World Commemorative Coins - 1

Australia

World War II - Home coming 

The Royal Australian Mint, Australia's national mint, released in November 2004 their 2005 circulating coin designs and annual year sets commemorating 60 years since the end of the Second World War.

Officially launched at the Australian War Memorial by Chairman of the Memorial Council, Major General Adrian Clunies-Ross, the highlight of the coin series is the 20 cent coin entitled 'Coming Home' which features an image of a young girl greeting her father returning home from the war.

The young girl has been identified as Queenslander Jacquie Dowling, after she 'featured' as a child in a photograph from 1945, held by the Australian War Memorial. Jacquie was 'found' after a national search for the child in the photo.

The Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer, the Hon Chris Pearce MP said "The image of Jacquie and her mother greeting their father, an ex-prisoner of war, upon his return home after many years apart is a touching scene that inspired the coin entitled 'Coming Home'."

          

Australia Day

In the lead-up to Australia Day, the Assistant Treasurer, Senator Nick Sherry, in 2010, announced the design of the newest coin to go into the hands of Australians.

Commemorating and celebrating Australia Day and designed by the Royal Australian Mint in consultation with the National Australia Day Council, this 50 cent coin marked the spirit of this significant national celebration and will soon be available around the country.

Australian cricket great and National Australia Day Council Chairman Adam Gilchrist welcomed the newest coin to go into the hands of Australians.

The coin design, by Mint sculptor Vladimir Gottwald, features an artistic impression of Australia made out of ribbons with a circle of people surrounding the country. The ribbons have been adapted from the official Australia Day logo.

On the reverse of the coin is a picture of Circle of 15 people holding ribbons aloft. On the obverse is the crowned portrait right, date lower right.

       

Year of the Tiger - 2010

In 2010 the Royal Australian Mint continues their lunar series following the Year of the Ox release last year with the 4th in an ongoing series of NCLT (non-circulating legal tender) one dollar coins depicting each lunar year and their representative animals. Intended as a collectors coin this 2010 $1 marks the birth of a loved one or a birthday gift for those born in the year of the tiger which begins on February 14th 2010. Those born in 1998, 1986, 1974, 1962, 1950, 1938 or 1926 were also born into the year of the tiger. A dominant trait of those born into the year of the tiger is enthusiasm, courage, resilience and friendliness. The Chinese believe that each zodiac animal has a profound influence on the personality and destiny of each person born into that zodiac year. Faults of those born into this lunar year are suspiciousness, selfishness and indecision.

The Year of the Tiger one dollar design by Vladimir Gottwald features a Tiger with authentic chinese symbols all in a symetrical design on the reverse. It also features Gottwald's initial as the designer of the reverse. The coin is issued in a protective capsule housed in an informative card. This card features a red and gold design, the traditional colours of good fortune in Chinese culture. The coin features "2010 Year of the Tiger" on the reverse and, different to other standard dollar issues, states the denomination "1 Dollar" on the obverse below the portrait. It is the standard 25mm size, 9 gram, aluminium bronze one dollar coin with the Ian Rank-Broadley effigy of Queen Elizabeth II.

This year of the Tiger one dollar is issued in uncirculated condition for $12.95. The design is also issued also in a 99.9% silver proof (11.66g) with a mintage of not more than 10,000 for $45 and (1/10oz 17.53mm) $10 gold proof coin for $260 with a capped mintage of 2,500. 

         

100th Anniversary of Federation

 

The Federation of Australia was the process by which the six separate British self-governing colonies of Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia, and Western Australia formed one nation. They kept the systems of government (and the bicameral legislatures) that they had developed as separate colonies, but they also agreed to have a federal government that was responsible for matters concerning the whole nation. When the Constitution of Australia came into force, on 1 January 1901, the colonies collectively became states of the Commonwealth of Australia.

The efforts to bring about federation in the mid-19th century were dogged by the lack of popular support for the movement. A number of conventions were held during the 1890s to develop a constitution for the Commonwealth. Sir Henry Parkes, Premier of New South Wales, was instrumental in this process. Fiji and New Zealand were originally part of this process, but they decided not to join the federation.

Sir Edmund Barton, second only to Parkes in the length of his commitment to the federation cause, was the caretaker Prime Minister of Australia at the inaugural national election in 1901. The result of this election was to confirm Barton in the prime ministerial role.

This period has lent its name to an architectural style prevalent in Australia at that time, known as Federation architecture, or Federation style.

      

Air Commodore Sir Charles Kingsford Smith, MC, AFC (1897–1935)

 

Sir Charles Edward Kingsford Smith MC, AFC (9 February 1897 – 8 November 1935), often called by his nickname Smithy, was an early Australian aviator. Kingsford Smith was in the army cadets until 1915; when he turned 18, he enlisted in the AIF. He became a signaller and despatch-rider and saw war service on Gallipoli and in Egypt and France before transferring to the Royal Flying Corps (RFC).

The young pilot joined No. 23 Squadron RFC on the Western Front in July 1917. He soon destroyed four enemy aircraft in combat, but in August he was wounded and shot down, resulting in the loss of some of his toes. He was awarded the Military Cross. After the war flying became his passion and he piloted joy-flights overseas before returning home in 1921. In the following years he tried to establish viable aviation companies. It was an expensive business and he regularly sought publicity and sponsorship for record-breaking flights.

