Mountains of the Moon & Crested Crane 1 Shilling Uganda Authentic Coin Money for Jewelry (Rwenzori Mountains) (Nile) (Grateful Dead)
Mountains of the Moon & Crested Crane 1 Shilling Uganda Authentic Coin Money for Jewelry (Rwenzori Mountains) (Nile) (Grateful Dead)
Mountains of the Moon & Crested Crane 1 Shilling Uganda Authentic Coin Money for Jewelry and Craft Making (Ruwenzori Range) (Rwenzori Mountains) (Nile) (Grateful Dead)
Reverse: Crested Crane in front of Rwenzori Mountains, known as "Mountains of the Moon". (Source of the Nile, cited in Ptolemy.)
Denomination
Lettering:· BANK OF UGANDA ·
ONE SHILLING
Obverse: Coat of Arms. At the bottom is the national motto:
"For God and My Country".
Lettering: · BANK OF UGANDA ·
ONE SHILLING
Edge: Reeded
Features
Issuer Uganda
Period Republic (1962-date)
Type Standard circulation coin
Years 1966-1975
Value 1 Shilling (1 UGS)
Currency Shilling (1966-1987)
Composition Copper-nickel
Weight 6.674 g
Diameter 26 mm
Thickness 1.8 mm
Shape Round
Technique Milled
Orientation Medal alignment ↑↑
Demonetized Yes
Number N# 3781
References KM# 5
Wikipedia:
Mountains of the Moon (Latin: Montes Lunae; Arabic: جبل القمر, Jabal al-Qamar or Jibbel el Kumri) is an ancient term referring to a legendary mountain or mountain range in east Africa at the source of the Nile River. Various identifications have been made in modern times, the Rwenzori Mountains of Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo being the most celebrated.
People of the ancient world were long curious about the source of the Nile, especially Ancient Greek geographers. A number of expeditions up the Nile failed to find the source. Eventually, a merchant named Diogenes reported that he had traveled inland from Rhapta in East Africa for twenty-five days and had found the source of the Nile. He reported it flowed from a group of massive mountains into a series of large lakes. He reported the natives called this range the Mountains of the Moon because of their snowcapped whiteness.
These reports were accepted as true by most Greek and Roman geographers, most notably by Ptolemy, who produced maps that indicated the reported location of the mountains. Late Arab geographers, despite having far more knowledge of Africa, also presumed the report was fact, and included the mountains in the same location given by Ptolemy.
Modern identifications
It was not until modern times that Europeans resumed their search for the source of the Nile. The Scottish explorer James Bruce, who travelled to Gojjam, Ethiopia, in 1770, investigated the source of the Blue Nile there. He identified the "Mountains of the Moon" with Mount Amedamit, which he described surrounded the source of the Lesser Abay "in two semi-circles like a new moon ... and seem, by their shape, to deserve the name of mountains of the moon, such as was given by antiquity to mountains in the neighborhood of which the Nile was supposed to rise".
James Grant and John Speke in 1862 sought the source of the White Nile in the Great Lakes region. Henry Morton Stanley finally found glacier-capped mountains possibly fitting Diogenes's description in 1889 (they had eluded European explorers for so long due to often being shrouded in mist). Today known as the Rwenzori Mountains, the peaks are the source of some of the Nile's waters, but only a small fraction, and Diogenes would have crossed the Victoria Nile to reach them.
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Ruwenzori Range, mountain range bordering Uganda and Congo (Kinshasa); the range is thought to be the “Mountains of the Moon” described by the 2nd-century-AD geographer Ptolemy (Claudius Ptolemaeus). The mountains were long thought to be the source of the Nile.
Lying slightly north of the Equator, the Ruwenzori Range has a maximum breadth of 30 miles (50 km) and extends south-north for 80 miles (130 km) between Lake Edward and Lake Albert. The Ruwenzori Range falls steeply westward to the Western Rift Valley, while its descent to the east is more gradual, leading to the uplands of the western part of Uganda. Unlike most African snow peaks, the Ruwenzori is not of volcanic origin but is a gigantic horst of six separate glaciated masses, reaching a high point in Mount Stanley at Margherita Peak (16,795 feet [5,119 m]). The Ruwenzori Range’s largest mountains are separated by passes and deeply cut river valleys that all eventually drain into the Semliki River. Glaciers and small lakes occur in the upper valleys. The permanent snow line stands at about 14,800 feet (4,511 m) on the east and 15,900 feet (4,846 m) on the west. The mountain summits are often hidden in cloud cover, created periodically by moist airstreams from the Atlantic and Indian oceans. Queen Elizabeth (Ruwenzori) National Park (established 1952) is located east of Lake Edward and south of the Ruwenzori Range in southwestern Uganda.
The Ruwenzori is economically important for copper and cobalt deposits, mined at Kilembe, Uganda. Hydropower for mining is provided by the Mubuku, the range’s largest river. The Amba and Konjo peoples of the lower eastern slopes are mainly cultivators of beans, sweet potatoes, and bananas.
