We are back with another in this long running series, Latvia and the first "Coin of Time." From the website of the national bank of Latvia I have copied over their description (saved here in case the webpage linked ever goes down). https://monetas.bank.lv/en/coins/coin-of-time The Bank of Latvia is launching a unique bimetallic Coin of Time whose central part struck in hazy bluish metal niobium is enclosed by an outer silver ring. The images on this coin of remarkable shade and little known material - a heraldic five-petal rose and an astronomical clock - communicate a feeling of romance and mystery. Heinrich Rose (1795-1864) started his carrier as a chemist and carried out his first investigations as an apprentice of a pharmacy in Jelgava at the beginning of the 19th century. Later he moved to Berlin, served as professor at the University of Berlin, and was member of the Prussian Academy of Sciences. In 1844, Heinrich Rose profoundly investigated the minerals columbites and tantalites from a variety of countries and discovered in them a new element with its chemical properties close to those of tantalum. H. Rose called this new element niobium. The names of both chemicals are derived from Greek mythology: Goddess Niobe was the daughter of Tantalus, son of Zeus. Niobium finds use in systems that are to operate in high temperatures and aggressive environments. Though it is a long time since multi-coloured coins, produced by coating the metal with enamel or dye, have been known to the numismatic circles, the use of niobium in coin minting started quite recently when Münze Österreich recognised the ability of the metal to create shades of colours as a result of electrochemical processing. The reverse of the coin features an astronomical clock whose historical prototype can be seen in the luxuriant pediment of the Blackheads House. The clock dial lacks hands, and the central field of the blue niobium disc is empty. It entices and encourages the observance (engraving) of an essential solemn occasion - a child coming into the world, a daring idea flashing up, a significant activity successfully completed, a new family formed, - of anything that is an Event in human life. It is the Coin of Time, meant as a gift to embody personal memories of essential moments of life. The niobium field of the obverse features a heraldic rose, symbol of love and reverence. The tiny, hardly visible letters H and R are a discreet reminder of the scientist who worked and made his discovery in Latvia. Country Latvia Denomination 1 Lats Year 2004 Subject Coin of Time Composition Silver 0.900 & niobium Weight (gr) 17.15 Diameter (mm) 34 Mintage 5,000 Mint Münze Österreich (Austria)
It's a gorgeous coin - the blue niobium really complements the silver outer ring. I have one as well; mine is an NGC MS70: Thank you for sharing yours!
@stldanceartist I agree that the niobium and silver complement each other well! And it's nice to see a fellow forum member with one of these too! Given that I collect the Austrian niobium coins and Kazakhstan tantalum coins, this one was a good fit for two different collections of mine (the ex-Soviet nations sets and the niobium/tantalum set).
I really like those the green and purple ones are just as sweet but a bit high of a price tag for me right now
The 2007 and 2010 are neat too; they make a nice three coin set. The 2004 is the priciest of the bunch but this one was priced right, so I swooped in.
I have a seller offering me the 2010 (green) in mint packageing for 90..... I'm damn damn tempted tonight lol
That's a decent price; it's not super cheap but is less than what they have been offered for in the past.
I think if it had been slabbed I would have grabbed it... still 24hrs left on the offer though lol....
When I started my Austrian set of niobium coins, they were raw in the original packaging (as far as I can tell, this is how most Europeans prefer to collect these). Then I found some slabbed ones at a good price and that set me on the path of collecting all of them slabbed. I think both raw and slabbed are perfectly good ways to collect but raw might be easier as there should be more raw examples in the market.
Are you looking for a Latvian niobium (there are three, 2004, 2007, and 2010)? The 2004 is the key date and the other two are usually less than half (I got this 2004 for a very favorable price; after watching it for months, the seller kept decreasing the price until it was too good to pass up-a 70 under what raw typically brought). Austria also has a great niobium series (started in 2003 and is still going with the latest release in 2022). Some of the more recent dates in that series can be found for under $100 (I've seen some auctions even end in the $40s-to $50s, which is below issue price). Even slabbed, these recent dates can be had for under $100.
It's not a high-priority want. I've looked at some of the Austrian issues. I suppose I'd go for one with a design I liked. The rose on this Latvian one is nice.
Here is a page that shows all the designs so far together https://www.coin-database.com/series/austria-silver-niobium-25-euro-coins-25-euro.html