One epic flight, above all his many others, established “Smithy” as one of the greatest pioneering pilots of all time. On 31 May 1928 he took off from California with Charles Ulm and two American crewmen in a three-engined Fokker, the Southern Cross. For aircraft of this era it was an immense distance, over water all the way. They flew via Hawaii and Suva to Brisbane, fighting storms and near exhaustion, completing the journey in under 84 flying hours. For his achievements, Kingsford Smith was given honorary rank in the RAAF and awarded the Air Force Cross. He continued on more record-breaking flights to show the feasibility of air passenger and mail services. In 1932 he was knighted for his contribution to aviation.

Most Australians loved Smithy’s dare-devil attitude and his larrikin streak: “a drink and cigarette in hand … he lived hard and fast”. But he was dogged by tragedy: a former colleague, Keith Anderson, died during a search when Smithy went missing briefly in the Northern Territory in 1929; then in 1931 a company aircraft Southern Cloud was lost with all passengers and crew. Finally, in 1935, Kingsford Smith disappeared off Burma while attempting yet another record-breaking flight.


     

Bailiwick of Jersey

 Corbiere Lighthouse

 

The lighthouse is situated on a rock that is a tidal island. A causeway links the lighthouse to shore at low tide. There is an alarm to warn visitors to clear the causeway as the tide rises; still, there have been casualties among the unwary or unlucky. A plaque adjacent to the causeway commemorates Peter Edwin Larbalestier, assistant keeper of the lighthouse, who was drowned on 28 May 1946, while trying to rescue a visitor cut off by the incoming tide.

The lighthouse tower is 19 m (62 ft) high and the lamp stands 36 m (119 ft) above high water spring tides. It was lit on 24 April 1874, for the first time, and was the first lighthouse in the British Isles to be built of concrete.[2] The lighthouse was built to designs by Sir John Coode. The beam has a reach of 18 nmi (33 km), and was automated in 1976.

The lighthouse at La Corbière is one of the most photographed landmarks in Jersey and is a popular tourist site for its panoramic views. In the evenings the surrounding area provides an ideal viewing point for sunsets.

The lighthouse at La Corbière features on the Jersey 5 pound note (see Jersey pound) and the Jersey 20 pence piece (see coins of the Jersey pound)

                    

Seymour Tower

 Seymour Tower is a coastal defence tower built on a rocky tidal island called L'Avarison, located 2 km (1.25 miles) east of the shoreline of Jersey. One can reach it on foot during low tide, but one must take care when walking to or from the tower as the tide comes in very quickly. Jersey Heritage now operates the tower as a holiday rental. (Facilities are minimal. There is some electricity but no running water. Guests must bring back all waste (including bagged toilet waste) for disposal on shore. Guests staying overnight must bring their own sleeping bags and must be accompanied by a registered guide.)

The square-shaped stone tower stands on a wider base that incorporates an artillery platform. Records suggest that these held two 12-pounder (1797), two 24-pounder (1814), or two 32-pounder (1848) guns. The tower was constructed in 1782 following the Battle of Jersey (January 6, 1781), and is one of thirty coastal towers that Conway planned to build. Only 23 towers were built, and Seymour is the only one that is square-shaped rather than round.

                    

Bangladesh

Bangabandhu Bridge - Jamuna Multi-purpose Bridge

Bangabandhu Bridge, commonly called the Jamuna Multi-purpose Bridge (Jomuna Bohumukhi Shetu) is a bridge opened in Bangladesh in June 1998. It connects Bhuapur on the Jamuna River's east bank to Sirajganj on its west bank. It was the 11th longest bridge in the world when constructed in 1998 and currently the 6th longest bridge in South Asia. It was constructed over the Jamuna River, one of the three major rivers of Bangladesh, and fifth largest in the world in discharge volume.

The bridge established a strategic link between the eastern and western parts of Bangladesh. It generates multifarious benefits for the people and, especially, promotes inter-regional trade in the country. Apart from quick movement of goods and passenger traffic by road and rail, it facilitated transmission of electricity and natural gas, and integration of telecommunication links. The bridge is on the Asian Highway and the Trans-Asian Railway which, when fully developed, will provide uninterrupted international road and railway links from southeast Asia through Central Asia to northwest Europe.

The main bridge is 4.8 km long with 47 main spans of approximately 100 metres and two end spans of approximately 65 metres. Connected to the bridge are east and west approach viaducts each with 12 spans of 10 metre length and transition spans of 8 metres. The total width of the bridge deck is 18.5 metres.

       

Czech

Prague Astronomical Clock - Astrolabe

The Prague astronomical clock, or Prague orloj (Czech: Pražský orloj [praʃskiː orloj]), is a medieval astronomical clock located in Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic. The clock was first installed in 1410, making it the third-oldest astronomical clock in the world and the oldest one still working.

The Orloj is mounted on the southern wall of Old Town City Hall in the Old Town Square. The clock mechanism itself is composed of three main components: the astronomical dial, representing the position of the Sun and Moon in the sky and displaying various astronomical details; "The Walk of the Apostles", a clockwork hourly show of figures of the Apostles and other moving sculptures—notably a figure of Death (represented by a skeleton) striking the time; and a calendar dial with medallions representing the months. According to local legend, the city will suffer if the clock is neglected and its good operation is placed in jeopardy and a skeleton, mounted on the clock, was supposed nod his head in confirmation. Based on the legend, the only hope was represented by a boy born in the New Year´s night.

On October 9, 2010, the Clock's 600th anniversary was celebrated with a light show on the face of the clock tower. Two 2x Christie 18K HD projectors, each with a 1920x1080 resolution, were used to project several animated videos on the clock. The videos showed it being built, torn down, rebuilt, and peeled away to show its internal mechanisms and the famous animated figures, as well as various events in the clock's history. The video interacted with the tower's architecture, such as rain rolling off the arch, and showing the passage of time with moving shadows.

The picture is a 20 koruna (crown) coin from the Czech Republic. It appears that  this is the only coin in circulation that features an astrolabe. 


          

France

100th Anniversary of Roland Garros

Eugène Adrien Roland Georges Garros was born in Saint-Denis, Réunion, and studied at the Lycée Janson de Sailly and HEC Paris. He started his aviation career in 1909 flying an Alberto Santos-Dumont's Demoiselle (Dragonfly) monoplane, an aircraft that only flew well with a small lightweight pilot. He gained Ae.C.F. licence no. 147 in July 1910. In 1911 Garros graduated to flying Blériot monoplanes and entered a number of European air races with this type of machine, including the 1911 Paris to Madrid air race and the Circuit of Europe (Paris-London-Paris), in which he came second.  In September he established a new world altitude record of 5,610 m (18,410 ft). By 1913 he had switched to flying the faster Morane-Saulnier monoplanes, and gained fame for making the first non-stop flight across the Mediterranean Sea from Fréjus in the south of France to Bizerte in Tunisia. The following year, Garros joined the French army at the outbreak of World War I.

In the early stages of the air war in World War I the problem of mounting a forward-firing machine gun on combat aircraft was considered by a number of individuals. The so-called "interrupter gear" did not come into use until Anthony Fokker developed a synchronization device which had a large impact on air combat; however, Garros also had a significant role in the process of achieving this goal.

As a reconnaissance pilot with the Escadrille MS26, Garros visited the Morane-Saulnier Works in December 1914. Saulnier's work on metal deflector wedges attached to propeller blades was taken forward by Garros; he eventually had a workable installation fitted to his Morane-Saulnier Type L aircraft. Garros achieved the first ever shooting-down of an aircraft by a fighter firing through a tractor propeller, on 1 April 1915; two more victories over German aircraft were achieved on 15 and 18 April 1915.

On 18 April 1915, either Garros' fuel line clogged or, by other accounts, his aircraft was downed by ground fire,[6] and he glided to a landing on the German side of the lines. Garros failed to destroy his aircraft completely before being taken prisoner: most significantly, the gun and armoured propeller remained intact. Legend has it that after examining the plane, German aircraft engineers, led by Fokker, designed the improved interrupter gear system. In fact the work on Fokker's system had been going for at least six months before Garros' aircraft fell into their hands. With the advent of the interrupter gear the tables were turned on the Allies, with Fokker's planes shooting down many Allied aircraft, leading to what became known as the Fokker Scourge.

Garros finally managed to escape from a POW camp in Germany on 14 February 1918, after several attempts, and rejoined the French army. He settled into Escadrille 26 to pilot a Spad, and claimed two victories on 2 October 1918, one of which was confirmed. On 5 October 1918, he was shot down and killed near Vouziers, Ardennes, a month before the end of the war and one day before his 30th birthday. His adversary was probably German ace Hermann Habich from Jasta 49.

Garros is erroneously called the world's first fighter ace. In fact, he shot down only four aircraft; the definition of "ace" is five or more victories. The honour of becoming the first ace went to another French airman, Adolphe Pégoud.

A tennis centre, which he attended religiously when he was studying in Paris, was named after him in the 1920s, the Stade de Roland Garros. The stadium accommodates the French Open, one of tennis' Grand Slam tournaments. Consequently, the tournament is officially called Les internationaux de France de Roland-Garros (the "French Internationals of Roland Garros").

The international airport of La Réunion, Roland Garros Airport, is also named after him.

The place where he landed in bizerte is actually called place of rolland Garros.

The French car manufacturer Peugeot commissioned a 'Roland Garros' limited edition version of its 205 model in celebration of the tennis tournament that bears his name. The model included special paint and leather interior. Because of the success of this special edition, Peugeot later created Roland Garros editions of its 106, 206, 207, 306, 406, and 806 models.

     

Gibralter

Operation Torch

Operation Torch (initially called operation Gymnast) was the British-American invasion of French North Africa during the North African Campaign of the Second World War which started on 8 November 1942.
Having been persuaded of the impracticality of launching an invasion of France as a second front, American commanders agreed to conduct landings in northwest Africa with the goal of clearing the continent of Axis troops and preparing the way for a future attack on southern Europe. Intending to land in Morocco and Algeria, Allied planners were forced to determine the mentality of the Vichy French forces defending the area. These numbered around 120,000 men, 500 aircraft, and several warships. It was hoped that as a former member of the Allies, the French would not fire on British and American forces.

