World Coins

Germany to honor tropics on ringed polymer €5 coin

Germany has unveiled designs for its second ringed polymer €5 coin. The 2017 issue celebrates the tropics.

Coin images courtesy of the German Ministry of Finance.

The second ringed polymer-metal €5 coin from Germany celebrates the tropics.

The German Ministry of Finance has unveiled designs for the coin, which features a red polymer ring placed between the metallic outer ring and core of the 2017 coin.

Artist Stefanie Radtke from Leipzig designed the reverse of the coin, which shows a parrot’s special bird’s-eye view from above the giant trees of the tropical zone, as noted in a German legend at the rim. The parrot is a symbol of the biodiversity of the tropics.

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The common reverse shows the German eagle, the country name in German, face value, year of issue, the 12 stars of Europe and the Mint mark for one of five German mints striking the coin. Each mint will strike the same numbers of coins in each version.

On the edge, an incuse inscription translates to “Climates of Earth.”

The coin weighs 9 grams and measures 27.25 millimeters in diameter. A Brilliant Uncirculated version will be available at face value in Germany, and Proof versions will be offered at a premium price, to be determined closer to the release date, not yet announced. 

In 2016 the German mints issued the first such coin (which might be called tri-material instead of ringed bimetallic, to distinguish the two types). The 2016 coin features a blue polymer ring and showcases the Earth.


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