation as the third coin of the series on the 1st of December 2010. The front side of the coin shows the "Estela Raimondi" that reflects like no other object the artistic style of the Chavin Culture. The stela (kind of a sacred monolith which once was adored at the ceremonial center of Chavin de Huantar) is made of granite, 1.98m high and 74cm wide. Into the stone a filigree design is carved using a widely practiced Chavin technique named contour rivalry. Contour rivalry creates multiple visual interpretations of an image. When viewed in one way the image depicts one thing, when turn around the same lines that formed the previous image now depict another one. So when the Raimondi Stela is viewed in one way, it shows an important Chavin god, the Staff-Bearing God (Dios de los Báculos) with an enormous head and the teeth of a feline accompanied by snakes. When turned around numerous smiling, fanged faces appear with a huge reptile in the middle. Today this important piece from the Chavin culture is exhibited at the Museo Nacional de Arqueologia, Antropologia e Historia in Lima. The symbol on the right represents the mark of the National Mint on a background of vertical lines.
The back of the coin shows in the center part the Peruvian Coat of Arms surrounded by the writing Central Reserve Bank of Peru (Banco Central de Reserva del Perú) and the year of issue. This side of the coin is nearly identical to the previous issued S /. 1.00 coins that have been in circulation.
4. Chullpas de Sillustani
The "Chullpas de Sillustani" coin has been put into circulation as the fourth of the series on 23th of February 2011. The front side of the coins shows the tower-like structures of Sillustani built by the Collas, an Aymara speaking tribe that dominated the Titicaca region before the Incas. Inside the up to 12m high "chullpas" the Collas buried their ancestors. Around the towers they guarded their memories and performed ritual ceremonies. The for this time highly advance building technique of the funerary towers and the perfectly mummified remains of the buried Colla nobility accompanied by their riches show in an impressive way how important ancestor worship and the deep connection between life and death was in the Aymara culture.
While "chullpas" can be found at many places across the high plains, the pre-Incan burial ground of Sillustani on the shores of Lake Umayo, around 35km from Puno is considered the most impressive and best preserved one. This amazing archeological site was declared "Zona de Reserva Ecologica y Arqueologica" (Ecological and Archeological Reserve) in May 2011 and restorations including the building of an onsite museum are planned for 2011.
The back of the coin shows in the center part the Peruvian Coat of Arms surrounded by the writing Central Reserve Bank of Peru (Banco Central de Reserva del Perú) and the year of issue. This side of the coin is nearly identical to the previous issued S /. 1.00 coins which have been in circulation.