Source: https://www.britannica.com/place/Ruwenzori-Range
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The Crested Crane (grey crowned crane) is scientifically known as the Balearica regulorum. It is a very elegant bird with and an ensemble of colours and a very interesting way of life.
There are two subspecies of Grey-crowned cranes. The East African B. r. gibbericeps or commonly known as the crested crane. This lives in east Africa, especially Uganda and Kenya as well as the Eastern parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The other subspecies is called the B. r. regulorum or the South African crowned crane that inhabits the Southern parts of Angola and South Africa.
Uganda’s National Bird
As the national bird of Uganda, the grey crowned crane is highly respected and protected by the law. Even young children know that it is a national symbol that needs to be respected.
In 1893, the then governor of Uganda, Sir Frederick Jackson chose this bird as a symbol on the Union Jack. It was approved by His Majesty George V of England to be inserted on flags flown by the governor of Uganda.
The crested crane continues to be Uganda’s National bird – because of its beauty and humble ways. It appears on all instruments of the state and the national Coat of Arms.
Physical Look
The grey crowned crane is a tall bird that stands at an average of 3 feet tall. That is close to 1 metre in height. The crested crane weighs an average of 3.5 kilograms.
The head of a crested crane has a velvet black forehead, a yellowish (almost golden) crown, red inflatable throat pouches and white sides. This is completed by a black and straight beak.
It has a long greyish neck falling back to the same black, white, red and yellow colours over the rest of the body. The legs are long and slender meant to balance its body.
It will most likely be the most colourful and fascinating bird you will be able to see on your birding trip to Uganda.
Natural Habitat
The crested crane only lives in areas of Eastern and Southern Africa. It is generally found in dry and open areas but loves to nest around wet areas like river banks and wetlands.
Food and Diet
The Crested crane is an omnivores animal. This means that it can feed on both animal and plants. Leaves, seeds, grass, insects, worms, rats, flies, grasshoppers, small fish and even snakes.
Besides the variety of foods, the crested crane prefers to eat the seeds of grasses and sedges. They spend the entire looking around for food and the nights sleeping in the trees.
Social Habits
The Crested crane is commonly known for its ‘dance’. This is when it spreads is majestic wings and flaps as it skips around. Not much of pattern but the wings spread to vividly reveal how beautiful the colours blend together. The top of the wings are black but the feathers are white.
This is most common in the breeding season although they can dance all year round. If you happen to see a number of them ‘doing the dance’ it is quite a spectacle.
Source: https://www.ugandasafariexperts.com/blog/crested-crane/
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The Coat of Arms of Uganda is centered on a shield and spears on a green mound. The shield and spears represent the willingness of the Ugandan people to defend their country. There are three images on the shield: those on top represent the waves of Lake Victoria; the sun in the centre represents the many days of brilliant sunshine Uganda enjoys; and the traditional drum at the bottom is symbolic of dancing, and the summoning of people to meetings and ceremony.
The shield is flanked on the right by a Crested Crane (Balearica regulorum gibbericeps), a subspecies of the Grey-crowned Crane and the national bird of Uganda. On the left is the Ugandan Kob (Kobus kob thomasi), a species of Kob that here represents abundant wildlife.
The shield stands on a green mound, representing fertile land, and directly above a representation of the River Nile. Two main cash crops, coffee and cotton, flank the river.
At the bottom is the national motto:
"For God and My Country".
Source: http://www.ugandahighcommissionpretoria.com/Coat-of-Arms.html
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[The Grateful Dead's Jerry] Garcia said of Mountains of the Moon that it was "one of my favorite ones. I thought it came off like a little gem" - and years later, "That song turned out nicely. I had an acoustic setting in mind from the get-go and it turned out pretty much how I envisioned it. I don't know what made me think I could do a song like that.... I like the tune a lot." Yet it wasn't played very often - we only have thirteen performances. (The Dead never revived it either, though Hunter hoped they would, and even Constanten did a cover.)
It's a simple enough tune, and with its acoustic arrangement is a precursor to the more folky tunes the Dead started doing in mid-'69 - which is exactly when the Dead dropped it. (On 6/7 it rubs shoulders with the first Dire Wolf, and on 7/12 it follows country covers of Green Grass of Home and Slewfoot.) Possibly Garcia was more excited by the new material. The lyrics don't make much sense (Hunter says he was rushed) -
http://arts.ucsc.edu/GDead/aGDL/moon.html
Mountains seems like Hunter was trying to recapture the ancient mystery of old folk songs, and with the simple guitar picking and Constanten's harpsichord-like accompaniment it sounds like it could have come out of some English renaissance court. I like Lesh's bass line, which even in live shows imitates an upright acoustic bass sound and gives the song more depth; he didn't often have such a quiet setting to work in. Mountains was always a welcome appearance when it was played - a brief mystical acoustic respite from the "sweat and steam and uproar and tumult" that made up an early-'69 Dead show.
Source: http://deadessays.blogspot.com/2009/08/brief-tale-of-mountains-of-moon.html
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Nice historical coin. Delivery was timely
5 stars review from Molly