You’ve probably heard the story of Noah, the man in the Bible and Torah who was saved from the great flood of the biblical God by building an ark and bringing onto it two animals of every kind. As a coin collector, you might be interested to know that you can actually get a coin that features a scene of Noah’s ark, all while learning more about the history of the biblical land called Armenia where the story took place.
Armenia is a small country near Turkey, Russia and Iran. It’s so small that a private mint in the country of Germany mints Armenia’s coins, including the Silver Armenian Noah’s Ark. The coin serves as legal tender in Armenia and its quality and beauty make it an investable coin.
The coin is fairly new; its production began in 2011. But the story it depicts is very old. According to the Old Testament, Noah’s arc landed in the mountains of Ararat. These mountains, including the official Mount Ararat, lie in the country of Armenia.
Mount Ararat is a bigger mountain than you might imagine: over 16,000 ft. It has long been a religious symbol in the country of Armenia, not just of Noah’s ark but also of a sense of pride within the country. So it’s no surprise that the mountain shows up twice on the silver Armenian Noah’s Ark coin.
The coin comes in many denominations, but all coins feature the same design:
- Obverse: The front of the coin features the Armenian coat of arms. Along with a lion and an eagle holding the coat. The middle of the coat of arms features a picture of Mount Ararat with a little depiction of Noah’s Ark resting on top of the mountain. The coin reads “Republic of Armenia” in both English and Armenian, and features the denomination of the coin in drams – the money system used by Armenia. It also reads the purity of the coin, which is .999 pure silver, and the year of issue.
- Reverse: The reverse shows a beautiful picture of Noah’s Ark as the floodwaters are flowing away from the base of Mount Ararat. A dove is pictured in the foreground with an olive branch in its mouth, which is now a well-known symbol of peace. The coin read’s “Noah’s Ark” in both English and Armenian, which has a much different alphabet than you’re used to.
The 2015 Armenian Noah’s Ark silver coin is a beautiful addition to any coin collection and it’s filled with some amazing history. Plus, since this coin comes in so many denominations, from coins with a value about equal to a quarter to ones near the value of a $10 bill, it’s easy to find one that fits any kid-sized budget.