Cauldron for Holy Chrism (Muron)

The silver cauldron for the Holy Chrism (Muron) is one of the treasures of Holy Etchmiadzin. It was made with donations of Gaspar Haroutiunian-Karapetoghlian, a merchant from New Nakhijevan, in 1895 in Moscow, in the workshop of Pavel Ovchinnikov. The cauldron is smelted, circular, crowned with a dome-shaped lid, which is topped by a beautiful sculpture of a dove - a symbol of the Holy Spirit. The cauldron is covered with geometrical ornament and images of plants, and its central wide belt is divided into six equal parts showing baptism of our Lord Jesus Christ, King Abgar and the King Tiridates’s family. Also the cauldron bears depictions of the Pentecost, St. Gregory the Illuminator’s vision and the Mother Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin. For the first time, the cauldron was used for the blessing of the Holy Chrism by Mkrtich I (Khrimian Hayrik), Catholicos of All Armenians, in 1897. According to the ancient tradition, in the Armenian Church the blessing of the Holy Chrism is celebrated by the Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, once in every five to seven years, in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.

"Cauldron for Holy Chrism" is the third coin of the "Treasures of Etchmiadzin" coin series. Rectangle 27,0 x 47,0 mm.

Armenia 2014 Cauldron for Holy Chrism (Muron)
Obverse: 
In the center - the coat of arms of the Republic of Armenia with the nominal value underneath; "REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA" in Armenian and English is inscribed at the bottom and on the right.
Reverse: 
The pad-printed Holy Chrism Cauldron; at the top – inscriptions "HOLY ETCHMIADZIN" in Armenian and English and the Holy Etchmiadzin’s symbol – the Armenian letter "Է" standing for "essence"; at the bottom – inscriptions "CAULDRON FOR HOLY CHRISM" in Armenian and English, the year of issue in digital and ecclesiastical marking "2014 ՌՆԿԳ".
Country: 
Catalog ID: 
AM297CM1
Value: 
€75
Mintage: 
2500
Quality: 
Face value: 
Material: 
Material: 
Purity: 
0.925
Weight: 
25g
Thickness: 
2.35mm
Year: 
Shape and style: 
Shape and style: 
Edge: 
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