tabbs Posted August 21, 2007 Report Share Posted August 21, 2007 In 2006 the Federal Republic of Germany issued its very first ship coin - and next year comes the next one: The ship "Gorch Fock" is a training sail vessel of the German navy. The current Gorch Fock was built in 1958, thus 50 years ago then; the older one is a museum ship in Stralsund. Design Competition - Overview The coin will be made in Hamburg (mintmark J). The edge inscription is SEEFAHRT IST NOT, a motto which sailors have used for centuries, and which Gorch Fock (the author who the ship was named after) used as the title of one of his novels. That motto apparently goes back to Pompey's "Navigare necesse est, vivere non est necesse" (It is necessary to sail, living is not necessary). http://www.bbr.bund.de/cln_007/nn_21264/DE.../GorchFock.html Winning Design: Frantisek Chochola The winning design, depicted above, shows the Gorch Fock and, below the ship, some data about it (length, speed, etc.) That text almost looks like a shadow of the ship. http://www.bbr.bund.de/DE/WettbewerbeAussc...rty=default.jpg Second Prize: Erika Binz-Blanke In this design the ship looks more dynamic than in the winning one. Below the ship its albatros figurehead is depicted. On the other hand, the eagle side is, according to the jury, not adequate and has too many playful elements. http://www.bbr.bund.de/DE/WettbewerbeAussc...rty=default.jpg Third Prize: Ulrich Böhme Böhme's design combines a depiction of the ship and, where one might expect the Gorch Fock being mirrored, a "Takelriss" (rigging plan?) of the ship. But the jury criticized the font used, and also the style of the federal eagle. http://www.bbr.bund.de/DE/WettbewerbeAussc...rty=default.jpg Fourth Prize: Carsten Mahn What the jury liked about this design is that it also shows the work of the sailors without which the ship could not sail. Due to that scene, however, the Gorch Fock looks too small and abstracted - "some" bark, not really the one commemorated by this coin. http://www.bbr.bund.de/DE/WettbewerbeAussc...rty=default.jpg People who are familiar with German paper money may remember that a ship of that type also appeared on the 10 DM notes issued between 1963 and 1990. http://aes.iupui.edu/rwise/banknotes/Germa...ic/gfr031_b.jpg Christian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottishmoney Posted August 21, 2007 Report Share Posted August 21, 2007 I saw the "Gorch Fock" in Hamburg a few years ago, lovely ship. I have been on the "Horst Wessel" now the USCG "Eagle" which is a similar training vessel. BTW I like the second place design a bit more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tabbs Posted August 21, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 21, 2007 As far as the "ship sides" are concerned, I agree - Binz-Blanke's design I like better. But she overdid the eagle side in my opinion. So my vote would have been a lukewarm preference for Chochola's winning design. Christian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graikos Posted August 21, 2007 Report Share Posted August 21, 2007 Well, tastes are subjective, but I find the reverse of the winning side too bare. I would agree with Scottish. Sadly - and even more sadly an "again" would be in order - none of the designs really rocks my boat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottishmoney Posted August 21, 2007 Report Share Posted August 21, 2007 Tabbs, I think they should have a standard Eagle that is used for all these coins, so that it isn't televisionized in a box, or fluttered like a sail etc. In a way it can be viewed from afar like the Eagle symbol doesn't really mean much. I believe the Eagle from the old 1 DM coin is the one that should be standard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tabbs Posted August 21, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 21, 2007 I think they should have a standard Eagle that is used for all these coins Hmmm ... wasn't it you who wrote that message? http://www.coinpeople.com/index.php?s=&...st&p=335796 Well, I for one am glad that we do not have just one way of depicting the federal eagle on coins. The one from the 1 DM coin was indeed nice, although it was basically the same as the one on some German Empire coins. The eagle on the early 5 DM circulation coins I liked too; and some of the special issues have neat eagles as well. As I wrote elsewhere, for such collector coins we do not really need the eagle or the Stars of Europe. Issue related designs on either side is what I prefer. And no, we should not follow the GDR or Swiss examples of by and large designing one side only. Christian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graikos Posted August 21, 2007 Report Share Posted August 21, 2007 What I would find pleasing would be the eagle design of the second prize on the entire obverse. I like what Blanke did with the wings. Maybe you are right about the stars, but the eagle is quite good looking and it could easily dominate the side. The sail like wings are quite issue related. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tabbs Posted August 21, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 21, 2007 Yes, the 2nd prize eagle is interestingly designed. But that side as a whole ... In some German forums they have polls about such design contests. Most have voted for Binz-Blanke so far. Christian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottishmoney Posted August 21, 2007 Report Share Posted August 21, 2007 See, good taste should have the say. But coins designs are not democratic, so we suffer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dustin43160 Posted August 22, 2007 Report Share Posted August 22, 2007 See, good taste should have the say. But coins designs are not democratic, so we suffer. eh problem wth american coins is we have to commemerate every president even though we all know the important presidents.. i think someone should start a commitee about cons bein made in america which has to be made up of coin collectors!! not some geeky dud that has no life and watches starwars 24/7 no offense to anyone.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottishmoney Posted August 22, 2007 Report Share Posted August 22, 2007 Germany has created nice commems, I got some of the Berlin 750 Years commems with the Erwiger Pfennig on them in change several years ago, but gave them to a German friend that collects those. At least the German €10 coins are available at face value, just like the Netherlands €5 and €10 coins, where else can you get silver commems at face value? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crystalk64 Posted August 22, 2007 Report Share Posted August 22, 2007 I can honestly say I have ALL the German silver commemoratives from 2002 until 2007 and it is quite a collection. My European collecting friend ships them all to me late in the year so there are no 2007 coins in my collection yet, well, I may have one from Germany, but would have to check to see. None the less I like the variations in the German commemorative coinage, and the Eagle, as it makes for a very eye appealing collection. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
