2025 Cook Islands 5 oz Silver the Bucket List Machu Picchu Proof Coin

In this issue, we discover the next place on our bucket list.

Machu Picchu is a famous Inca ruined city in the Andes of Peru. It was built in the 15th century under the Inca ruler Pachacútec and lies at an altitude of around 2430 meters. At that time, the Inca Empire stretched from present-day Ecuador to Chile and was therefore as long as the United States is wide today. The city probably served as a royal retreat or religious center. As the Incas had no written language, the answer remains a mystery to this day.

The site is known for its impressive architecture, its terraced buildings and its harmonious integration into the surrounding mountain landscape. No mortar was used in the construction of the buildings. Instead, the individual stones were placed with absolute precision. This allowed them to move even in the event of an earthquake and prevented major damage. This is one of the reasons why the buildings have survived so well to this day.

The city was abandoned after just 100 years and remained undiscovered for more than 300 years. It was not until 1911 that Machu Picchu was rediscovered by the American explorer Hiram Bingham. Today, Machu Picchu is an Unesco World Heritage Site and one of the most popular tourist destinations in South America.

Thanks to smartminting® 4.0 and a sophisticated design, you can now hold a miniature Machu Picchu in your hands and immerse yourself in history.