Sergei Nikolayev Knurov is a 29-year old chef from Mykolaiv, Ukraine who made a detailed miniature ship out of Ukrainian coins. The entire piece consists of 17,000 coins and has bank notes for sails.
The project first used the coins from Sergei’s piggy bank, but as those ran out, he began to exchange paper money for coins whenever he got the chance at drug stores, from the market and even his friends. But as people learned what the coins were being used for, many parted with their loose change to help build this amazing ship.
The coins used are mainly 2 and 10 kopecks, with the sails being made of 25 five-hryvnia notes. Creating a three dimensional model of the ship was difficult using just notes and sketches, but luckily Sergei’s wife is a numismatist (someone who studies and collects currency). She helped him fused the coins together using silicate glue, since superglue oxidizes and would reduce the life of the metal structure.
The Husband and wife worked on the boat for two to three hours a day before and after work. Collecting the coins and making the finished product took a total of six months. The foundation was made of 25 and 50 kopeck coins while the body was made with 1, 2 and 5 kopecks, with the edges being decorated with 10 kopecks. The master deck is made of wood and the boat even has opening for cannon shells.
The finished ship weighs 30 pounds and is made from currency worth 800 hryvnia. The couple plans to auction it for 4,000 hryvnia and Sergei says he will use the money to create “new creative projects”. Amazing, Isn’t it?
