The Mint of Finland on Aug. 18 released the third €5 coin in its Provincial Animals series. 

The newest ringed bimetallic coin, showing the white-tailed eagle in its nest, honors Åland. It follows the May 27 release of coins for Karelia and Savonia.

Åland, an archipelago of some 20,000 islands, is an autonomous province of Finland. 

All of the coins in the series show the emblematic animals of Finland’s historical provinces on the obverse, with the respective historic provincial coat of arms on the reverse.

A collector coin marking Finland Proper is slated for release in September, with provincial animal coins for Satakunta, Ostrobothnia, Uusimaa, Lapland, Tavastia and Savonia scheduled for release in 2015.

The Provincial Animals theme is the third to celebrate Finland’s historic provinces, following a Provincial Buildings series issued in 2012 and 2013. Preceding that was the first series, issued in 2010 and 2011, which was simply meant to honor some aspect of provincial culture. 

The newest Provincial Animals coin is the third celebrating Åland, with the first coin, released in 2011, honoring the tradition of fishing, and the second, released in 2013, depicting the province's Sälskär lighthouse.

The ringed bimetallic coins have a copper-aluminum-nickel ring and a copper-nickel core. They weigh 9.8 grams and measure 27.25 millimeters in diameter. 

The obverse of the provincial animal coin is designed by Erkki Vainio, and the reverse is designed by Nora Tapper.

A total of 10,000 Proof and 35,000 Uncirculated coins will be struck with the new Åland design.

The €5 coins are not intended to circulate, but are offered at face value from the Mint of Finland.

There are three options for collectors who want to purchase the coins.

A purse or pouch with 10 Uncirculated examples is being sold for €50, while 500 Uncirculated examples contained in individual numbered cardboard packages that contain certificates of authenticity are available for €10 each.

Proof examples, packaged in a protective transparent casing set in a package that tells the coin’s story, are available for €22 each. 

To order from the Mint of Finland’s online shop, visit the mint’s website. 

At press time, €5 is worth about $6.60 U.S.