Mythical Creatures - The Hippocampus - 3 € 2026 base metal coin, 16 g

Face value: Samoa 0,25$
Weight: 47 gr
Diameter: 40 mm
Mintage: 3 000

The tawny owl (Strix aluco), also called the brown owl, is commonly found in woodlands across Europe to western Siberia, and has seven recognized subspecies. It is a stocky, medium-sized owl, whose underparts are pale with dark streaks, and whose upper body may be either brown or grey. (In several subspecies, individuals may be of either color.) The tawny owl typically makes its nest in a tree hollow where it can protect its eggs and young against potential predators. It is non-migratory and highly territorial: as a result, when young birds grow up and leave the parental nest, if they cannot find a vacant territory to claim as their own, they will often starve

Face value: Samoa 0,25$
Weight: 40gr
Diameter: 40 mm
Mintage: 6666

Proof copper coin with partial gold plating

In East Asian Buddhism, the Twelve Heavenly Generals or Twelve Divine Generals are the protective deities, or yaksha, of Bhaisajyaguru, the buddha of healing. They are introduced in the Bhai?ajyaguruvaiduryaprabharaja Sutra.They are colletively named in simplified pinyin: Shí'èr Shén Jiang Sa??hila--Honji to this General is Akashagarbha,It is the protective deity of zodiac horse.

Face value: Samoa 0,25$
Weight: 40gr
Diameter: 40 mm
Mintage: 6666

Proof copper coin with partial gold plating

In East Asian Buddhism, the Twelve Heavenly Generals or Twelve Divine Generals are the protective deities.

Face value: Samoa 0,25$
Weight: 40gr
Diameter: 40 mm
Mintage: 6666

Proof copper coin with partial gold plating

In East Asian Buddhism, the Twelve Heavenly Generals or Twelve Divine Generals are the protective deities.

Face value: Samoa 0,25$
Weight: 40gr
Diameter: 40 mm
Mintage: 6666

Proof copper coin with partial gold plating

In East Asian Buddhism, the Twelve Heavenly Generals or Twelve Divine Generals are the protective deities, or yaksha, of Bhaisajyaguru, the buddha of healing. They are introduced in the Bhai?ajyaguruvaiduryaprabharaja Sutra. They are collectively named Shí'èr Shén Jiang Mahala--Honji to this General is Bhaisajyaguru, It is the protective deity of zodiac rabbit.

Face value: 0.2 $
Issuing country: Samoa
Weight: 25 g
Diameter: 40 mm

Artemis still remains intrinsic to the Sagittarius sign to this day: after all, who among the Olympians is the archer goddess, associated with the forests and the primeval might of the centaur? Like her brother Apollo, Artemis is a goddess of fiery arrows, illuminating the darkness and destroying those who offend her, and her role in this department might even be more relevant than her brother's. Sagittarius is also the first sign of the night as the beginning of the winter, relating to Artemis' intrinsic nature as a goddess of moonlight. The association of Sagittarius with Artemis also relates to her cult's rivalry with primitive Christianity: Sagittarius is the sign of truth and knowledge, and Artemis is the light bearer.

Face value: 0.2 $
Issuing country: Samoa
Weight: 25 g
Diameter: 40 mm

Hephaestus‘ correspondence with Libra is derived from his role as the smith god. By crafting fire, he made the weapons that the gods use to impose justice, down to the scales of Dike, the goddess of justice, often thought to be the woman depicted in the sign. As just, Hephaestus is a god of innovation, taming the chaos of the flames to produce items to impose civilization.

Face value: 0.2 $
Issuing country: Samoa
Weight: 25 g
Diameter: 40 mm

Hera is described as taking the sign of Aquarius due to her opposition to her husband , which I take both literally meaning their personalities as well as the simple fact that the two signs are opposite in the Zodiac. Leo and Aquarius are the signs most associated with humanitarian traits: Leo is the leader, the king, while Aquarius is associated with intellectual drives and understanding. As represented by the King and Queen of the gods, both are necessary for society’s functioning, for stability and peace to prosper via righteousness and understanding. Both are also associated with personal pride, with Leo being the more emotional narcissism while Aquarius is a more detached vanity. Both are also associated with the natural forces of the sky: whereas Leo is the bright midday Sun, Aquarius is associated with clouds and mist. Fitting, thus, that Hera and Zeus are the gods that rule the heavens and Olympos, Zeus being the bright Aether and Hera the sky rains, both being the main agents of storms and of calm weather.

