The coin, designed by artist Natalie Tekampe from Egenhofen, is
characterised by the lifelike depiction of Germany's largest rodent.
Sovereign and wild, it looks directly at the observer. The dense fur on the
torso and especially on the head is vividly worked out, the tail - the
so-called trowel - and the front paws are realised in great detail. The
lettering is adapted to the rounded body and contributes to the harmonious
overall impression. The loosely designed value side corresponds successfully
with the image side.
The third motif of the 20 euro gold coin series "Return of the Wild Animals" also draws attention to the successful protection of species in Germany and shows a wild animal that was almost extinct and has now found new habitats again.
Due to human persecution, the Eurasian beaver, originally native to Europe and Asia, was wiped out in large parts of Europe and almost all of Germany in the 19th century. Only a few specimens managed to survive on the Elbe. Thanks to consistent conservation measures and reintroductions, populations have recovered significantly in recent decades.
The habitat of the beaver, which is crepuscular and nocturnal, is slow-flowing and stagnant waters with trees and shrubs close to the banks. It intervenes in its habitat like no other animal and shapes it according to its needs by felling trees, building castles and dams and damming streams. In doing so, it also creates optimal living conditions for other animals and plants and contributes to the dynamics of aquatic landscapes. For example, the entrance to a beaver lodge is always under water to protect it from predators. If the water level is insufficient or fluctuates too much, the beaver raises the water level or keeps it constant by building a dam. This increases the water surface and reduces the flow velocity. With these "beaver ponds", the animal creates an important habitat for many plants, fish, amphibians, insects and birds. They also stabilise the banks, prevent rivers from silting up and mitigate flooding. Rivers shaped by beavers therefore offer the best flood protection.
The beaver has a vegetarian diet and cuts down trees not only to build dams, but also to get food: It eats the tasty young twigs and buds from the treetops and, in winter, the bark. Its family usually consists of the parents and the last two generations of young. They live in various burrows, which can reach a width of over ten metres and have several entrances and hollows, with the so-called living hollow always located in the middle of a burrow. The territory, which is connected by connecting and escape tubes as well as hidden exits, is marked and defended by all family members with castoreum, an oily secretion from glands on the hind body.
