Complete with box
and papers
NICOLAUS
COPERNICUS - THE DISCOVERER OF THE MODERN VIEW OF THE UNIVERSE ...
Nicolaus
Copernicus (1473-1543)
When
the sun rose on
19
February 1473
,
the world changed. Nicolaus Copernicus saw the light of day for the first
time, and from that moment on never let it out of his sight. As the Middle
Ages began to give way to the Renaissance, the young man immersed himself in
the study of the classical disciplines of mathematics, philosophy, Latin
literature and law. But astronomy was his greatest passion. He painstakingly
reviewed the astronomical theories and observations of Aristotle and Ptolemy
from thousands of years before. Their ideas had given rise to a geocentric
view of the universe, with the Earth at its centre, but his mathematical
training made Copernicus unable to overlook the inherent contradictions. In
his quest for the verifiable truth he tracked the path of the celestial
bodies with the naked eye from his "observatory", a small corner
tower of the cathedral in Frombork. The results formed the basis for a new
view of the universe that still applies today: the heliocentric system.
He
set down his theories in his great work "On the Revolutions of the
Heavenly Spheres". The first printed copy reached Copernicus at the end
of his life on
24
May 1543
,
being placed in his hands on his deathbed.
...
WHO CONTINUES TO SET AN EXAMPLE TODAY.
The
discovery of the heliocentric system revolutionised the world and prepared
the way for many other scientists. Galileo substantiated the modern view of
the universe using the telescope, Johann Kepler's calculations showed that
the orbits were elliptical, and Isaac Newton's law of gravitation explained
the solar system.
Copernicus'
currency reform was also groundbreaking. To rein in the inflationary
economy, Copernicus advocated a multinational currency reform. Today this
reform is regarded as the most significant monetary theory of the 16th
century, and its principles still hold true.
News
of the scholar's reputation also reached
Rome
.
In 1514 Copernicus received an invitation from the Pope to correct the
calendar. However, the astronomer declined because he believed it was not
yet possible to calculate the length of the year
with
sufficient accuracy. Some 70 years later the calendar was eventually
reformed, based on the observations of Nicolaus Copernicus, with 10 days
being dropped to produce the calendar in worldwide use today.
Considering
all the achievements that stem from Copernicus' theories, he can rightly be
regarded as one of mankind's greatest "intellectual patrons". From
this perspective, Goethe's words seem almost prophetic: "Of all
discoveries, probably none have had a greater effect on the human intellect
than the doctrine of Copernicus."
THE
LIMITED EDITION HOMMAGE A
NICOLAUS COPERNICUS. A MOVING PIECE OF
HISTORY.
The
new view of the universe expounded by Nicolaus Copernicus finds superlative
expression in the fountain pen of the same name produced by Montblanc in a
strictly limited edition to honour the great scientist and patron.
Nine
rings hand-crafted in 925 sterling silver symbolically encircle the
anthracite grey lacquer barrel.
The
sun, around which the universe has revolved since Copernicus made his
discovery, is symbolised by a facetted greenish meteoric stone which
shimmers on the clip above the orbits of the planets.
A
further exquisite detail completes this Limited Edition: The
rhodium-plated 18-carat gold nib bears an engraving of Copernicus' historic
drawing of the planetary orbits.
The
Montblanc star in mother-of-pearl provides a sparkling finishing touch to
this superbly stylish writing instrument.
Mother-of-pearl Montblanc logo
PEN IS NEW
18k solid gold
nib
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