The Icons of Inspiration Series
APMEX is proud to present the Icons of Inspiration series in collaboration with the talented coin designer, Joel Iskowitz. This low mintage series includes Gold and Silver coins that will feature various historical figures from the Italian Renassaince.
These beautifully designed coins show the innovator on the obverse and a graceful muse on the reverse. She points to the sun with one hand and touches the Niue nation seal with her other.
Iskowitz named this muse Astra and says she is a goddess of Creativity and Inspiration. She has appeared in his previous designs. Learn more about this exciting series today!
The First Series Release: Galileo Galilei
The first release in this thrilling series features the Italian philosopher, astronomer and scientist, Galileo. He has been called the “Father of Astronomy,” the “Father of Modern Physics” and the “Father of the Scientific Method”. Galileo's contributions to the scientific and mathematic fields were so groundbreaking and are revered to this day.
Physics intrigued Galileo so he performed experiments and developed theories throughout his life. He studied inertia, gravity, velocity and free fall. Galileo's theories helped to provide the groundwork for the theory of classical mechanics we know today.
Galileo discovered Jupiter’s four largest moons and observed that the earth revolves around the sun. Additionally, Galileo noted that the Milky Way was a collection of stars and that the moon's surface could change. He studied sun-spots, the different phases of planets like Jupiter and Venus and even figured out how to measure the size of a planet or star without a telescope.
During his lifetime, Galileo improved the military compass and created his own thermometer and microscope. He put his physics knowledge to the test with real-world engineering.
These Galileo 1 oz coins have limited mintages, with just 100 BU Gold coins, 100 Proof Silver and 10,000 BU Silver. Celebrate Galileo and his accomplishments by adding a coin from this series to your cart today.
Joel Iskowitz’s design depicts Galileo on the obverse holding one of his famous inventions, a refracting telescope. Behind him are a globe and the moon, paying tribute to his other discoveries. His signature is portrayed below.
The Second Series Release: Leonardo da Vinci
The second addition to the Icons of Inspiration series is Leonardo da Vinci, a true Italian Renaissance artist, scientist and inventor. Da Vinci believed that art was just as important as science, so he studied everything from engineering to art composition.
Despite being known for his great paintings and drawings, da Vinci has fewer than 25 major works of art attributed to him. He also has many unfinished pieces and art that have been lost over the years.
Da Vinci is most famous for his stunning artwork, like the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper. However, his notebooks, where he documented scientific observations, are also widely respected by scientists and scholars today. Da Vinci's sketches of flying machines and armored vehicles showed that his mind and imagination were ahead of their time.
He was also interested in observing the natural world and the human body. Da Vinci would take notes about the sun, the landscape, and human anatomy. He would also make sketches of processes he noticed like the sun moving across the sky and how he thought the human skeleton would work. These sketches and observations acted as roadmaps for future scientists, who would build from his findings.
These 1 oz da Vinci coins have mintages of 10,000 BU Silver, 100 Proof Silver and 100 BU Gold. Artist Joel Iskowitz illustrated a pondering da Vinci and referenced his most well-known creations behind him on the obverse. Da Vinci's signature is displayed below.
About the Designer: Joel Iskowitz
Joel Iskowitz is a New York native artist who has painted and illustrated medallic and graphic designs for over 50 years. He is known for depicting elegant figures in fine detail and his work has been on U.S. Mint coins and medals over the years. Additionally, his designs have also been used on products from private mints around the world.
Iskowitz's artwork has been featured in the White House, Smithsonian, the U.S. Capitol, and even in space on a NASA flight!
Some of Iskowitz's art depicting Renassaince period creatives was selected to be in the 2020 New York art exhibit, "Icons of Inspiration". As an admirer of Galileo Galilei and Leonardo da Vinci, Iskowitz wanted his illustrations to encapsulate the legacy and essence of these men.
Since Galileo made advancements in the science and math fields, Iskowitz placed one of Galileo's most famous inventions, the refracting telescope, in the foreground with the innovator. While, in the background, he highlights a globe and the moon, paying tribute to his interest in astronomy and physics.
The scientist often studied the moon's surface and made fascinating observations that its texture and formations changed in time. Additionally, Galileo was one of the first to suggest that the earth revolved around the sun, instead of vice versa.
Da Vinci is well-known for his art, but Iskowitz also wanted to emphasize his gift for engineering in his illustration. Many may not know that da Vinci was obsessed with flight and studied the anatomy of birds in an attempt to find a way for human flight to be possible someday.
Iskowitz drew da Vinci based off the innovator's own red chalk self-portrait, with him holding a pen and looking off, as if in mid-thought. Behind him is his famous Vitruvian man sketch, a hawk to represent his interest in birds, and his red kite design.
Show Off Beautiful, Custom Presentation
This series of Gold and Proof Silver coins come in an Icons of Inspiration presentation sleeve with a custom box inside. This custom packaging has an option for tampering evident packaging that enhances the coin's value and eye-catching appeal.
There are very limited numbers of Iskowitz’s signed certificates are available. Pay homage to these innovators and cultural icons with 1 oz BU Gold or Silver or Proof Silver coins. Add a unique piece of art history with Joel Iskowitz designed coins to your collection today!
