Austria 2010 25€ Renewable Energy Silver Niobium BU
The reason for such demand would have to be the sheer unparalleled quality of the coins themselves, with the intricate designs we have come to expect from the talented craftsmen at the Mint, coupled with the extraordinary detail in the strike of each coin. The finest example of numismatic quality on the market today, there is no doubt!
The theme of the 2010 silver/niobium coin is renewable energy, a subject perhaps more topical than any other on the planet today. From the Austrian Mint:
Every aspect of our modern world is powered by some form of energy. The global goal for renewable and cleaner energy grows, as world’s natural energy resources are limited and rapidly dwindling. Continuing research and development as well as growing support by legislative and financial entities are all working together to advance the use of renewable clean energy for generations to come.
More and more individuals, corporations and governments are aware of the earth’s limited resources and our collective futures. Clean renewable energy is the way of today and the future. Trillions will be spent on further developing and harnessing renewable resources known today as well as continuing research into additional sources.
As President Obama proclaimed during his inauguration speech, “We will harness the sun, the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories.” (January 20, 2009)
On the obverse of the coin, set with the vibrant blue niobium, is the image of a tree, used to represent all the vegetation in the world. Coming out of the tree is a spiral design reflecting the continuous cycle of the world's four elements: Earth, Wind, Water and Fire. These are represented along the spiral as follows: Fire (the sun in the backgroud providing photosynthesis), Wind (the leaves blowing to the ground), Earth (giving the tree nourishment as well as recycling the fallen leaves) and Water (stylised at the bottom of the outer silver ring, allowing the tree to absord nutrients). The design was created by Helmut Andexlinger and inspired by the theme to "represent the living, breathing system of plants". Also on this side, at the top of the outer silver ring, is the inscription for the country of issue and the nominal face value.
The reverse design features a number of the many types of renewable energy that are in use today. In the centre of it all is the Earth, depicted here in the stylised globe towards the background of the image. Each of the renewable energy sources shown here also follow the pattern of the four elements. Here fire is represented by the sun's rays being captured by solar panels and converted into energy, water driving the hydroelectric water turbine, geothermal heat sources of the Earth are recovered as steam (noted in the two arrows on the left side of the design) in which water is pumped into the depths of the earth (the down arrows with the droplets) and then heat and energy return as steam (the up arrow with the wavy line), and wind is converted to energy by the large wind turbine in the upper left of the coin. Inscribed at the bottom of the coin are the words "Erneuerbare Energie” (Renewable
Energy).
Each 25 euro 2010 silver niobium brilliant uncirculated coin is struck on a 34mm flan comprised of an outer ring made from 9 grams of 90% fine silver and a core consisting of 7.15 grams of 99.8% pure niobium. The coin is encapsulated and housed in an official Austrian Mint jewel case and outer box, accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity confirming the maximum mintage of just 65,000 coins.
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