Capricorn is an astrological sign, one of the twelve signs of the classical or Roman zodiac. This sign originated with the constellation Capricornus and is the tenth sign of the zodiac.


The Constellation Capricornus
Capricorn is associated with the Greek myth of the goat Amalthea, who provided the infant Zeus with milk, or, in some versions, ambrosia. Zeus placed her in the sky to honor her. Capricorn is also associated with the god Saturn.

The constellation Capricornus is also known as the Sea Goat, since it is found in an area of the night sky known as the Sea or the Water, which includes many constellations associated with liquid, such as Aquarius, Pisces, and Eridanus. Capricorn is perhaps the single oldest (and certainly one of the very oldest) to have been identified, despite its relative dimness. It is one of the 48 constellations listed by the ancient Greek Ptolemy, who was an author, scientist, mathematician, geographer, astrologer and astronomer.

The constellation is often depicted as a sea-goat, a goat with the tail of a fish. This comes from another myth concerning Capricorn, which says that when the goat god Pan was attacked by the monster Typhon, he dove into the Nile River. The parts above the water remained as a goat, but those underwater were transformed into a fish.

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The Sign of the Goat
As a sign of the zodiac, Capricorn is classed as a negative or feminine, introverted sign. Its element is earth and its quality is cardinal. Traditionally, in astrology, Capricorn is ruled by the planet Saturn and its opposite sign is Cancer. Capricorn's period, when it is occupied by the Sun, runs from December 22 to January 21, and the tenth House is the house Capricorn rules.

In astrology the astrological signs of the twelve houses equal segments or divisions of the zodiac. According to astrological beliefs, celestial phenomena reflect or govern human activity on the principle of "as above, so below", so that the twelve signs at the same time are held to represent twelve basic personality types or characteristic modes of expression.

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Those born under the sign of Capricorn are said to be prudent, responsible, realistic, wise, formal, patient, methodical, disciplined, traditional, cautious, conventional, hard-working, persevering, ambitious, dedicated, focused, honest, dependable, serious, self-reliant, businesslike, career-oriented, authoritative, conscientious, and competent.

This is the first entry in the ongoing "Twelve Signs of the Zodiac" coin program, issued by the Central Bank of Armenia and struck at the Mint of Poland in Warsaw. All the coins in this series feature full color and a zircon crystal semi-precious gemstone cut in the shape of a star.

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Gemstone Note
The clear, diamond-like zircon crystal on the coin represents quartz, the lucky stone for those born under the sign of Capricorn. The zircon crystal on the obverse is not an accidental choice. Zircon is a naturally-occurring, semiprecious gemstone mined in the mountains of southern Poland. It can be found in a range of colors. Interestingly, zircon crystals are the oldest minerals found on earth. Ongoing scientific research using these crystals has helped to establish the age of the Earth, with the current consensus being about 4.4 billion years old (the age of the oldest zircons found to date). It is therefore appropriate that the oldest substance on earth, and a beautiful, sparkling gemstone at that, is used to portray the timelessness of the twinkling stars in the night sky.

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Obverse

A beautifully-engraved rendition of Capricorn, the Sea Goat, set in the colorfully illustrated night sky, set with a zircon crystal gemstone in the shape of a star. The astrological sign of Capricorn is also depicted. The English CAPRICORN appears above and the constellation's Armenian name appears below.

In the center, the national coat of arms of Armenia, surrounded by the twelve signs of the zodiac. The legend REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA in English and Armenian, as well as the date of issue and the denomination, are indicated.

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Packaging
Each coin is encapsulated and accompanied by a bilingual (Armenian and English) certificate of authenticity. The certificate states that the "Quality" is "uncirculated", which is true (the coin is certainly uncirculated), but does not adequately describe the actual finish. These are proof finish coins, exhibiting fully-mirrored fields and frosted cameo relief on the designs. We therefore describe these as proof-finish commemoratives, struck with proof dies on specially-prepared and polished proof planchets.

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Specifications