2017-02-16 Thu

Germany issued a five-euro Planet Earth collector coin with a blue polymer ring connecting two metallic portions. This innovative and first-of-its-kind 2016 coin was made by a German press manufacturer Schuler AG. A translucent plastic ring was infused between a copper-nickel outer ring and a copper-nickel centre disc which were bonded together with precision.

The coin was a huge hit and a five-year, five-coin series named "Climate Zones of the Earth" using the same technology was introduced. The first one in the series celebrates the tropics and will be released in April 2017.

The inner core features a parrot in mid-flight opening its claws towards the central motif. A POV shot looks through the forest canopy past the tall trunks of the trees. Two smaller birds fly in the background. The obverse of the outer copper-nickel ring features four small silhouettes of birds. Other inscriptions include TROPISCHE ZONE ("Tropical Zone").

The reverse features the heraldic eagle - a national symbol of Germany, the year 2017, mint marks: "A" for the Berlin Mint, "D" for Munich, "F" for Stuttgart, "G" for Karlsruhe and "J" for Hamburg, 5 EURO, 2016 BUNDESREPUBLIK DEUTSCHLAND, and the 12 stars of the European Union. The edge inscription reads KLIMAZONEN DER ERDE ("Climate Zones of the Earth"). A different shade of red is used on the polymer ring for each of the five state mints.