This beautiful, inspirational and low-mintage silver dollar commemorates the reunification of central Europe's traditional power, Germany!

We are proud to bring you this low-mintage (only 5,000!) proof silver dollar with so many relations to history - Old Prussia, Napoleon, the German Empire, the Nazis, the Cold War, the Berlin Wall, John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan and German Unification all are intimately connected through these monuments, the Berlin Wall and the Brandenburg Gate. This beautiful coin commemorates the 20th anniversary of the Reunification of Germany. Divided since the end of World War II, the two halves of the German nation were reborn as a single federal state on October 3, 1990 amid scenes of euphoric celebration in Berlin.

We love the way this beautiful and symbolic silver proof commemorates the 20th anniversary of the German Reunification creatively. The numeral "20" is incorporated into a design that features fireworks of celebration set on a background of black, red and gold (the colors of Germany's national flag). At the bottom is the Quadriga or Victory Chariot of the Brandenburg Gate, the closest thing Germany has to a national symbol.

Following the success of the Fall of the Berlin Wall 20th Anniversary Silver Proof (sold out at the Mint), The Perth Mint is issuing this new coin to mark the 20th anniversary of the reunification of Germany. Given the significance of this coin and its commemoration, and the speed of the sell out of the previous coin, we strongly suggest quick action to procure this low-mintage beauty for your own personal collection.

The Brandenburg Gate...
The Brandenburg Gate (known in German as Brandenburger Tor) is the civic symbol of Berlin, located in the heart of the city center (one block from the Reichstag), and the closest thing Germany has to a national symbol (with the possible exception of Oktoberfest!). It is easily one of Europe's most famous and best known monuments, the Berliner equivalent to Big Ben in London, the Eiffel Tower in Paris, and the Colosseum in Rome. The Gate is topped by a statue known as the Quadriga, a chariot drawn by four horses and driven by the goddess Victory.

...and Its Quadriga
A quadriga is chariot drawn by four horses abreast. They were raced in the Olympic Games and other games. Quadrigas are represented in profile as the chariot of gods and heroes on Greek vases and in bas-relief. The quadriga was adopted in ancient Roman chariot racing. Quadrigas were emblems of triumph; Victory and Fame often are depicted as the triumphant woman driving the horses. In classical mythology, the quadriga is the chariot of the gods - Apollo was depicted driving his quadriga across the heavens, delivering daylight and dispersing the night.

The Berlin Quadriga is one of the most famous modern quadriga in the world. It was designed by Johann Gottfried Schadow in 1793 as the Quadriga of Victory, as a symbol of peace (represented by the olive wreath carried by Victory). Located atop the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany, it was seized by Napoleon during his occupation of Berlin in 1806, and taken to Paris. It was returned to Berlin by Field Marshal Gebhard von Blücher in 1814. Victory's olive wreath was subsequently replaced by an Iron Cross. The statue suffered severe damage during the Second World War, and the association of the Iron Cross with Prussian militarism convinced the Communist government of East Germany to remove this aspect of the statue after the war. The iron cross was restored after German reunification in 1990.

Please see the presentation lower on this page for more information about Tuvalu and its association with Australia. An additional presentation discusses the history and significance of the Berlin Wall (including its fall in 1989) and the Brandenburg Gate, upon which the Quadriga rests.

Technology Note
The Perth Mint of Australia employs its own proprietary colorization technology, in which the color is actually sealed on the coin. The vibrant hues and precise execution of the technology create a stunning, full-color portrait on each coin.

Obverse
The numeral "20" is superimposed the fireworks of celebration, shot into a sky composed of black, red and gold bands, the colors of the German national flag. At the bottom is the famous Quadriga or Victory Chariot of the Brandenburg Gate. The legend REUNIFICATION OF GERMANY - OCTOBER 3RD 1990 marks the commemoration. The Perth Mint's "P" mint mark also appears.

Reverse
Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, in crowned profile facing right. This portrait, featuring Her Majesty wearing a tiara and pearl drop earrings, was executed by the sculptor Raphael Maklouf. The legend QUEEN ELIZABETH II, the date of issue and denomination also appear.

Packaging

The coin is encapsulated inside a handsome taupe leatherette, clamshell-style presentation case, lined with black velvet and satin, and protected by a full-color outer box. A full-color, individually-numbered certificate of authenticity is included.