To aid in assessing local conditions, the American consul in Algiers, Robert Daniel Murphy, was instructed to gather intelligence and reach out to sympathetic members of the Vichy French government. While Murphy conducted his mission, planning for the landings moved forward under the overall command of General Dwight D. Eisenhower. The naval force for the operation would be led by Admiral Sir Andrew Cunningham. Initially dubbed Operation Gymnast, it was soon renamed Operation Torch. The operation called for three main landings to take place at Casablanca, Oran, and Algiers.

Endeavoring to accomplish his objectives, Murphy provided evidence suggesting the French would not resist and made contact with several officers, including the commander-in-chief of Algiers, General Charles Mast. While these men were willing to aid the Allies, they requested a meeting with senior Allied commander before committing. Meeting their demands, Eisenhower dispatched Major General Mark Clark aboard the submarine HMS Seraph. Rendezvousing with Mast and others at Cherchell, Algeria on October 21, 1942, Clark was able to secure their support.

In preparation for Operation Torch, General Henri Giraud was smuggled out of Vichy France with the aid of the resistance. Though Eisenhower had intended to make Giraud the commander of French forces in North Africa after the invasion, the Frenchman demanded that he be given overall command of the operation. This was refused and Giraud became a spectator. With the groundwork laid with the French, the invasion convoys sailed with the Casablanca force departing the United States and the other two sailing from Britain. Eisenhower coordinated the operation from his headquarters at Gibraltar.

On the obverse is the crowned portrait facing right. On the reverse three military figures in foreground, rock of Gibraltar in background. 

             

 Koehler Depressing Carriage

 

The Koehler Depressing Carriage was a novel type of gun carriage invented in 1782 by Lt George Frederick Koehler of the Royal Artillery. It was devised to enable cannons to be fired at a steeply downward-facing angle and was made necessary by the peculiar circumstances that the British Army faced during the Great Siege of Gibraltar between 1779–83. The carriage saw active service during the siege, when it was used to support the British counter-bombardment of Spanish and French artillery batteries during the successful defence of Gibraltar. Its success made Koehler famous and has been commemorated in a number of different forms over the last 230 years.
Depressing carriages had been invented before – in the 15th century, a German engineer had devised a platform for a culverin that had four wheels and could be moved in two arcs for adjusting the elevation – but Koehler found a simple and effective solution that solved both the problems of elevation and recoil. It was based on an existing garrison carriage, a type of heavy gun carriage mounted on small wheels known as trucks. Koehler split the carriage in two horizontally, joining the two parts with a hinge created with a spindle at the front. This allowed the gun to be depressed to an angle of between 20 and 70 degrees. The cannonball and powder were held in place using wadding to secure them in the bore.

The carriage was first put into operational use in the afternoon of 15 April 1782, when Koehler demonstrated it to the Governor of Gibraltar, General George Augustus Eliott, and other officers of the garrison. The target chosen was San Carlos Battery, a Spanish position some 1,400 yards (1,300 m) distant in the Lines of Contravallation. Drinkwater recorded that out of thirty rounds fired, twenty-eight hit the target. Koehler's carriage became a key advantage for the defenders of Gibraltar, contributing to the accuracy and speed of the British artillery, and became one of the most famous and successful examples of a special gun carriage. However, it had a significant flaw in that the angle of depression could only be adjusted in a number of large 'steps', making it difficult to aim at certain angles. This was resolved by an 1870s update to the design which saw the addition of a large wheel at the back, connected to a screw mechanism, which enabled fine tuning of the angle.

Koehler's invention has been commemorated in numerous works of art, models, sculptures, replicas and badges. The depressing gun carriage can be seen in the bottom-left corner of a famous 1787 portrait of General Eliott by Joshua Reynolds.] It is still displayed on the badge of 22 (Gibraltar) Battery Royal Artillery, and the £10 note, £1 coin and 10p coin of the Gibraltar pound have all depicted the gun carriage. A replica of a Koehler gun carriage can be seen at Grand Casemates Square in Gibraltar's city centre, while in the Great Siege Tunnels, originally dug out during the siege itself, a reconstruction can be seen of how the depressing carriage would have been used.

On the Obverse is a Crowned portrait right. On the reverse is the Canon pointing down. 


         

Our Lady of Europa

Our Lady of Europe (Spanish: Nuestra Señora de Europa or Virgen de Europa) is a title given to the Blessed Virgin Mary as patroness of Gibraltar. The entire European continent was consecrated under the protection of Our Lady of Europe in the early 14th century from the Shrine in Gibraltar where devotion still continues to this day, over 700 years on. Together with St. Bernard, Our Lady is a Catholic patron saint of Gibraltar.

As per the Origin of the title ‘Our Lady of Europe’, Mauritanian born warrior, Tarik Ibn Zayid successfully led his troops across the narrow Straits (of Gibraltar) to the Continent of Europe in AD 710. The Catholic Monarchs of Spain were acutely aware that the ‘Reconquista’ of Catholic Spain could never be fully achieved so long as Gibraltar remained in Moslem hands. The Rock of Gibraltar formed the bridge between Europe and Africa ensuring a steady flow of Moslem troops into Spain. 

In 1309, nearly six hundred years later, the Spanish King Ferdinand IV finally succeeded in capturing Gibraltar and in so doing expelled the Moslem population from the Rock.

Following his victory, the King gave thanks to the Almighty and, as legend tells us, he dedicated the Continent of Europe to the Mother of Christ, giving her the title of Our Lady of Europe. At the same time, he converted the ancient mosque at the southernmost tip of the Rock into a Christian Shrine and it is believed that a statue of Our Lady, sculptured in limestone, was venerated there.
The Moslems recaptured Gibraltar in 1333, and the Christian population left the Rock, carrying whatever they owned, including the limestone statue of Our Lady of Europe.

In 1462, Henry IV, grandson of Ferdinand IV, recaptured Gibraltar and restored the devotion initiated by Ferdinand to Our Lady of Europe in 1309. Since the original stone statue could not be found, he commissioned a new one, this time depicting the Virgin sitting on a chair holding the Child Jesus. This statue was to be venerated at the Shrine.

The Shrine was ransacked by Barbarossa’s Turkish pirates in September 1540 and badly mutilated the statue of Our Lady of Europe. It was eventually restored in Seville and brought back to the Shrine. In 1704, during the War of the Spanish Succession, Anglo-Dutch troops captured Gibraltar. The civilian population, once again left Gibraltar, taking with them the statue of Our Lady which had once again been mutilated. It was not until 1864 that the statue was returned to Gibraltar, thanks to the efforts of Bishop Scandella, after 160 years ‘in exile’ in Algeciras, Spain.

           

Capture of Gibraltar

The Capture of Gibraltar by the forces of the Grand Alliance occurred between 1–3 August 1704 during the War of the Spanish Succession. Since the beginning of the war the Alliance had been looking for a harbour in the Iberian Peninsula to control the Strait of Gibraltar and facilitate naval operations against the French fleet in the western Mediterranean Sea. An attempt to seize Cádiz had ended in failure in September 1702, but following the Alliance fleet's success at Vigo Bay in October that year the combined fleets of the 'Maritime Powers', the Netherlands and England, had emerged as the dominant naval force in the region. This strength helped persuade King Peter II of Portugal to sever his alliance with France and Bourbon controlled Spain, and ally himself with the Grand Alliance in 1703. Now with access to the Portuguese port of Lisbon the Alliance fleets could campaign in the Mediterranean, and conduct operations in support of the Austrian Habsburg candidate to the Spanish throne, the Archduke Charles, known to his supporters as Charles III of Spain.

Prince George of Hesse-Darmstadt represented the Habsburg cause in the region. In June 1704 the Prince and Admiral George Rooke, commander of the main Grand Alliance fleet, failed to take Barcelona in the name of 'Charles III'; Rooke subsequently evaded pressure from his allies to make another attempt on Cádiz. However, in order to compensate for their lack of success the Alliance commanders resolved to capture Gibraltar, a small town on the southern Spanish coast. Following a heavy bombardment the town was invaded by English and Dutch marines and sailors. The governor, Diego de Salinas, agreed to surrender Gibraltar and its small garrison on 3 August. Three days later Prince George entered the town with Austrian and Spanish Habsburg troops in the name of Charles III of Spain. However, the Grand Alliance failed in its objective of replacing Philip V with Charles III as King of Spain but in the peace negotiations Gibraltar was ceded to Britain.

On the Obverse is the Portrait of Queen Elizabeth II. On the reverse is two 18th century warships in front of the rock of Gibraltar.

On the Obverse is Crowned portrait facing right. On the reverse are Ancient ships at sea with Rock of Gibraltar in background.

         

 Capture of Gibraltar

 

The Capture of Gibraltar by the forces of the Grand Alliance occurred between 1–3 August 1704 during the War of the Spanish Succession. Since the beginning of the war the Alliance had been looking for a harbour in the Iberian Peninsula to control the Strait of Gibraltar and facilitate naval operations against the French fleet in the western Mediterranean Sea. An attempt to seize Cádiz had ended in failure in September 1702, but following the Alliance fleet's success at Vigo Bay in October that year the combined fleets of the 'Maritime Powers', the Netherlands and England, had emerged as the dominant naval force in the region. This strength helped persuade King Peter II of Portugal to sever his alliance with France and Bourbon controlled Spain, and ally himself with the Grand Alliance in 1703. Now with access to the Portuguese port of Lisbon the Alliance fleets could campaign in the Mediterranean, and conduct operations in support of the Austrian Habsburg candidate to the Spanish throne, the Archduke Charles, known to his supporters as Charles III of Spain.

Prince George of Hesse-Darmstadt represented the Habsburg cause in the region. In June 1704 the Prince and Admiral George Rooke, commander of the main Grand Alliance fleet, failed to take Barcelona in the name of 'Charles III'; Rooke subsequently evaded pressure from his allies to make another attempt on Cádiz. However, in order to compensate for their lack of success the Alliance commanders resolved to capture Gibraltar, a small town on the southern Spanish coast. Following a heavy bombardment the town was invaded by English and Dutch marines and sailors. The governor, Diego de Salinas, agreed to surrender Gibraltar and its small garrison on 3 August. Three days later Prince George entered the town with Austrian and Spanish Habsburg troops in the name of Charles III of Spain. However, the Grand Alliance failed in its objective of replacing Philip V with Charles III as King of Spain but in the peace negotiations Gibraltar was ceded to Britain.

On the Obverse is the Portrait of Queen Elizabeth II. On the reverse is two 18th century warships in front of the rock of Gibraltar.

