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Compass Rose Geocoin^® 2012

Once again celebrating the spirit of discovery, The 2012 Compass Rose Geocoin^® takes on the treacherous currents, wide-ranging coastlines and ever-present challenges of navigating the second largest continent in the world...Africa! This design is based on a compass rose found on a map of Africa created in the late 1500s.

Covering nearly one quarter of the earth's land surface, the geography of Africa has always presented an immense challenge for sea-faring vessels to circumnavigate. In the north, the ancient civilization of Carthage was a superpower in the Mediterranean due to their advanced maritime experience. Carthaginian warships were even more advanced than those of the Romans and Greeks! Off the coast of Morocco and the Western Sahara lies the Canary Islands, which were a stop along the voyage of Christopher Columbus as he set off to explore the New World. Far to the south, the Cape of Good Hope marks the symbolic passage between the East and the New World. However, this rocky promontory is also one of the most treacherous passages to navigate in the world. Extreme winds and the swirling currents of two converging oceans have caused hundreds of shipwrecks, and thus explain the cape's original, more sinister name...Cape of Storms.

The details within the 2012 Compass Rose Geocoin reflect a diversity of images as grand as the continent that inspired it. On the front of the coin, the compass points hold images of some of the most awe-inspiring animals on the planet. The Lion, king of the beasts, once ruled the North. The majestic Elephant points his trunk to the East. A Great White Shark breeches the ocean surface in the South. And the migrating Wildebeest leads his herd westward to the watering hole. The back of the coin features a scene depicting two frightened sailors as they catch sight of the legendary ghost ship...The Flying Dutchman! 17th-century nautical folklore holds that the crew of the Flying Dutchman encountered a violent storm off the Cape Of Good Hope. It is said that the captain refused to turn back, exclaiming: "I will round this Cape, even if I have to keep sailing until doomsday!" And so he does, appearing as "a phantom ship all aglow" that shall never make port again.

• Congo: Situated along the equator, the tropical basin of the Congo contains some regions so remote, that they have yet to be explored by man. The bold reds, warm oranges and vivid greens of this coin reflect the lush, fruitful rainforests that continue to guard their undiscovered secrets.
• Kilimanjaro: Kilimanjaro, the great mountain of Africa, rises above the Serengeti like an empress...or is it like Olympus? That's for you to decide. Our standard version this year offers the warm yellows and golds of an African sunrise along with the rich, traditional colors of the Compass Rose Geocoin. The base design this year comes from an ancient map of Africa's Atlantic coast dating back to the year 1590.
• Kalahari: The "thirsty land" of south-central Africa, the Kalahari is a desert region that sees more rainfall than one would expect. The colors of this coin depict the deep blues and purples of a late night sky, as the sun sinks below the red clay earth, and golden-orange sand dunes of this beautiful region.
• Sahara: The largest desert in the world, the Sahara stretches across the entire width of the African continent. The subtle color changes of this coin symbolize the long journey of a caravan across the unchanging landscape. Eventually, the shifting sands part to reveal the majesty of the Great Pyramids, and the fertile green valley of the Nile River.
• Cape of Good Hope: The Cape of Good Hope, the famous maritime point where the Ancient East meets the New World West. A fluid mix of blues and greens represent the way the ocean meets the land in this southern sanctuary. But despite its natural beauty, the Cape holds a deep, dark history. The sudden storms, swirling currents and shark-infested waters are enough to keep the bravest on dry land.

• Measures 2" in diameter
• Translucent and solid colors
• Some versions have glowing color on the backside
• Swarovski gemstone on the front side
• Trackable on Geocoaching.com
• A unique icon will show on your profile when you log a discovery

Regular versions' icon:
Limited versions' icon: