2013 Compass Rose Geocoin - Tazcatlipoca

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Tezcatlipoca Version - Antique bronze finish

The 2013 Compass Rose Geocoin® is based on the Mesoamerican map of the world discovered in the Codex Fejéváry-Mayer.

Created prior to 1519 AD, the year when Spanish Conquistadors started arriving in Central America, this map includes a central section that relates to where home is. Extending out from the center are the cardinal directions with representations of life within them. Included in these representations are temples, altars, dots to mark the 260 day calendar (20 named days counted thirteen times), and gods:

• Xipe-Totec - The Flayed One presiding over the East, which is the most sacred direction (god of gold, vegetation, and seasons)
• Huitzilopochtli - The Hummingbird presiding over the South (god of war and sacrifice)
• Quetzalcoatl - Flying Serpent presiding over the West (god of wind, light, and justice)
• Tezcatlipoca - Smoking Mirror presiding over the North (god of earth, deceit, and night)
• Ehecatl - One of the creator gods (god of all cardinal directions and wind)

The Design:
The Mesoamerican people were a very artistic and intelligent culture who had an eye for detail and accuracy. The Aztecs, Mayans, and other Mesoamericans honored their gods with beautiful and intricate drawings, costumes, and carvings. In their cultures, art was largely a form of religious expression, and it was through art and ceremonies that the Mesoamericans showed their gratitude and paid tribute to their deities. In the design of the 2013 Compass Rose Geocoin, we have not only captured exquisite pieces of Mesoamerican art, but small pieces of their culture as well. Five of their important gods are brilliantly featured.
This coin is designed to display an overview of a lot of historical information, but not to be an exact duplication. While we could not fit all aspects of the original compass rose and map into such a small area, we did provide as many aspects as we could, with some modifications, to make the design work overall for what it is intended to represent.
The front consists of the five gods (listed above) as the cardinal directions and Earth. Each is placed in the positions that they represent. Dots are used in the ordinal directions to symbolize the 260 day calendar. The hatch mark designs in the center of the ordinal directions represent the plants that were staples in the Mesoamerican culture. The backside is focused on the outer ring of the Aztec calendar. We included a Swarovski gemstone set in the middle surrounded by a compass rose and a raised metal area. The blank metal area reflects the vast amount of lost Mesoamerican cities and cultures that are buried under the thick jungles of Mexico which are yet to be discovered - geographical areas that are still untouched from discovery (hidden gems so to speak).