Product Details

Pompeii Volcano Eruption is the first issue in Palau’s ‘Fury of Nature’ series.  The reverse depicts the eruption and the surprised inhabitants of Pompeii running from their daily activities.  On the obverse one can see the detailed ruins of today’s excavations.   This coin is struck using enhanced Smartminting©️ technology which results in stunning ultra-high relief on both sides.

It has a limited mintage of only 555 pcs worldwide and comes in a deluxe box and a Certificate of Authenticity.

Coin description:

The reverse shows the city of ancient Pompeii in partial color with the erupting Vesuvius volcano in the background.  Part of the temple of Jupiter is already damaged by falling stones.

The obverse side of the coin depicts the current archeological site of Pompeii with in the background again the Vesuvius. On the left is a well-preserved Roman statue. At the bottom a colorful fresco from one of the Roman villas of Pompeii. The Coat of Arms of Palau is inserted on the top with the inscriptions: “REPUBLIC OF PALAU” (the issuing country) and “10 DOLLARS” (the face value) plus “2023” (the year of issue) at the bottom.

History:

Pompeii is an ancient Roman city near today’s Naples built on a lava plateau from ancient eruptions of the Vesuvius volcano about 8 kilometers away.  Phoenicians and Greeks used the local harbor for trade but during the centuries Pompeii was loyal to Rome.

In 79 AD Mount Vesuvius erupted with so much gas, ash and stones that the surrounding villages didn’t have any time to evacuate. Pompeii, but also Herculaneum, got buried under a 4-to-6-meter layer of ash and stones. All the public buildings, lavish private houses, temples and more were preserved very well. Organic remains were surrounded by ash as well but decayed over time forming voids in the lava.

After years of excavations, Pompeii is a registered UNESCO World Heritage Site and a major tourist attraction.