Chaim Weizmann Gold Proof Coin Grading 63 Set

Chaim Weizmann
Rare Special Coin Issue 5723-1962

Back in 1962, 10 years after the death of the first president of the State of Israel, Dr. Chaim Weizmann, the Israel Government Coins and Medals Corporation placed an order with the Berne Mint in Switzerland  to strike the Chaim Weizmann Coins in 916.6 gold. The coins were to be struck in Proof condition with the Hebrew letter "מ" (MEM) mintmark. Due to a mistake, the coins first minted and delivered to the Bank of Israel, were missing the "MEM" mintmark requested. The Bank of Israel decided to keep 10 of these sets, which were not offered to the public, and returned the balance to Berne Mint, which destroyed the remainder of the coins and minted again these coins to include the known MEM mintmark for Israeli proof coins.

In June 2006, the Bank of Israel and the Israel Government Coins and Medals Corporation conducted a public auction for the sale of surplus coins found at their vaults, including only 5 coins with face value of 100IL, diameter of 33mm and weight of 26.68 grams of 22K gold and 4 coins with face value of 50IL, diameter of 27mm and weight of 13.34 grams of 22K gold, each coin sold individually – rather than as a set.

Under the auction documents, the Bank of Israel stated that 2 exemplars of each coin ever minted, are going to be kept in its vault, which means that, at the most, only 8 coins of each of the above rare varieties are to be found in the free market.

These two coins have been purchased directly from the Israel Government Coins and Medals Corporation, as part of said auction and are considered among the finest sets available of those rarities.

The coins have been authenticated, graded and slabbed by PCGS and are accompanied with COA from the Israel Government Coins and Medals Corporation.

Dr. Chaim Weizmann was born in Russia in 1874. He studied chemistry at universities in Germany and Switzerland. He was a regular participant in Zionist Congresses, beginning with the second one and was regarded as spokesman for the "young generation".
In 1916 he was appointed head of the chemical laboratories of the British Admiralty. He developed the concept of "Zionism, a synthesis" which calls for a combination of political and practical work in the Land of Israel. He succeeded in obtaining the Balfour Declaration. From 1921 he was president of the Zionist Federation and in 1929 he established the enlarged Jewish Agency and was elected as its president, in 1934 he founded the Daniel Sieff Institute for Research in Rehovot which subsequently became the Weizmann Institute of Science. From 1936 on he was in the center of the political struggle which led up to the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948. He was chosen Israel's first president and served until his death on November 9, 1952.
The coin was issued to commemorate the tenth anniversary of Dr. Chaim Weizmann's death.

Obverse:
In the center the emblem of the State of Israel with the word "Israel" beneath in Hebrew, to the left in English and to the right in Arabic. Around the upper rim the Hebrew inscription "Fifty Israeli Lirot" on the small coin and "One Hundred Israeli Lirot" on the large coin. Around the lower border, the anniversary years 5713-5723 -1952-1962 in Hebrew and in English.

Reverse:
In the upper right, a portrait of Weizmann, facing left, within an incuse rectangle with rounded corners. In the lower border, the emblem of the State of Israel and the Hebrew inscription "Chaim Weizmann".

Edge:
Milled.

Designer:
Obverse - Miriam Karoli.
Reverse - Andre Lasserre, Switzerland.