Gargoyle Type I – Notre Dame 2 oz Silver Round
A long-eared creature leans into the Paris skyline, its open mouth and sharp profile standing out against distant rooftops. The Notre Dame Type I round turns this dramatic view into an ultra-high-relief composition in 2 troy ounces of .999 fine silver.
Gothic Imagination Above the City
Notre-Dame’s sculpted creatures are often grouped together as gargoyles, but there is an architectural distinction. Gargoyles serve as waterspouts; the decorative chimères are ornamental figures. The City of Paris identifies the cathedral’s chimères as additions from Eugène Viollet-le-Duc’s nineteenth-century renovation.
That distinction makes the skyline on this round particularly fitting. The design brings together the cathedral’s Gothic-inspired fantasy creatures and the recognizable outline of the Eiffel Tower. It is a portrait of Paris seen through layers of architecture and imagination, rather than a literal scene from the medieval period.
Obverse Design
The creature appears in profile, with tall pointed ears, an angular face, and an open mouth. Its neck and shoulders fill the foreground, while a tightly worked cityscape stretches toward the Eiffel Tower. Weathered textures add character to the surrounding field, and “NOTRE-DAME” follows the upper-left rim. The raised figure and fine background buildings create a strong sense of distance within the round’s compact surface.
Reverse Design
Gothic-style window tracery encircles the words “GARGOYLES OF THE WORLD” on the shared series reverse. A small gargoyle sits on the lettering, and the hallmark appears at the lower edge. This repeated architectural frame ties the Type I portrait to the other creatures and landmarks in the series.
Specifications
- Weight: 2.00 troy ounces
- Metal: .999 fine silver
- Diameter: 39 mm
- Thickness: approximately 6 mm
- Edge: Reeded
- Finish: Brilliant Uncirculated
- Relief: Ultra-High Relief
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