On the Obverse is Crowned portrait facing right. On the reverse are Ancient ships at sea with Rock of Gibraltar in background.

       

Neanderthals

The Neanderthals (or Neandertals, from German: Neandertaler) are an extinct species of human in the genus Homo They are closely related to modern humans, differing in DNA by just 0.12%. Remains left by Neanderthals include bone and stone tools, which are found in Eurasia, from Western Europe to Central and Northern Asia. The species is named after Neandertal ("Neander Valley"), the location in Germany where it was first discovered.

Neanderthals are generally classified by biologists as the species Homo neanderthalensis, but a minority consider them to be a subspecies of Homo sapiens (Homo sapiens neanderthalensis). The first humans with proto-Neanderthal traits are believed to have existed in Eurasia as early as 600,000–350,000 years ago with the first "true Neanderthals" appearing between 200,000 and 250,000 years ago.

The exact date of their extinction had been disputed. However, in 2014, Thomas Higham of the University of Oxford performed the most comprehensive dating of Neanderthal bones and tools ever carried out, which demonstrated that Neanderthals died out in Europe between 41,000 and 39,000 years ago - this coincides with the start of a very cold period in Europe and is 5,000 years after Homo sapiens reached the continent. This was based on improved radiocarbon dating of materials from 40 sites in Western Europe.

Several cultural assemblages have been linked to the Neanderthals in Europe. The earliest, the Mousterian stone tool culture, dates to about 300,000 years ago. Late Mousterian artifacts were found in Gorham's Cave on the south-facing coast of Gibraltar. With an average cranial capacity of 1600 cm3, Neanderthal's cranial capacity is notably larger than the 1400 cm3 average for modern humans, indicating that their brain size was larger. However, owing to larger body size, Neanderthals are less encephalized. Males stood 164–168 cm (65–66 in) and females about 152–156 cm (60–61 in) tall.

Genetic evidence published in 2010 suggests that Neanderthals contributed to the DNA of anatomically modern humans, probably through interbreeding between 80,000 and 28,000 years ago with a population of anatomically modern humans. According to the study, by the time that population began dispersing across Eurasia, Neanderthal genes constituted as much as 1–4% of its genome (roughly equivalent to having one Neanderthal great-great-great-grandparent). Ötzi the iceman, Europe's oldest preserved mummy, was found to possess an even higher percentage of Neanderthal ancestry. Recent findings suggest there may be even more Neanderthal genes in non-African humans than previously expected: approximately 20% of the Neanderthal gene pool was present in a broad sampling of non-African individuals, though each individual's genome was on average only 2% Neanderthal.

In December 2013, researchers reported evidence that Neanderthals practiced burial behavior and intentionally buried their dead. In addition, scientists reported, for the first time, the entire genome of a Neanderthal. The genome was extracted from the toe bone of a 130,000-year-old Neanderthal found in a Siberian cave. On the obverse is the Crowned portrait right. On the reverse is the Value above skull right. 

        

Guernsey

Copper Guernsey milk can

On the Obverse is the Coat of arms inside inner circle. Lettering within outer circle on the reverse is the Guernsey milk can, numeral above with value lettering either side around edge. Date below.

The traditional copper Guernsey milk can has been made by craftsmen on the island for over 1000 years. The can was still in use in the first half of the 20th Century but today its function is purely decorative.  The Guernsey Can, the last surviving relic of Guernsey's Norman ancestry with a pedigree of nearly one thousand years, is the pride of every true Guernsey home, whether granite cottage, farmhouse, or manor of a feudal fief.

It came over from Normandy in France with the original cattle in 980 AD. These cattle were the founders of the world-famous Guernsey Golden breed. The 'Froment du Leon' is the most prominent ancestor of the Guernsey Cow, and can still be seen in Brittany. According to the Norman chronicles, the Duke of Normandy sent monks from Mont St. Michel to Guernsey, and they brought the cattle with them.
The can's shape permits the least loss by "slopping" of the precious milk, so rich in cream and colour.
Guernsey's wedding gift to H.M. the Queen, then Princess Elizabeth, and Prince Philip, now Duke of Edinburgh, comprised a set of six, ranging from half-pint to three pints. They bore the seal of the Bailiwick of Guernsey which dates back to reign of Edward 1. Guernsey's wedding gift to the late Princess Margaret was a Gold Miniature Can. Illustrious visitors to Guernsey such as the late Princess Marina and Field Marshal Viscount Montgomery received these cans as gifts from the States of Guernsey and its people. 

The Guernsey Can is often used as a gift at many States of Guernsey sponsored events.

 
   

Cog Wheel 

 

On the Obverse is the Lettering: ELIZABETH II BAILIWICK OF GUERNSEY. On the reverse is the Island map within cogwheel

A gear or cogwheel is a rotating machine part having cut teeth, or cogs, which mesh with another toothed part in order to transmit torque, in most cases with teeth on the one gear being of identical shape, and often also with that shape on the other gear. Two or more gears working in tandem are called a transmission and can produce a mechanical advantage through a gear ratio and thus may be considered a simple machine. Geared devices can change the speed, torque, and direction of a power source. The most common situation is for a gear to mesh with another gear; however, a gear can also mesh with a non-rotating toothed part, called a rack, thereby producing translation instead of rotation.

