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The Legend of King Arthur Coin Series
The Arthurian Legend
according to the 15th c. writer Sir
Thomas Malory
King Uther Pendragon loved Igraine, the
wife of the Duke of Cornwall. So he made war on Cornwall and in that war
Igraine's husband was killed, though not until after King Uther slept with
Igraine by means of magic. Arthur was conceived, and later Uther and
Igraine were married. The child was raised by a knight called Sir Ector.
After King Uther died, Arthur proved his right to the throne by removing a
sword from an anvil which was embedded in a rock. He received his famous
sword, Excalibur, from the Lady of the Lake. The independent kings of
Britain fought with Arthur but were defeated. Arthur then became king of
all of Britain.
King Arthur married Guinevere, the daughter
of King Leodegrance, who gave Arthur as a wedding gift the Round Table and
a hundred knights. Merlin the magician was captured by one of the Ladies
of the Lake and imprisoned forever under a rock. Lots of other stuff
happened, including the following stories: 1) Morgan Le Fay, the
enchantress half-sister of Arthur, used black magic to steal Excalibur.
Her paramour, Sir Accolon fought Arthur using Excalibur and nearly won the
fight when the swords were accidentally exchanged and Arthur won. 2) King
Lucius of Rome demanded tribute payments from Arthur, but Arthur refused
to pay. All the knights of the realm promised him aid, and in the war that
followed Arthur conquered Germany and Italy and was crowned Emperor of
Rome. (By the way, this part is found all the way back in Geoffrey of
Monmouth's version.) 3) While Arthur is off conquering Europe, Sir
Lancelot, Queen Guinevere's favorite, set out on adventures to further the
honor and glory of himself and the Queen. After lots of victories, he
returned to Camelot (Arthur's castle) and was acclaimed the first knight
of all Christendom. 4) A version of the famous love story of Tristram and
Isolde also appears in Malory's version.
An old hermit prophesied that a vacant seat
at the Round Table would be filled by a knight who would win the Holy
Grail. This knight turned out to be Sir Galahad, actually Sir Lancelot's
son (he was tricked into sleeping with the maid Elaine). On the quest for
the Holy Grail Lancelot was stricken when he tried to enter the chamber
where the grail was kept...he was laid low for 24 days as penance for his
years of sin (sins like, for instance, sleeping with the King's wife!).
Galahad, however, saw the miracle of the Grail and became king of some
middle-eastern city, where he died in holiness.
When the questing knights returned to
Camelot, Lancelot forgot the lesson he learned in the Grail chamber and
began consorting again with Guinevere. One spring, while traveling with
her attendant, Queen Guinevere was captured by a traitorous knight, Sir
Meliagrance. Lancelot rescued her. Enemies of Lancelot told the King of
Lancelot's love for Guinevere. A party championing the king's cause fought
with Lancelot. All those he fought died except the king's illegitimate
son, Mordred. Guinevere was sentenced to be burned, but Lancelot rescued
her and they went of to the Castle Joyous Guard to be together. Arthur
then besieged the castle, but the Pope intervened and commanded a truce.
Lancelot and his followers went to France where he held lands. Arthur then
invaded France, but while he was away, his son Mordred seized the throne
of Britain and tried to force Guinevere to become his queen. She escaped
to the Tower of London. Arthur heard about Mordred's usurpation and
returned to England. Battles ensued; it was a great civil war. During a
temporary truce, a snake caused a knight to draw his sword and this action
brought on another battle in which Mordred was killed and Arthur mortally
wounded. On his deathbed Arthur told Sir Bedivere to cast Excalibur back
into the lake from which the sword had come, but he twice pretended to
have done it. Arthur insisted, and when Bedivere finally complied, a hand
reached up out of the water and caught the sword. King Arthur died and was
carried on a barge to the fabled land of Avalon. (Some writers say Arthur
never actually died and he will come again.) Guinevere became a nun, and
Lancelot became a hermit. Sir Constantine of Cornwall was chosen to
succeed Arthur.
Available below are the brilliant
uncirculated issues. Each individual coin is beautifully packaged.
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1996
Cupro Nickel King Arthur Coin |
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$14.95
Each
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1996
Cupro Nickel Camelot Coin |
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$14.95
Each
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1996
Cupro Nickel Queen Guinevere Coin |
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$14.95
Each
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1996
Cupro Nickel Sir Lancelot Coin |
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$14.95
Each
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1996
Cupro Nickel Merlin Coin |
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$14.95
Each
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1996 Legend
of King Arthur Coin Set in Oak Frame |
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$79.95
Each
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