One of the categories of women we have yet to cover from Whitman Publishing’s 100 Greatest Women is one presented in the form of a statue. We have talked about art and its impact on the world and coins, but we have yet to uncover a figure or category such as this next entry in our blog series. We certainly have not been able to learn such a story as this. With help from author Ron Guth, we will peek at this top 30 pick and its importance to our world history.
#28 – Venus de Milo
One of the most famous statues is the world, the Venus de Milo is currently featured in the Louvre Museum in Paris, France. Depicting the Greek goddess Aphrodite, the statue is made of joined blocks of white marble and is named after the island of Melos from which it was discovered in 1820. However, when it was discovered, it had both arms. One was stretched out holding an apple and the other was protecting the drapery from falling. All of that changed supposedly when sailors fought over the statue and broke both arms off dragging it across rocks.
The statue is featured on coins from France and Costa Rica. A 20-colón from Costa Rica in 1970 depicts the full-length image of the Venus de Milo. The 1993 100-franc silver coin from France commemorates the 200th anniversary of the Louvre and of all the pieces of art to feature on the coin, the Venus de Milo was chosen. There are also colorful tokens out there featuring the image of the statue, given out as souvenirs during Mardi Gras in New Orleans.
Collecting difficulty is easy according to Guth. The French coin is seen occasionally. However, the Costa Rica coin is rarer and can be more expensive.