Introduction of new collector coin of the Republic of Armenia

On October 21, 2024, the Central Bank of Armenia puts into circulation “150^th birth anniversary of Edgar Chahine” silver collector coin.

EDGAR CHAHINE (1874–1947), famous French-Armenian painter, engraver, graphic artist, and illustrator.

Chahine was born in Vienna. He studied at the Mkhitaryan School in Constantinople, and thereafter, at the Moorat-Raphael College in Venice. In 1893, Chahine went to Paris, where he attended the Académie Julian school for fine arts.

Beginning in 1896, he participated in exhibitions with his paintings (The Beggar, A Street Corner, Suffocation).

Since 1899 he began to create etchings, which brought him fame. Anatole France, Louise France, The Rag Gathering Woman, Promenade, Petros Chahine, Armenian Evening Program, Ghemma, The Carriage, The Unemployed, The Brunette and the Blonde, and many others of Chahine’s etchings are distinguished by their depiction of the misery and splendor of real life. Abbey of Coulombs, St. Mark’s Square, Beautiful Armenian Nose, The Charming Woman, The Wonderful Child, Francesconi, and Palazzo Clary are among the well-known works of Chahine’s later period.

Chahine employed nearly all printmaking methods in his works, including dry point, etching, soft varnish, and aquatint. He also worked on book illustrations and designed books for well-known authors of the time.

Chahine became a member of the Artists’ Union of Armenia in 1916 and participated in exhibitions in Tbilisi and Yerevan.

He was awarded a gold medal at the Universal Exhibition in Paris (1900), a gold top prize at the Venice Biennale (1903), the Order of the French Legion of Honor (1932).

Chahine’s works are kept in the National Library of France, the gallery of the Mekhitarist Congregation and the Ca’ Pesaro Civic Museum in Venice, the National Gallery of Armenia (more than 300 works), the Hermitage in St. Petersburg, the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts in Moscow, and in a number of European museums.

In 1991, the Edgar Chahine Museum was opened in the vicinity of the Saint-Michel monastery in France.

Obverse: Edgar Chahine’s etching Ghemma (1910, National Gallery of Armenia).

Reverse: Edgar Chahine’s portrait and etching Brunette and Blonde (1907, National Gallery of Armenia).

Designer: Lusine Lalayan.

The coin is minted at the Mint of Poland.

Technical specification

Face value               100 dram

Metal/fineness          silver 925⁰

Weight                            28,28 g

Size                       28,0 x 40,0 mm

Quality                            BU

Edge                      even

Quantity of issue      300 pcs

Year of issue            2024

Notice

Collector coins are made of precious metals and are issued to present to the society the national, international, historical and cultural, spiritual and other values of the country, to immortalize these values in the metal and to meet the demands of the numismatic market.

Like any other currency the collector coins have face value which makes them the means of payment. However, the face value of these coins is much lower that their cost price which includes the cost of the precious metal used for manufacturing of the coin, mintage and other expenses. Low face value and high cost price allow these coins to be considered as the items of collection and not the means of payment used in money circulation. The collector coins have also the sale price set by the Central Bank of Armenia.

As the items of collection the collector coins are issued in very restricted quantities and are not reissued.

Numismatists, collectors and all interested persons can buy the Armenian collector coins in the sales salon “Numismatist” which is in the building of the Central Bank of Armenia and is open for everyone.