Coin French Mint 50 Euros Gold BE 2022 - Shakespeare - The Art of the Pen 2022

50 Euros FRANCE 2022

Theme: Shakespeare
Series : The Art of the Pen 

Quality : BE (Belle Epreuve).

Edition : 500 copies.
999 ‰ gold - 7 78 g (1/4 ounce) - Ø 22 mm.

La Monnaie de Paris cannot celebrate the theatre without evoking William Shakespeare playwright whose major work continues to inspire artists the world over. Born
Born in England in 1564, he left such an indelible mark on the language of his country that English is still often referred to as "Shakespeare's language". As gifted at comedy as he was at tragedy, he wrote no fewer than thirty-seven dramatic works, including the famous Romeo and Juliet and Hamlet. To pay tribute to him, the Monnaie de Paris is minting a series of collector coins in gold and silver.

The face of William Shakespeare is depicted in profile, divided between life and death in a vanitas reminiscent of Hamlet's famous "to be or not to be". The left side of the face shows Shakespeare wearing a madman's hat. The right side is a skull under a crown. The continuity between the two hats suggests that the diamonds in the crown have been transformed into the fool's bells, a reference to the futility of life that Shakespeare evokes in his plays. The setting behind the playwright is the interior of the Globe Theatre in London. Situated on the banks of the River Thames, this theatre has hosted many performances of William Shakespeare's plays. The author's name and dates are shown on the edge of the coin, along with a sword reminiscent of the murderer MacBeth, again an emblematic character in his work.

The reverse is common to the entire "L'Art de la Plume" series. It features a number of emblematic quotes, including Voltaire's "The best is the enemy of the good", Dante Alighieri's "Lasciate ogne speranza voi ch'intrate", William Shakespeare's "To be or not to be: that is the question" and Nietzsche's "Was mich nicht umbringt macht mich stärker". A feather is engraved in the centre of the piece. Below it is the title of the series. The word "RF" appears at the bottom right of the coin, along with the hallmark of Joaquin Jimenez and the engraving workshop.

999 Gold
Ø 22.00mm, Weight 7.78g
BE ( belle épreuve)
French Mint