172 - Holy Cauldron - 1,000 dram 2014

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.
The design of the coin and the information booklet are developed with the support of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.
Minted in the Mayer Mint, Germany.

Denomination: 1,000 dram
Metal: Silver 925 gilt
Weight: 25g
Diameter: 27x47mm
Mintage: 2,500 pcs.
Edge: Reeded
Strike quality: Proof

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. The design of the coin and the information booklet are developed with the support of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.