2695) The Swell Shark, Republic of Austria (Oesterreich Republik): Second Coin in the "Luminous Marine Life Coin Series": A 3 Euro Copper-Alloy Coin features this Underwater Marine invertebrate: Date/Year of Coin issue: 15.02.2023:
The Swell Shark:
The Swell Shark gets its name from its ability to inflate itself to roughly double its normal size by swallowing water as a form of protection from predators.
But that’s not its only amazing property – the hero of the second coin in the Luminous Marine Life Coin Series can also fluoresce green all over.
To do so, the swell shark converts incoming ultraviolet light, or blue light, into green light.
A special pigment in the sharks’ eyes enables it to see the neon green of its conspecifics.
Human eyes do not have that pigment, which is why we need an ultraviolet torch to see the swell shark’s green glow.
The molecules that make swell sharks fluoresce are unique in the animal world. The light areas of their skin glow more intensely than the dark ones.
Why the shark does that is not yet fully understood, but it is assumed that the process helps swell sharks to recognise each other and to distinguish between the males and females of the species.
It could also be a form of camouflage and because the molecules offer protection against bacteria and algae and just happen to glow.
Although the Swell Shark is not targetted for fishing, humans are its main predator as the sharks still end up as bycatch in lobster and crab traps as well as in bottom trawls.
This is a problem because swell sharks reproduce slowly and have few young.
Global warming and overfishing are further challenges, as the Swell Shark prefers temperate water temperatures and industrial fishing reduces the shark’s feeding opportunities.
The Swell Shark is just one of 12 fascinating examples in the Luminous Marine Life series of why we absolutely have to protect the marine habitat – not least from ourselves.
The Coin:
A wide band, reminiscent of an old-fashioned porthole frames the aquatic scene.
The peripheral inscriptions are - "SCHWELLHAI. 2023" ("Swell Shark").
As on all the coins in the series, to the left and below the Swell Shark to the right, a shell and a starfish can be seen, and there is a notch on the left edge.
On the Obverse of the 3 Euro Base Metal Coin, all 12 of the magical sea creatures in the "Luminous Marine Life Coin Series" are shown in silhouette.
Air bubbles up between them and a tail fin disappears beneath the waves to the right.
The specifications of the Coin are:
Country: Oesterreich Republik ("Republic of Austria"); Date/Year of Coin issue: 15.02.2023; Coin Denomination: 3 Euro; Coin Series Theme: "Luminous Marine Life"; Coin Theme: "The Swell Shark"; Metal Composition: (Copper Alloy) Coloured Metal; Coin Quality: Uncirculated (U); Diameter/Size: 34.00 mm; Total Weight: 16.00 grams; Coin Designer: Kathrin Kuntner; Mintage: 65,000 pieces; Edge: Plain; Accessories: UV Torch for special colour effect; Packaging: Comes without packaging.
Co-developed with marine researchers, this Collector album not only stores all 12 coins in the Luminous Marine Life series but is also crammed with fascinating information about the 12 sea creatures that feature on them.
The album explains in detail how they live in and illuminate their aquatic environment and how vital that environment is for our planet as a whole, the threats it faces from humans and shows what can be done about it. It does so in a style that is understandable for youngsters yet entertaining for adults, making it a source of fun for coin collectors of all ages. You will learn, for example, about the ingenious deep-sea angler fish, which uses its very own illuminated fishing rod to lure its unsuspecting prey when hunting.
The album concludes with a quiz where you can have fun testing your newly acquired knowledge of marine biology.
It is only available in German language.
In addition to a dedicated Collector album, Luminous Marine Life also comes with its own special tool for enhancing the visual experience of the 12 coins in the series:
Through UV light, the torch maximises the experience by making the sea creatures on the coins really shine and glow. By shining the torchlight on the coins, the sea creature can be seen to change colour.
One can also use the torch to discover whether 2 of the 12 marine animals on the coins are nothing but dark or are harbouring a bright secret. And the fun does not stop with the coins themselves – illustrations and information are also hidden here and there throughout the album. By examining the pages with the torch, with a bit of luck one may discover them.
UV light is an abbreviation for ultraviolet light, which is also as known ‘black light (UV-A)’. Important instructions on how to use the lamp safely can be found on the back of the torch packaging.
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Rajan Trikha has commented:
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DeleteSantosh Khanna has commented:
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DeleteRsanker Sharma has commented:
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