Top 5 locations for stargazing
Astrotourism is becoming more popular every year. People are willing to travel thousands of kilometers to admire the stars. But which places on Earth are considered the best for this? Let's find out now!
Australian Kangaroo
The Australian Kangaroo is recognized as the world’s largest coin. The nominal value of the Australian Kangaroo is 1 million Australian dollars. The coin is made of pure gold and weighs 1 tonne. The showpiece is 78 cm wide and 12 cm deep. The coin was designed in a single copy in 2011. The issue of the coin coincided with the Royal visit of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II to Australia. The obverse of the coin features the effigy of Queen Elizabeth II while the reverse of the coin contains the image of a red kangaroo. In 2019, the Australian Kangaroo gold bullion coin was worth $55.4 million.
“100 years of the koruna”
The second world’s heavyweight gold coin is “100 years of the koruna” with a face value of CZK 100 million. The coin was issued on February 1, 2019. “100 years of the koruna” weighs 130 kg. It is 53.5 cm in diameter and 4.7 cm thick. The coin was released to mark the 100th anniversary of the first issue of the Czechoslovak currency. The head side of the coin depicts the birth of the Czechoslovak koruna among ears of wheat and the tail side shows the country's national emblem with the famous Czech lion.
Canadian Gold Maple Leaf
The Canadian Gold Maple Leaf is considered to be the third largest coin in the world. The gold bullion coin was issued in 2007. The Canadian Gold Maple Leaf weighs 100 kg, has a diameter of 50 cm, and is 3 cm deep. Overall, there are six such coins in a set. One copy remained in Ottawa, the capital of Canada, the second belongs to Queen Elizabeth II, and three are owned by unknown buyers from Dubai, UAE. The last showpiece is possessed by Oro Direct, a Spanish company which sells precious metals.
Vienna Philharmonic
This coin is different from the rest and has a deep-rooted history. The first gold Vienna Philharmonic coin was introduced in 1989. Back then, the nominal value was denominated in Austrian shillings. Then it was changed to the euro in 2002. 15 gold bullion coins were released in 2004 with a value of 100,000 euros. The coins are 37 cm in diameter and weigh 31.1 kg each. In the center of the coin’s obverse there is the pipe organ in the Vienna Musikverein's Golden Hall. The reverse of the coin depicts popular instruments such as Vienna horn, bassoon, harp, four violins, and a cello.
2008 Beijing Olympic coin
This Chinese gold heavyweight coin is the fifth on the list. The coin was issued in 2008 to mark the 29th Olympic Games in Beijing. The coin is 18 cm in diameter and weighs 10 kg. The head of the coin has the logo of the Beijing Olympics while the Temple of Heaven with a dragon surrounded by clouds, as well as 17 athletes symbolizing various kinds of sports, are pictured on the reverse.
“Bank of Russia” coin
The sixth on the list of countries with the largest gold coins is Russia. In 2010, Saint Petersburg Mint issued 50 coins weighing 5 kg with a face value of 50 thousand rubles. The emblem of the Bank of Russia decorates the obverse of these coins. The reverse shows the images of Russia’s Central Bank building and portraits of three persons who made a significant contribution to the formation of the regulator - Emperor Alexander II, Alexander Stiglitz, the first head of the bank, and Eugene Lamansky, the head of the bank in 1866-1881.
Taj Mahal coin
The seventh heavyweight gold coin in the world is the Taj Mahal coin issued by the Monnaie de Paris in 2010. The coin weighs 1 kg and has a nominal value of 5,000 euros. The coin is included in the UNESCO World Heritage series. Its obverse is ornamented with the picture of the popular Indian mausoleum Taj Mahal. The dome of the building is encrusted with 68 diamonds. The reverse of the coin depicts UNESCO headquarters in Paris.
Astrotourism is becoming more popular every year. People are willing to travel thousands of kilometers to admire the stars. But which places on Earth are considered the best for this? Let's find out now!