Face value: 0.2 $
Issuing country: Samoa
Weight: 25 g
Diameter: 40 mm

Hestia's main sign if Capricorn, which stresses her more subtle but relevant nature. Capricorn, like Sagittarius, also stresses order, stability and stoicness. More so, it takes theses traits further and is a sign associated with practicality, hard work, strong will and stubbornness. Hestia, as the perpetual tender of the flames, is definitely a very hard working and practical goddess, and while I by no means would refer to her as “stubborn”, she does have a strong will in what little myths she appears in. Capricorn is also relevant in it’s role in the Zodiac. It’s the sign that covers the Winter Solstice, when the Sun is at it’s lowest, being opposite to Cancer. Thus, not only does it coincide with the time of the year where Hestia’s influence is most important, as well as to her role as the center, it also coincides with a liminal time in the Zodiac, when the Sun is reborn.

Face value: 0.2 $
Issuing country: Samoa
Weight: 25 g
Diameter: 40 mm

Poseidon, as the god of water and of the sea, is the lord of sea creatures, so the sign of the pair of fish is more than appropriate. Pisces, however, also dives deeper in Poseidon’s realm. For starters, it is associated with the feet, and Poseidon is also a god of the earth, of tremors and geological processes, closely tied to water eroding rocks. The sea is also considered to be where the pillars of the universe are located in most western Eurasian religions, and in Greek thought Poseidon’s realm extends even to the Underworld, where the four rivers run, a connection particularly important in the more chthonic versions of Hellenic religion. If Cancer is the Moon and it’s spiritual essence while Scorpio is blood and the impulses, with Aquarius also representing sky waters, Pisces is simply the pure nature of water as an element, symbolizing the immensity of the seas and the many freshwater bodies. It’s the sign of mutability and change, resonating with water’s classical attribute as well as the very real quick and natural changes into ice, liquid, gas or cloud and also the currents. It also symbolizes Spring waters, be them from rains or melting snow and ice, feeding the fields and civilization, acting as water changing the surrounding environment.

Face Value: 3 Euro
Quality: B.U,
Diameter: 34 mm
Metal: Copper/nickel
Weight: 16 g
Mintage: 65 000
Comes without packaging

A fleeting being flits through the air, an exquisitely delicate creature. But then it alights for a moment. And allows itself to be admired. – The coin allows you to become closely acquainted with a lovable elf.

The third coin in the ‘Magical and Mythical Creatures’ series depicts a colourful elf with butterfly wings. – Especially when ultraviolet light sweeps across her, she seems to come alive. – “Elves remind us that there’s more than we see with the naked eye alone. There’s the wood elf, the wind elf, the sun elf, the moon elf – and then there’s your elf.” (Thomas Brezina)

Elven Myths

Depending on which myth and which era we look at, a different image of elves prevails. The terms ‘elf’ and ‘fairy’ are often used interchangeably in everyday language today, but they have different mythological origins.

Elves come from Norse and Celtic mythology. They played an important role in medieval superstition. Elves were also frequently equated or confused with dwarves or demons.

In 19th-century children’s books, a friendlier image of elves began to take hold. It became common to imagine elves as small magical beings that live among flowers and flit about in nature.

In Iceland they are actually invisible. The so-called huldufólk – or the hidden people – are firmly rooted in local folklore. In legends and fairy tales, they populate wild and untouched nature. Nowadays, very few people in Iceland believe in elves in the literal sense. But for the vast majority, they certainly have significance as part of the cultural heritage. Today, a belief in elves primarily expresses appreciation for an ancient storytelling tradition and a close connection with nature. In Icelandic planning approval procedures, one aspect considered alongside others is whether a project would cause damage to cultural heritage. This includes features of the landscape such as large stones or rocks, which are regarded in Icelandic folklore as being inhabited by elves.

Coin motif

A winged elf in a little greenish dress has alighted on the coin. To her right, strawberries together with their blossoms and leaves can be seen in the foreground. To the left, an ornament printed in gold and a star are visible. A band around the edge, also printed in gold, is interrupted in places by the relief. – The colours of the mythical creature and the inscription ‘ELFE’ change in ultraviolet light, enhancing the magical effect of the motif.

The obverse features an intricately decorated key with the letter ‘F’ – ‘F’ as in fairy tale. In the background, a sun is depicted in the style of a silhouette, recessed into a circular relief with a subtle texture. The stars sparkling at the edge and all around, as well as the irregularly shaped letters, create a magical effect.

Materiall: CuNi
Weight: 9g
Diameter: 26,9 mm
Mintage: 100 000

It is the third coin issued as part of the “Wonderful world of insects” series, which will see a total of nine coins with partially coloured motifs issued over the period 2022-24. The series is intended to bring into focus – especially in light of current developments (insect extinction) – a special group of animals that make up a significant part of our natural heritage.

The €5 collectors’ coin “Swallowtail” is made of a cupronickel alloy. It weighs 9.68 g, measures 27.25 mm in diameter and will be available both in mint condition and with a proof-like finish. The mint condition coins will be brought into circulation at their face value (€5). The collector quality coins with a proof-like finish will be higher than their face value and will be issued by the Münze Deutschland (Germany’s official sales agency for collector coins).

