CIT Remembers Pompeii
CIT captures the cataclysmic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in breathtaking detail with its new Cook Islands $20 “Lost City – Pompeii” coin, featuring a dramatic 10mm high-relief rendering of the volcano spewing lava and ash over the doomed ancient city.
On August 24, A.D. 79, a typical day turned into a nightmare when the eruption of Vesuvius overtook the ancient Roman city of Pompeii. The eruption began a little after noon, and within a few hours, over 2,000 people died. The then-urban city was covered in ash and pumice, forever becoming a ghost town.
Lichtenstein-based CIT is taking the historical moment to new heights with its Cook Islands $20 “Lost City-Pompeii” coin. Depicted during the moment of the eruption, the coin shows a 10-millimeter relief of the blackened crater of Vesuvius looming over the city as ash and bright red lava emit from it.
CIT’s Smartminting® technology created this impressive height. Developed together with B.H. Mayer’s Kunstprägeanstalt GmbH, the innovative device allows CIT to add dimension to its coin designs via extra-deep tooling and multiple strikes.
Smartminting® also allows the company to tell a story through coin design by applying the smallest details. This can be seen with the pyroclastic flows streaming from the volcano and the darkened streets covered in ash, which contrast with the shiny silver sections of the city that have yet to meet their demise.
The “Lost City-Pompeii” coin weighs 3 ounces and measures 45 millimeters. Made in .9999 silver proof quality, it is part of CIT’s Winter Launch and comes in a specially designed casing that also illustrates the tragic event. Only 499 coins have been issued to ensure its rarity, and they are selling fast. For more information about the “Lost City-Pompeii” coin and CIT’s Winter Launch, visit the website.
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