Description
Szczecin is one of the oldest and biggest cities in Poland (3rd largest in area and 7th biggest in population), located at the mouth of the Oder River emptying into the Baltic Sea. Thanks to a large seaport the local sea economy has always flourished. The city is also of significant importance to tourists, with a great deal of places of interest. Today, some 270 of them are listed historic sites, and the city itself lies along the European Route of Brick Gothic. Szczecin has been promoted as a floating garden, a city filled with unusual greenery and water in the center. The most interesting part of Szczecin is the Wały Chrobrego (Chrobry Embankment), making up excellent viewing area along the Oder, extending up to 500 m. It is located in the direct vicinity of public buildings of monumental architecture, such as the Maritime Museum, the Maritime Academy and the Voivodeship Building. One of the prominent structures in Szczecin is St. James’s Basilica. Szczecin used to be a seat of local dukes, which led to the construction of the Castle of Pomeranian Dukes. The city’s history is also present in the remnants of the city walls, such as the Baszta Siedmiu Płaszczy (Keep of the Seven Cloaks), or the richly ornamented Port Gate and King’s Gate. In the Middle Ages the city was one of the major municipal republics, where the Old Town Hall along with the Hay Market were constructed. Today Szczecin is the center of the Szczecin conurbation, with a population of over 700,000, and is one of the major contributors to the Polish economy.
Obverse
The design of the coin refers to the iconographic style used during the times of the Hanseatic League: underneath the ribbon featuring the word “Hansa” there is a map of Europe showing the central part of the League’s operational area (including the trade routes). The central part of the coin features a ship characteristic for the period - a cog, being a merchant vessel. To the right: an image of the trident - the attribute of Roman god of the seas, Neptun and his Greek counterpart, Poseidon. Below it: an image of a herald’s staff known as the caduceus, often associated with the god of trade, Mercury (and its Greek counterpart, Hermes) are shown as coins. To the left: the effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Below it: the year of issue (2011), the face value (1 dollar) and an inscription “ELIZABETH II”. On the left side of Queen’s Head: the mark of the Mint (MW).
Reverse
At the top: the inscription in Polish - SZCZECIN. In the central part: fragments of the images of St John’s Church and of the Cathedral Basilica of St. James the Apostle in Szczecin. At the bottom: the images of a Hanseatic cog, Hanseatic merchants and the Szczecin’s coat of arms.
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