The gears in a transmission are analogous to the wheels in a crossed belt pulley system. An advantage of gears is that the teeth of a gear prevent slippage.

When two gears mesh, and one gear is bigger than the other (even though the size of the teeth must match), a mechanical advantage is produced, with the rotational speeds and the torques of the two gears differing in an inverse relationship.

In transmissions which offer multiple gear ratios, such as bicycles, motorcycles, and cars, the term gear, as in first gear, refers to a gear ratio rather than an actual physical gear. The term is used to describe similar devices even when the gear ratio is continuous rather than discrete, or when the device does not actually contain any gears, as in a continuously variable transmission.


      

Isle of Mann

 Subaru Imprezza

On the reverse are Race cars and Rally of Subaru Imprezza leading a Ford Escort Cosworth round a downhill right hand bend.

The Subaru Impreza is a compact automobile, manufactured since 1992 by Subaru—the automobile division of Japanese transportation conglomerate, Fuji Heavy Industries (FHI). Subaru introduced the Impreza as a replacement for the Leone, with the Leone's EA series engines replaced by the newer EJ series versions.

Now in its fourth generation, Subaru has offered four-door sedan and five-door hatchback body variants since 1992; the firm also offered a coupe from 1995 for the first generation only. Mainstream versions have received naturally aspirated "boxer" flat-four engines ranging from 1.5- to 2.5-liters, with the performance-oriented Impreza WRX and WRX STI models uprated with the addition of turbochargers. Since the third generation series, some markets have adopted the abbreviated Subaru WRX name for these high-performance variants. The first three generations of Impreza in North America were also available with an off-road appearance package titled Subaru Outback Sport. For the fourth generation, this appearance package became known as the Subaru XV, and is sold internationally. Subaru has offered both front- and all-wheel drive versions of the Impreza. Since the late-1990s, some markets have restricted sales to the all-wheel drive model—therefore granting the Impreza a unique selling proposition in the global compact class characterized by front-wheel drive. However, Japanese models remain available in either configuration.

The Subaru World Rally Team (SWRT) was Subaru's World Rally Championship (WRC) team. It used a distinctive blue with yellow color scheme that is a throwback to the sponsorship deal with State Express 555, a BAT cigarette brand popular in Asia. 555 logos were found on Subaru cars from 1993 to 2003. Subaru's WRC efforts date back to 1980, however, the team, in its current form, has existed since 1989, when the British firm Prodrive took over its operations, and its base moved from Japan to Banbury, England.

Subaru used the team to showcase its Symmetrical all wheel drive technology.It has credited the increased sales of its vehicles, especially the Subaru Impreza, with its success in the World Rally Championship, in addition to popularizing its all-wheel-drive system.

       

Hungary

Elizabeth Bridge (Elisabeth bridge)

Elisabeth Bridge (Hungarian: Erzsébet híd) is the third newest bridge of Budapest, Hungary, connecting Buda and Pest across the River Danube. The bridge is situated at the narrowest part of the Danube in the Budapest area, spanning only 290 m. It is named after Elisabeth of Bavaria, a popular queen and empress of Austria-Hungary, who was assassinated in 1898. Today, her large bronze statue sits by the bridge's Buda side connection in the middle of a small garden.

Its two ends are March 15 Square (with the oldest church in Pest, Inner City Parish Church, built in the 13th century) and the famous Mátyás Pince restaurant and the Döbrentei Square in Buda with the monument of Saint Gellért on the Gellért Hill, a sculpture of Queen Elisabeth and the Rácz Baths and Rudas Baths nearby. A luxury spa hotel is currently being built in the area.

The original Erzsébet Bridge, along with many other bridges all over the country, was blown up at the end of World War II by retreating Wehrmacht sappers. This is the only bridge in Budapest which could not be rebuilt in its original form. Pictures and some salvaged elements from the old bridge can be seen on the grass in front of the Museum of Transport in City Park.

The currently standing slender white cable bridge was built on the very same location between 1961–1964, because the government could not afford to construct entirely new foundations for the bridge. The main spar cables of the bridge are hexagonal in cross section, composed of thousands of elementary steel wires of seven different diameters, partly because early computers were unable to provide solution for a circular cross section main cable batch.

The novel design, designed by Pál Sávoly, was a first in Central Europe and not without weaknesses. Tram traffic and its heavy tracks had to be removed from the bridge in 1973 after signs of cracks appeared in the structure.

The special lighting for Elisabeth Bridge has been created by renowned Japanese lighting designer Motoko Ishii and Japan contributed 120 million forints (EUR 450,000) to the costs. The Budapest City Council has paid 150 million forints for the project. 2009 marks the 140th anniversary of establishing diplomatic links between the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy and Japan, and the 50th anniversary of re-establishing diplomatic links between Japan and Hungary.

      

Italy

Carabinieri

The Carabinieri (formally Arma dei carabinieri, "Arm of carabineers" or previously "Corps of carabiniers"; Italian pronunciation: [ˌkäˑɾäbiˈnjɛːɾi]) is the national military police of Italy, policing both military and civilian populations. It originally was founded as the police force of the Kingdom of Sardinia. During the process of Italian unification, it was appointed the "First Force" of the new national military organization. Although the Carabinieri assisted in the suppression of opposition during the rule of Benito Mussolini, they also were responsible for his downfall and many units were disbanded by Nazi Germany, which resulted in large numbers of Carabinieri joining the Italian resistance movement. 