Country	Tuvalu
Mint	Perth Mint of Australia
Year of Issue	2010
Face Value	One Dollar
Weight	31.135 g
Diameter	40.60 mm
Gauge (Thickness)	4.00 mm
Mintage Limit	5,000
Finish	Proof with Color
Composition	.999 Fine (Pure) Silver
Edge	Reeded (milled, serrated)
Artist	Darryl Bellotti (obverse) Raphael Maklouf (reverse)
Certificate	Individually Numbered

The Gate, the Wall and the Cold War
The Brandenburg Gate and the Berlin Wall (German: Berliner Mauer) are inextricably linked in the American history of the Cold War. The first serious international crisis of the Cold War, the Berlin Blockade of 1948-49, was defeated by the West by means of the Berlin Airlift, a superhuman effort that even America's allies believed would be impossible to sustain. The success of the Airlift was humiliating to the Soviets, who had repeatedly claimed it could never possibly work.

The Soviets pondered this defeat, as well as the ongoing flow of refugees from the East to the West. Their answer was to try to seal off West Berlin from the East, so on August 13, 1961, construction started on the infamous Berlin Wall. For over a quarter-century, this structure separated East Germany from West Germany. During this time, at least 136 people were confirmed killed trying to cross the Wall and escape to the West, though some groups put this number at over two hundred.

The Scene of Political History
The Brandenburg Gate and the Berlin Wall were the scene of two of the defining moments of the Cold War, as well as defining moments for the modern American presidency and for America's image and role on the world stage.

On June 26, 1963, President John F. Kennedy visited West Berlin to bolster morale and demonstrate to the Soviets the defiance of the West. He visited the newly-erected Berlin Wall and viewed the Brandenburg gate from a specially-constructed viewing platform. In response, the East German government hung huge banners (in red, the color of Soviet communism) across the openings in the Brandenburg Gate to keep him from looking into the East.

Today this event is remembered for the speech Kennedy gave criticizing communism. He used the construction of the Berlin Wall as an example of the failures of communism: "Freedom has many difficulties and democracy is not perfect, but we have never had to put a wall up to keep our people in." The speech is known for its message of solidarity, summed up by Kennedy's famous phrase "Ich bin ein Berliner" ("I am a Berliner."). By some estimates, nearly five-sixths of the population of the city was on the street when Kennedy said the famous phrase. He remarked to aides afterwards: "We'll never have another day like this one."

Another high water mark of the West's opposition to communism occurred at the Brandenburg Gate as well. On June 12, 1987, President Ronald Reagan spoke to the West Berlin populace at the Brandenburg Gate, demanding the razing of the Berlin Wall. Reagan challenged the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev directly:

General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization: Come here to this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this Wall!

Once again the failure of the Soviet system, both economically, politically, and socially, was pointed out in glaring terms. Less than two and half years later, Ronald Reagan's challenge came to pass - on November 9, 1989 crowds of Germans from both sides climbed onto and crossed the Wall at the Brandenburg Gate, bringing together these two halves of a great nation. As a result, the Gate is seen as a national symbol of a reunited Germany.

Tuvalu, formerly known as the Ellice Islands, is a Polynesian island nation located in the Pacific Ocean midway between Hawaii and Australia. Its nearest neighbors are Kiribati, Samoa and Fiji. It is comprised of four reef islands and five true atolls. Its population of 11,992 makes it the third-least populated independent country in the world, with only Vatican City and Nauru having fewer inhabitants. It is also the second-smallest member by population of the United Nations. In terms of physical land size, at just 10 square miles Tuvalu is the fourth smallest country in the world, larger only than the Vatican City, Monaco and Nauru.

The first inhabitants of Tuvalu were Polynesian people, who arrived about 3000 years go. The islands came under Great Britain's sphere of influence in the late 19th century. The Ellice Islands were administered by Britain as part of a protectorate from 1892 to 1916 and as part of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony from 1916 to 1974. In 1974 the Ellice Islanders voted for separate British dependency status as Tuvalu, separating from the Gilbert Islands which became Kiribati upon independence. Tuvalu became fully independent within The Commonwealth in 1978. with Queen Elizabeth II as titular head of state.

Because Tuvalu has few natural resources it has been dependent in recent years upon aid from larger, more developed nations, including Australia, New Zealand and the United States. The Perth Mint of Australia is officially commissioned by the government of Tuvalu to produce legal tender coinage for the island nation.