CITs Historical Monuments – Taj Mahal
Young Indian lovers who tie the knot often chose the Taj Mahal as their honeymoon destination to ask for a blessing for lasting love. After all, the Taj Mahal is considered a symbol of love in stone.
Content
The construction of the Taj Mahal took over 20 years and required the labour of more than 20,000 workers and 1000 elephants
CIT chose this wonderful building, which is considered the most beautiful testimony to Islamic architecture in India, as the subject of the 2025 issue in the Historical Monuments series. The series is characterized by the fact that all coins can stand upright thanks to masterfully applied smartminting® technology and a flattened surface at the bottom. This makes Taj Mahal not only a numismatic gem but also the perfect gift for all lovers who dream of living a long and fulfilling life with their beloved partner.
The coins were minted by B. H. Mayer’s Kunstprägeanstalt, Munich, using the smartminting® (Ultra High Relief) special technology
Cook Islands / 10 Dollars / Silver .9999 / 2 oz / 38.61 mm / Mintage: 999.
Description of the Coin
One side depicts the Taj Mahal, behind it patterns such as those that adorn the marble surface of the building. Around it TAJ MAHAL in Latin and Indic letters and AGRA. The blank has a flat surface at the bottom, enabling the coin to stand upright.
The other side continues the three-dimensional depiction of the Taj Mahal. In the background the view of the interior of the building. To the right the portrait of Charles III by Dan Thorne (initials DT) to the left; around it the circumscription COOK ISLANDS CHARLES III and the respective face value.
Cook Islands / 25 Dollars / Silver .9999 / 5 oz / 50 mm / Mintage: 555.
Background
The Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan had it built in memory of his favorite consort Mumtaz, who died in 1631. Although there are hardly any contemporary sources about her life, legend has filled the gaps. It is said that Shah Jahan fulfilled Mumtaz’s greatest wish of never being separated from him. Therefore, she was allowed to accompany him wherever he travelled. That was anything but a matter of course in those days! In nearly 20 years of marriage, Mumtaz bore him 14 children. The last birth cost her life. The heartbroken Shah Jahan deployed more than 20,000 workers to build her tomb. It is said the he originally wanted to have his own mausoleum built opposite.
Der Taj Mahal in India. Foto: Yann Forget via Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0
Modern archaeology even claims to have discovered the foundations. But the building was never completed. Today, Shah Jahan and his beloved Mumtaz are reunited: both are buried in the Taj Mahal.
If you want to experience all three dimensions of this coin, you have to watch the corresponding film:
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