The Carabinieri increased in status and joined the Armed Forces on 31 March 2000. In their history have made countless heroic actions, but they are today particularly proud of the memory of Vice Brigadiere Salvo D'Acquisto, who was executed by the Germans in Palidoro (near Rome) during World War II. D'Acquisto exchanged his life for the lives of citizens due to be executed in retaliation for the killing of a German soldier; instead, he claimed responsibility and was executed for the offence.

In recent years Carabinieri units have been dispatched on peacekeeping missions, including Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Iraq. In 2003 twelve Carabinieri were killed in a suicide bombing on their base in Nasiriyah, near Basra in southern Iraq, in the largest Italian military loss of life in a single action since the Second World War. 

At the Sea Island Conference of the G8 in 2004, Carabinieri were given a mandate to establish a Center of Excellence for Stability Police Units to spearhead the development of training and doctrinal standards for civilian police units attached to international peacekeeping missions.


      

 Italian Naval Academy

 The Italian Naval Academy (Italian: Accademia Navale) is a coeducational military university in Leghorn (Livorno), which is responsible for the technical training of military officers of the Italian Navy.

The Accademia Navale was inaugurated on November 6, 1881 and initially used the area of the hospital of St. James. The Accademia was started by the then Secretary of the Navy, Admiral Benedetto Brin, as the union of the "Regia scuola di marina" in the Kingdom of Sardinia (located in Genoa) and the "Borbonica" (in Naples) following the Unification of Italy and the establishment of the Regia Marina.

One of the first cadets to attend the academy was Manlio Garibaldi, the last son of Giuseppe Garibaldi.

The design of the complex of buildings was entrusted to the captain of the military engineers, Luigi Pestalozza. The work was started in 1878, with the livornian engineer Angiolo Badaloni actively guiding the project. In 1913, the adjacent area occupied by the existing hospital at St. Leopold was attached to the Accademia Navale complex.From 1923 to 1926, the Accademia Navale buildings housed aircraft, following the establishment of a new armed force, the Regia Aeronautica. This lasted until the Regia Aeronautica started its own academy in Pozzuoli.

During World War II, because of the bombings that struck Livorno in July 1943, the Accademia Navale was forced to move to Venice and then, after only two months, to Brindisi, where it remained until 1946. Since the bombing had heavily damaged many of the buildings of the city and the structures that housed the academy, it was necessary at the end of the conflict to start substantial reconstruction efforts and infrastructure improvements, which took over twenty years and included, in 1966, the addition of "Palazzo Studi", which now houses the science labs and other specialized classrooms.

         

Durante degli Alighieri

 

Durante degli Alighieri (simply called Dante - 1265–1321), was a major Italian poet of the Middle Ages. His Divine Comedy, originally called Comedìa and later called Divina by Boccaccio, is widely considered the greatest literary work composed in the Italian language and a masterpiece of world literature.

In Italy he is called il Sommo Poeta ("the Supreme Poet") and il Poeta. He, Petrarch, and Boccaccio are also called "the three fountains" and "the three crowns". Dante is also called "the Father of the Italian language".
Dante Alighieri (the real first name was Durante, Dante is a sort of nickname) was born in Florence in May or June 1265, from a low-aristocracy family (not very wealthy) of the guelfo party. Dante himself will become a white guelfo. In about 1285 he married Gemma di Manetto Donati, who will give him three children (or maybe four, Not known exactly).

Dante’s first studies were mainly in rhetoric, grammar, philosophy, literature and theology. He was a disciple of Brunetto Latini, who strongly influenced Dante’s cultural growth. In his youth, he was a Stilnovo poet and had many friends among the other members of the Stilnovo Poetical School (especially Guido Cavalcanti). After the death of Bice di Folco Portinari (loved by Dante, who mentioned her in his work with the name of Beatrice) Dante began studying philosophy and theology in depth, also attending some sort of cultural associations in Florence (the Studia) which provided lessons mainly about Aristotle and St. Thomas.

To begin a political career, Dante joined a Medical Corporation in 1295. In the following five years, his career grew quickly, and culminated in his becoming a priore (a sort of governor) in 1300. But in Florence the contrasts between white and black guelfi became harder and serious internal struggles began. Dante had to make some hard-line political decisions: he decided to oppose pope Bonifacio VIII’s expansion policy (supported by the blacks), taking a stand against the pontiff’s temporal interference. But the blacks, with the support of Carlo di Valois (a French prince) won against the whites. Dante, defeated, was strongly accused, even of fraud. He was sentenced to pay a fine and to serve a two-years exile; but he didn’t pay the fine and so was sentenced to death.

From this moment on, Dante roamed many Italian courts never again to return to Florence: he stayed under the protection of Bartolomeo della Scala in Verona in 1303. In 1306 he moved to Lunigiana (a Tuscan region), then to Poppi and to Lucca. In 1313 he went back to Verona where he stayed till 1319. In the same year, he moved to Ravenna, to the court of Guido Novello da Polenta. He died there, in 1321. He was buried in San Pier Maggiore’s Church where his tomb is still nowadays (the Church is now called San Francesco’s).