Elephant, 1 Dollar, Series: Lucky Coins

Can luck be helped? What are the ways to do so? In order to win good luck we gather all sorts of talismans and charms, such as horseshoes, four-leaf clovers, little elephants or ladybirds.

The Mint of Poland have come out with an offering of the most recognizable and universal symbols of luck on commemorative coins, “Lucky Coins”. What makes the series so original is the innovative technology adopted for the very first time – a transparent capsule placed upon a blank, containing a moving piece of silver.

The following coin  in the series is the “Elephant”. The previous coins were the “Horseshoe” and the “Four-leaf Clover”. The coin contains a unique silver elephant filigree and takes its name from the core element. The coins have been struck using  Ag 925 blanks.

Elephants with their trunks raised up are believed to bring good luck and to have the magical power to take away troubles. With the lucky elephant coin you can now wrap yourself in good luck!

Let the “Elephant” coins work their magic!

Obverse:
In the bottom part of the coin, to the right, an insert made up of a transparent capsule containing a small elephant, below it the images of elephants. At the top the effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and semicircular inscriptions: ELIZABETH II, NIUE ISLAND (issuer) the mint’s mark (m/w), 1 DOLLAR 2011 (face value, year of issue).

Reverse:
In the central part of the coin the images of two elephants with their trunks raised up, standing under the lucky tree. At the background, the images of sprays of leaves.  At the top - an insert made up of a transparent capsule containing a small elephant. At the bottom, on the left, along the rim an inscription: “GOOD LUCK”.

Designer: Dobrochna Surajewska

Amulets in the shape of elephants bringing good luck are exotic items in the Western cultures. They date back to the British colonization of India, when it became prominent in folk beliefs in the latter half of the 19th century and flourished to reach the height of its popularity in the 1930s.

The sources that led to the development of elephant amulets may include both the recognition for the animal, frequently associated with strength, wisdom, longevity, as well as the Hindu religion, where the deity bearing an elephant head, known as Ganesha, was recognized as a god bringing good luck. In addition, according to a legend, the birth of Buddha was connected with a white elephant holding a lotus flower in its trunk, which was dreamt by Buddha’s mother ten months before conception.

Thanks to the American fascination with white elephants, a white elephant mascot was developed. It was believed that good luck was only brought by those elephants whose trunks were turned upwards. They are most often placed in doorways to ensure protection from bad luck and guarantee success to all household residents. During the Great Crisis, when lucky coins were very much in fashion, those started to bear the images of elephants. Later in the entire world the images of the elephant bringing good luck and fortune were used to brand lotteries, competitions and other events requiring luck for those involved.