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Monday, 16 May 2022

2346) "The Black Hole", Austria: Second Coin in a Silver 20 Euro three-Coin Series titled "The Uncharted Universe," minted by the Austrian Mint, Vienna: Date of Coin issue: 12.05.2021:

2346) "The Black Hole", Austria: Second Coin in a Silver 20 Euro three-Coin Series    titled   "The Uncharted Universe," minted  by  the    Austrian Mint, Vienna: Date of Coin issue: 11.05.2022: 

The "Uncharted Universe Coin Series":

The "Uncharted Universe" Coin Series:




The Header/Banner showing The Milky Way, the Obverse and Reverse of the 20 Euro Silver Coin, and the Austrian Mint Logo ("MUNZE OSTERREICH"). It is titled "DAS UNCHARTED UNIVERSUM ("The Uncharted Universe"). Also seen is the "S" shaped structure of the Coin.

Humans have been fascinated by the vastness of the universe and the more one learns about it the more fascinated one becomes. With the help of these coins and what one learns about the universe along the way, one will reach the final frontier, beyond which lie the unknown and the unexplored.

Consisting of three coins, the Silver 20 Euro "The Uncharted Universe Coin Series" takes us to the deepest depths of the universe and gives the beholder a fascinating glimpse of three physical-astronomical phenomena. 

Together with experts, this Coin Series takes a close look at three physical-astronomical phenomena – "The Milky Way", "Black Holes" and "Neutron Stars". After the Milky Way (First Coin in the Series), the Series focusses on the still-unexplained marvels of Black Holes and even Neutron Stars. 

The "Black Hole" - the Second Coin in the Series - The Dark Side of the Universe:

The S-shaped second coin in the series, The Back Hole", is curved in a similar way to our home galaxy - concave on one side and convex on the other.. 

The Black Hole illustrates the funnel shape of these regions of spacetime where gravity is so strong that nothing can escape from them. One way of envisaging a black hole is as a vortex that draws in everything in its immediate proximity. 

Once beyond the point of no return – known as the ‘event horizon’ – the ‘singularity’ awaits at the centre.

Stephen Hawking and Roger Penrose showed that this is a place where space-time curvature is infinite.

The interpretation of the black hole as a region of space from which nothing can escape was first published by David Finkelstein in 1958

But it was not until 1971 that Cygnus X-1 became the first black hole to be named as such, having been identified by several researchers working independently.

Although storing vast amounts of energy, black holes do not emit light.

 For this reason, the first photograph of a black hole was not published until 2019 and, even then, only as an indirect image of the shadow it casts. 

No wonder that so much remains unclear about black holes. Among the most complex objects possible in our or any other universe, they are not only a challenge experimentally but also raise a multitude of fundamental questions about space and time.

The Coin:

From something very small – a coin – one becomes acquainted with the infinitely large and even reach out to galaxies that no human has ever seen before.

This Coin illustrates the "Black Hole" vortex phenomenon:

On the Obverse of the 20 Euro Silver Coin, the combination of the convex and the concave surfaces  results in an S-shaped Silver surface upon which the "Black Hole" is depicted.

The peripheral inscriptions are - "REPUBLIK OSTERREICH" ("Republic of Austria"), "20 EURO" (on the upperand lower peripheries respectively). The Year of issue is inscribed as "2022".

On this face - a cone rises from the flat silver surface, representing the curvature of space-time. 

‘Cygnus X-1’, the name of the first black hole to be named as such, is written to the right under ‘15 M☉’, the solar mass of this black hole. 

In German, ‘Event Horizon’ ("Ereignishorizont") marks the boundary between the observable and the unobservable in space-time, while ‘Singularity’ ("Singularitat" - in German) points to the location of maximum space-time curvature.

 The Reverse of the 20 Euro Silver Coin features in the shape of a funnel decorated in a spectacular colour-printed spiral. 

The “Uncharted Universe” Collector Case:

 A specially designed Collector Case is available to house and present the three-coin set. The substance of the universe is brought to the point and stored in a stylish cassette. The lid is attached with magnets and can be removed, the insert can be opened, so the coins can be viewed from both sides.

The inlay can be set up in such a way that the case can be easily turned into a mini-exhibit of the universe, in which the phenomena on the coins can be explored from both sides.

The specifications of this Coin are:

Country of issue: Republic of Austria; Coin Series Name: "The Uncharted Universe"; Coin Theme: "The Black Hole"; Date/Year: 11.05.2021; Denomination/Face Value: 20 Euros; Metal Composition: .925 Fineness Silver (Ag); Fine Weight: 20.74 grams or 0.67 Oz; Total Weight: 22.42 grams; Diameter/Size: 34.00 mm; Coin Quality: Proof with Applied Colour; Mintage: 2,500 pieces; Special Technique: S shaped Silver surface; Mint: Mint of Austria, Vienna; Mintage: 30,000 pieces; Presentation Box/Case: Yes; Certificate of Authenticity (COA): Yes; Coin Designer: Mag. Helmut Andexlinger.

- Each coin is specially encapsulated to accommodate its unique shape and surface and is presented in an attractive case with a numbered certificate of authenticity. 

Packaging comes in a Case complete with a numbered Certificate of Authenticity (COA) and protective slipcase.


- Neutron Star will feature on the third and last Coin in this Series.









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8 comments:

  1. Santosh Khanna has commented:
    "Nice informative post. Thanks for sharing."

    ReplyDelete
  2. Rajan Trikha has commented:
    "Interesting information 👍"

    ReplyDelete
  3. Rsanker Sharma has commented:
    "A great post."

    ReplyDelete
  4. Vijaylaxmi Shukla has commented:
    "Great post 🙏"

    ReplyDelete