2014 - Austria 25 € - Evolution - BU

Never prepared to rest on its laurels, the Austrian Mint has now made its groundbreaking Silver Niobium series even more innovative. Using two different shades of niobium for the first time, the blue/green 2014 Evolution edition ingeniously illustrates the story of the development of Homo sapiens from other species.

Symbolising the origin of Evolution as a whole, an image of the DNA molecule, also known as deoxyribonucleic acid, graces the coin’s obverse. A debate still continues about who exactly should be credited with decoding the molecule, but Francis Crick, James D. Watson and Maurice Wilkins were awarded the 1962 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine for their work in this field. The coin’s reverse deals with the history of human development and the diversity of forms of life brought about by evolution, with the design making splendid use of the coin’s outer silver ring and inner niobium pill to do so.

Minted to a maximum of 65,000 pieces in Special Uncirculated quality only, the coin contains 9 grammes of 900 Fine Silver in its outer ring and 6.5 grammes of 998 pure niobium. Each piece is encapsulated, boxed and comes complete with a numbered certificate guaranteeing its authenticity.