5 Euro Tropische Zone

Discussion in 'World Coins' started by Rheingold, Apr 29, 2017.

  1. Rheingold

    Rheingold Well-Known Member

    Issued 04/27
    Have a closer look on the inert red shining polymere ring.
    Beautiful;)
    IMG_20170429_080828.JPG IMG_20170429_080907.JPG IMG_20170429_080804.JPG
     
    sonlarson, mackat, Paddy54 and 4 others like this.
  2. Avatar

    Guest User Guest



    to hide this ad.
  3. longnine009

    longnine009 Darwin has to eat too. Supporter

    Why is it called a tropical zone?
     
  4. chrisild

    chrisild Coin Collector

    That is a series of collector coins featuring the climate zones of the earth. The first piece, issued last year, was an introductory issue so to say: It featured Planet Earth in the center, surrounded by a blue polymer circle and an outer ring with the other planets (see top center and left here).

    This year's coin shows the Tropical Zone, see Rheingold's photos (cool! :) ) above. Next year comes the Subtropical Zone, and so on. The coins can be had at face, from the Bundesbank's branch offices and a few commercial banks. The proof version is surcharged ...

    @Rheingold - How long did you have to wait in line? Ah wait ... I forgot where you work. ;)

    Christian
     
  5. chrisild

    chrisild Coin Collector

    Below is a photo from the Berlin branch office - of patient customers waiting outside in line to get inside and get one (only one per person and day). Here in Düsseldorf it was similar, except that most of the people waited inside, in a zigzag line.

    Christian

    bubabe.jpg
     
    longnine009 and Rheingold like this.
  6. longnine009

    longnine009 Darwin has to eat too. Supporter

  7. lordmarcovan

    lordmarcovan Eclectic & Eccentric Moderator

    Neat!

    Those are people queued up in line to buy a COIN?

    Amazing. I doubt you could find enough Americans interested.
     
  8. chrisild

    chrisild Coin Collector

    Weeelll (tongue in cheek), most American collectors are interested in US coins only, so that lack of interest in the US does not come as a surprise. Also, while our €20 collector coins, also issued at face, are silver (Ag 925), these coins with the polymer ring are basically Cu-Ni. And yet people do not line up for the silver pieces.

    But this translucent polymer ring is still a new thing, and people who have the time to wait in line can get a €5 coin at 5 euro. So I suppose it is a mix of a novelty effect and an idea like "since I got last year's piece, I now want them all". As you will know, the minds of many collectors work that way. ;)

    FWIW, here is a topic about the first coin in that series.

    Christian
     
  9. lordmarcovan

    lordmarcovan Eclectic & Eccentric Moderator

    I can't imagine members of the general public in the US lining up like that even for a US coin, I meant.

    It is refreshing to see people (not just collectors) in Europe show some interest.
     
  10. chrisild

    chrisild Coin Collector

    OIC. :) Well, if you actually get such a piece at €5, you don't "lose" any money at least. Even if after some time you're not interested any more, you can either try spending it (tough, as such collector coins are not made for circulation) or take them back to a Bundesbank branch office and get a "paper" fiver for it. Or try eBay and similar sites - currently people will pay quite a bit for those: 20, 30 euro ...

    I doubt that this hype creates new (long term) collectors. But seeing coins and maybe numismatics in the media a lot, that sure is nice by itself.

    Christian
     
  11. lordmarcovan

    lordmarcovan Eclectic & Eccentric Moderator

    Yes. Our US Statehood quarter series did raise interest quite a bit in the general public. As of the millennium, they were some of the few circulating US commemoratives available at banks for face value (the 1776-1976 Bicentennial issues being the only other post-WW2 circulating commems I can think of).

    We've had alternating commemorative designs on our quarters ever since. At no time can I imagine average Americans lining up to buy them, even at face value.

    Of course, with 25-cent pieces being our largest regularly circulating denomination for 50 years, Americans seldom use coins that much at all. Even vending machines take dollar bills. Cash is used less often, and when it is, it's typically paper currency rather than coins. That might've been different if we had regularly circulating $1 and $2 coins or their equivalent, like the Canadians and you Eurozone folks do.

    I'm a little envious. ;)
     
  12. longnine009

    longnine009 Darwin has to eat too. Supporter

    We don't have any BA looking coins like that one to stand in line for. We have borrrrring. :(
     
    Last edited: Apr 30, 2017
  13. Rheingold

    Rheingold Well-Known Member

    Hey, you US folks can be happy all day long.
    It's still possible for you finding 100 years old coins in circulation, do the coin roll game every time you want to and searching for silver money in your cowboy bag.
    ;)
     
Draft saved Draft deleted

Share This Page