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Friday 18 March 2022

2272) "Extraterrestrial Life", Austria: 20th Coin in the Series: An innovative Silver-Niobium Coin issued by the Mint of Austria on a subject that intrigues us all: Date of Coin issue: 16.03.2022:

2272) "Extraterrestrial Life", Austria: 20th Coin in the Series: An innovative Silver-Niobium Coin issued by the Mint of Austria on a subject that intrigues us all: Date of Coin issue: 16.03.2022:

Silver Niobium Coin  having as its theme - " EXTRATERRESTRIAL LIFE":

The Austrian Mint’s Silver-Niobium Coin Series has brought out its 20th annual release. Called "Extraterrestrial Life" an intricate design has been presented once again from the Austrian Mint stable.

I am revisiting the Austrian Mint's Silver-Niobium Coin Series after quite some time. I have done posts on 11 of their first releases under this series (Links given below at the end of this post). However, considering that several of the Mint's Silver-Niobium Coins have been nominated and winning Awards in the prestigious Coin Of The Year (COTY) Competitions, I could not help but revisit this innovative Coin Series.

About the Coin:

Is there anybody out there or is all life in the universe limited to our tiny "third rock from the sun"? And if we manage to establish contact with extraterrestrials, will it be love at first sight or a match made in hell? 

These and other eternal questions have been explored on this coin titled "Extraterrestrial Life," which is the 2022 edition of the Austrian Mint's ever-popular Silver Niobium Coin Series.

What if there really is somebody out there? Making contact with aliens would change our whole concept of the universe. Is this really plausible or are such thoughts purely fantasy?

 Given that we only know a tiny part of the universe, which comprises some 100 billion galaxies, each with 100 billion stars, it is hardly surprising that we continue to ask these questions. 

The James Webb Space Telescope, the largest, most powerful and complex space telescope ever built and launched into space, is designed to help us find out the answers

The telescope’s improved wavelength coverage and greater sensitivity compared with those of its predecessor, the Hubble, will enable the Webb to look much closer to the beginning of time, when the first stars and galaxies started to form, and fundamentally alter our understanding of the universe. 

Launched into space on 25.12.2021, since 24.01.2022 the Webb has been unfolded to its operational configuration and has successfully entered orbit at its target destination.

The wait for the Webb to detect signs of extraterrestrial life will no doubt be a long one. But in the meantime, one day visitors from another galaxy may drop in to say hello. If they do, will they look down on us or consider us their equals. 

Whatever the answer, they will have to be from a civilization even more technologically advanced than the James Webb Space Telescope itself.

The Coin:

On the Obverse of the 25 Euro Silver-Niobium Coin titled "Extra-terrestrial Life" The Webb is shown in the silver outer ring alongside the famous Drake equation, which is aimed at calculating the probability of extraterrestrial life. 

The violet Niobium Core is dominated by an alien holding the earth in its hands like a plaything, symbolising that we may well be defenceless against them should they exist.

On the Reverse of the 25 Euro Silver-Niobium Coin, in the niobium core, some of the factors that could favour life on other planets are represented: carbon dioxide, methane, oxygen, vegetation and water. 

In the outer silver ring, the Webb is shown capturing an exoplanet passing in front of a star.

The specifications of this Silver-Niobium Coin are:

Country of issue: Republic of Austria ("Republik Osterreich"); Date/Year of issue: 16.03.2022; Coin Series Theme: "Silver-Niobium Coin Series"; Coin Theme: "Extraterrestrial Life"; Denomination/Face Value: 25 Euro; Metal Composition: .900 Fineness Silver (Ag) + Core is Niobium; Weight: 0.90 grams or 0.29 Oz; Diameter/Size: 34.00 mm; Mint: Mint of Austria; Presentation Box/Case: Yes. The Coin comes in a case complete with a numbered Certificate of Authenticity and protective slipcase; Certificate of Authenticity (COA): Serialised Certificate of Authenticity: Yes;  Designer: Anna Rastl.







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1) 200 Years of the Discovery of Antarctica, Estonia: A 2 Euro Commemorative Coin dedicated the the Bicentenary of the Discovery of Antarcticca by Admiral Fabian Gottlieb Benjamin von Bellingshausen on board the "Vostok": Coin issue date: 01/2020

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