Cook Islands – 2022 – 10 Dollars – Leaning Tower of Pisa

Description

Pretty much everyone is familiar with the Leaning Tower of Pisa. It is one of the most photographed landmarks in the world and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987. 2022 is the 650^th anniversary of the completion of this famous building and it is fair to say that no other building in the world has become so popular for its flaws.

Construction began in 1173 and was originally designed as a bell tower. When the third floor was completed 5 years later, it started to lean due to an unstable foundation. Due to this issue, construction actually halted for 100 years! More floors were added and engineered to attempt to counter-balance the lean. That attempt only made the leaning worse. Despite all of this, the tower was eventually completed with a 7^th floor and the belfry and was left to lean on its own. Numerous other attempts were tried to correct the issue and finally in 2008, the tower was stabilized enough for visitors to once again explore this marvel.

CIT has captured this leaning tower in both a 2 oz and 5 oz silver. What is truly unique about this piece is that the tower is shown on both sides of the coin in smartminting® ultra-high relief! This coin also has a flat bottom edge to allow you to view the coin vertically as if you were standing in front of the tower in person!  Every detail of the tower from its wonderful arches to its belfry can be seen in grand detail. Even the Pisa Cathedral is shown next to the tower. It’s not often where a flaw can be this beautiful!