2022-02-24 Thu

The Mint of Austria has launched a new five-coin collector series in 2021 which brings together extraordinary animals one from each inhabited continent.

The second coin highlights Europe and the Wisdom of the Owl, long believed to be the symbol of knowledge and perception from the time of the Ancient Greeks. In mythology, the ancestral place of the owl is at the side of Pallas Athene, one of the 12 Olympian deities who embody wisdom. Wherever Athena and her Roman counterpart Minerva were, the owl was not far.

The obverse side shows a stylized design of the face of an eagle owl that fills the surface in its entirety and appears as a richly decorated item of jewelry. The eyes are decorated with multi-faceted, golden-yellow crystals from the Austrian company Swarovski.

The reverse side intricately depicts a barn owl sitting on a branch and centered. From this scouting post, she looks down, patiently and persistently in search of prey. The subject is surrounded by decorations that are reminiscent of the familiar and ancient Greek key ornamental border. The text REPUBLIK OSTERREICH is seen above the primary design with each letter placed in a stylized small feather shape. The denomination 20 EURO is placed just to the lower-left and the year of issue 2021 is placed under the design along the edge.

Image Courtesy: coinupdate.com