The coin was designed by Bastian Prillwitz, an artist based in Berlin (picture side), and Andre Witting, a Berlin-based artist (reverse).

The reverse, which will be used for all coins in the series, features an eagle, the words “BUNDESREPUBLIK DEUTSCHLAND”, the value and denomination, the year 2023, the twelve stars of Europe and the letter “G” for the State Mint of Karlsruhe.

Its smooth edge is engraved with the inscription: “WUNDERWELT INSEKTEN” (WONDERFUL WORLD OF INSECTS).

Quality: Special Uncirculated
Face Value: 5 Euro
Diameter: 28,5 mm
Copper: 99,9%
Total Weight: 8,5 g
Comes without packaging

The New Year Coin 2024 is a special coin for a very special year. With 366 days instead of the usual 365, 2024 is a leap year and this limited-mintage coin is designed to remind you that the extra day should be enjoyed amid the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

The extra day in a leap year keeps the calendar year synchronised with the solar year and thus with the cosmic order. You should accept it as a heavenly gift and treat it as an extra portion of luck. The extra day is a day with great potential on which you can allow yourself a little more ‘me time’, dedicate more time than usual to someone else, or do something you have always wanted to do. Or if you have resolved to tackle something completely new by the end of the year, why not use the extra day for that? Everyday life tends to demand a great deal from us without making any concessions, but that is not the case in 2024 when we are given a whole extra day to enjoy.

The reverse of the nine-sided coin is dedicated to the Gregorian calendar, which was introduced by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582 to bring the calendar back into line with the solar year. Pope Gregory XIII features on the right edge of the coin next to a large, flame-haired human manifestation of the Sun. Below the Sun is the calendar page for the month of February showing the 29th of February – the extra day. At the top is the zodiac sign Pisces, which corresponds to late February. The coin’s obverse shows the coats of arms of the nine provinces of Austria.

Face value: Samoa 2$
Weight: 31,1 gr
Silver: 99,9%
Diameter: 32 mm
Mintage: 2000

The tawny owl (Strix aluco), also called the brown owl, is commonly found in woodlands across Europe to western Siberia, and has seven recognized subspecies. It is a stocky, medium-sized owl, whose underparts are pale with dark streaks, and whose upper body may be either brown or grey. (In several subspecies, individuals may be of either color.) The tawny owl typically makes its nest in a tree hollow where it can protect its eggs and young against potential predators. It is non-migratory and highly territorial: as a result, when young birds grow up and leave the parental nest, if they cannot find a vacant territory to claim as their own, they will often starve

Face valie 0,5 AUD
Metal: copper/nickel
Weight: 15,37 g
Diameter: 31,51 mm
Mintage: unlimited

Face value: 5 €
Diameter: 34 mm
Weight: 19.1 g
Metal: Brass
Mintage: 55,000

The European pond turtle (Emys orbicularis) is an aquatic turtle species. Native to Slovakia, the pond turtle was once widespread throughout the south of the country, but today its strongest populations are found in the Eastern Slovak Lowland and the Danubian Lowland. It is a protected reptile species that can live for more than 100 years. The pond turtle inhabits still or slowly flowing waters with muddy bottoms and rich vegetation, such as oxbow lakes, canals, ponds, lakes, and marshes. It is an excellent swimmer and diver and often basks in the sun on banks, tree trunks, or stones. Sandy areas are essential for egg laying. After overwintering, the hatchlings dig their way out and move to the water. Adults hibernate underwater, buried in mud. The pond turtle’s diet consists mainly of aquatic invertebrates, but it also feeds on frogs, tadpoles, fish, algae, and plants. Appropriate measures to support its conservation include the restoration of wetlands and nesting sites in their surroundings, as well as preventing the release of non-native invasive turtle species into the wild.

Obverse:
The obverse depicts a European pond turtle (Emys orbicularis) in its natural habitat. The bottom of the field features a white water lily rendered in colour. Above the turtle is the Slovak coat of arms, and below it, in the lower right, is the year of issuance ‘2026’. The name of the issuing country ‘SLOVENSKO’ is inscribed along the upper left edge.

Reverse:
The reverse design consists of two European pond turtles swimming in water. To their left are the coin’s denomination ‘5’ and currency ‘EURO’, one above the other. The inscription ‘KORYTNAČKA MOČIARNA’, the Slovak name of the European pond turtle, runs along the edge of the field from the upper left to the lower right, while the scientific name ‘EMYS ORBICULARIS’ is inscribed along the lower left edge. On the right side, among the bubbles between the turtles’ heads, are the stylised initials ‘KL’ of the coin’s designer, Karol Ličko, and the mint mark of the Kremnica Mint (Mincovňa Kremnica), consisting of the letters ‘MK’ between two dies.