banivechi Posted August 22, 2007 Report Share Posted August 22, 2007 The romanian bark Mircea is the second ship from the serie built by Blohm&Voss. On that ship the actual Romania's president Traian Basescu was sailor during Naval Academy... http://www.schiffsspotter.de/Dokumente/Bar..._Gorch_Fock.htm http://www.roembus.org/mil/bricul_mircea/brosura.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tabbs Posted August 22, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 22, 2007 At least the German €10 coins are available at face value, just like the Netherlands €5 and €10 coins, where else can you get silver commems at face value? As for euro coins, there is also Austria (€5, €10), Portugal (the Ag500 issues), and Spain (€12). And I think that in the UK you can get the £5 pieces at face. Not that any of those really circulate, but at least you could theoretically spend them. More importantly, you can exchange them at the issuing central banks and get the face value back in, errrm, real money. Christian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottishmoney Posted August 22, 2007 Report Share Posted August 22, 2007 More importantly, you can exchange them at the issuing central banks and get the face value back in, errrm, real money. Christian Tabbs, silver, silber, argent is real money, the rest of that stuff is just play money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
banivechi Posted August 22, 2007 Report Share Posted August 22, 2007 Tabbs, silver, silber, argent is real money, the rest of that stuff is just play money. I disagree... For example during late 1800's-1914 in Europe the only "real" silver money were the large (crown-size) coins of 5 francs, Lira, Pesetas, Lei, Corona, Drachmes etc made from 900 silver. These were supposed to contain silver at real value. All others small coins were made from inferior title (800 or under) so the intrinsic value were inferior to nominal value. The real money ever was gold... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dustin43160 Posted August 22, 2007 Report Share Posted August 22, 2007 wouldnt it be nice to have a $20.00 silver peice in circulation!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roaddevil Posted August 22, 2007 Report Share Posted August 22, 2007 wouldnt it be nice to have a $20.00 silver peice in circulation!!!!! hmm gold lol even if its a small coin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottishmoney Posted August 22, 2007 Report Share Posted August 22, 2007 I disagree... For example during late 1800's-1914 in Europe the only "real" silver money were the large (crown-size) coins of 5 francs, Lira, Pesetas, Lei, Corona, Drachmes etc made from 900 silver. These were supposed to contain silver at real value. All others small coins were made from inferior title (800 or under) so the intrinsic value were inferior to nominal value. The real money ever was gold... Actually MJ that is true in America also where the half dime through the half dollar were underweight in relation to the dollar coin. In studying the LMU, of which Romania was also a part of, the Papal States(Vatican City) were the worst violators. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottishmoney Posted August 22, 2007 Report Share Posted August 22, 2007 The romanian bark Mircea is the second ship from the serie built by Blohm&Voss. On that ship the actual Romania's president Traian Basescu was sailor during Naval Academy...http://www.schiffsspotter.de/Dokumente/Bar..._Gorch_Fock.htm http://www.roembus.org/mil/bricul_mircea/brosura.htm Kind of funny how Blohm und Voss's ships got around after the war, Ukraine, Romania, USA, Russia. Leaving Germany with nothing but building one later on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
banivechi Posted August 22, 2007 Report Share Posted August 22, 2007 Kind of funny how Blohm und Voss's ships got around after the war, Ukraine, Romania, USA, Russia. Leaving Germany with nothing but building one later on. Actually Sagres II is under Portuguese flag, not Russian. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottishmoney Posted August 22, 2007 Report Share Posted August 22, 2007 Actually Sagres II is under Portuguese flag, not Russian. Sorry, I was thinking of the Sedov and the Kruzenshtern, both of which were built in Germany in the 1920's and taken by Russia at the end of WWII. Both of them still sail for Russia. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tabbs Posted August 22, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 22, 2007 Tabbs, silver, silber, argent is real money, the rest of that stuff is just play money. Hehe, it's pretty much the other way round these days. Sure, every coin - whether made from silver, copper, zinc or whatever - has a certain metal value. But that is not really, or just vaguely, related to the face value. The times when some coin or even medal was generally accepted as a means of payment due to its metal content are gone. Oh well, metal prices are as volatile as pretty much everything else that is bought and sold at exchanges ... Christian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlueke Posted August 22, 2007 Report Share Posted August 22, 2007 That's ne of dad's favorite ships. I'll have to get him that coin when it comes out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
banivechi Posted February 25, 2008 Report Share Posted February 25, 2008 Here is a 500 francs from Togo with the Gorch Fock ship. I just bought it from ebay, can't wait until it comes... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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