Kiwi 1 oz Silver 2015

"Noah's Ark (Hebrew: תֵבָה tebah, Latin: arca - chest) - a mythical floating wooden structure which, according to the accounts of the Abrahamic religions, was built at the command of Yahweh by Noah so that he could save his own person, his family (8 people in total) and representatives of all animal species from the Flood. The best-known description of the ark is found in the biblical book of Genesis (6,14 - 8,19).The story contained in Genesis has been and continues to be the subject of extensive studies in the various Abrahamic religions, the content of which has included both theoretical solutions to questions (e.g. how Noah was able to fit all animal species into the ark) and allegorical interpretations (e.g. the recognition of the ark as a precursor to the Church bringing salvation to mankind). From the 19th century onwards, with the development of geology and biogeography as scientific disciplines, natural history scholars began to question the literalism of the biblical text, and biblical criticism turned its attention to the roots and purposes of the story. In spite of this, proponents of a literal interpretation of the Bible continue to this day to search for evidence of this biblical story and to scour the region of the Ararat mountain range in present-day Turkey (on the border with Armenia) where, according to Genesis, Noah's Ark was supposed to have settled.' Noah's Ark is a strictly investment coin and the intention of the producers is to compete with the American Eagle, the Canadian Maple Leaf and the Vienna Philharmonic. The huge interest in this coin poses a real threat to the aforementioned coins.

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The coin's obverse, designed by Eduard Kurghinyan, depicts an ark on a rough sea, with Mount Ararat in the background and the rising sun. The mountain is named after Ara, a Bronze Age idol. Ara was the god of death and rebirth. In the centre of the coin is a dove in flight over the waters of the Flood, holding an olive branch in its beak. The edge bears the inscription ''Noah's ark'', in English (Noah's ark).

The reverse of the coin depicts the Armenian coat of arms along with the minted denomination of 500 drams and the year of issue. On the right-hand side, below the coat of arms, are the weight and the sample of silver in which the coin was struck. At the lower edge is the inscription ''Republic of Armenia''.

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