5 euro polymer ring collector coin 2021 "Polare Zone"

The vast cold deserts of the North and South Poles form the polar zone of our planet. The corresponding coin now completes the first 5 euro polymer ring coin series from the German Mint: the "Climate Zones of the Earth".

15,99 Euro

Prices are specified inclusive of statutory sales tax and, if relevant, plus shipping costs

Overview details

Series: „Klimazonen der Erde“

Artists: Natalie Tekampe, Egenhofen (image side), Stefanie Radtke, Leipzig (value side)

Issue date: September 09, 2021

Mints: Berlin (A), München (D), Stuttgart (F), Karlsruhe (G) und Hamburg (J)

Weight: 9 g

Coin diameter: 27,25 mm

Material: CuNi 25, CuNi 19, polymer

Nominal: 5 Euro

Edge lettering: KLIMAZONEN DER ERDE •

Mint quality: mint gloss

Circulation: 400.000 pieces

When ordering 5 pieces, no guarantee can be given for the delivery of all Mints!

Description Coin

From an unusual perspective - under water - the coin shows the cold and vastness of the polar regions in three different motifs: A leopard seal dives into the stillness of the ocean on the circular stroke of the purple polymer. The iceberg shows only its tip and hides the huge mass beneath the surface. The land mass with the crumbling glacier completes the picture. The winning coin by artist Natalie Tekampe from Egenhofen reminds the viewer of the beauty of this harsh, wild nature, but also of its great danger.

Climate change is having a particularly strong impact in the Arctic and Antarctic: the ice is melting, at the South Pole even six times as fast as in the 1980s. Calving, i.e. the breaking off of large masses of ice from glaciers, explains around half of the current ice loss. The other half of the ice loss is also taking place at the North Pole: the ice on the surface of Greenland is melting and flowing away. This is an important signal for humanity to take action and resolutely counteract the climate crisis.

Backgroundinformation

Mystical region with survival artists

The polar zone is a mystical place for humans. The long winter lasts up to eight months, the summer is short and cool and usually below freezing, which makes the polar zone barely habitable. A special phenomenon is the polar day. During this period, the sun never sets, so it never gets dark. At the poles, the polar day lasts half a year. At the North Pole it lasts through spring and summer, at the South Pole through autumn and winter.

The region consists mainly of icy deserts, with less than ten per cent of the ground covered with vegetation. Only a few plants can survive under the climatic conditions. Compared to other climate zones, there are also not many animal species that can survive in this inhospitable environment. Most are dependent on the sea or live entirely in cold water. These include seals, leopard seals and elephant seals, but (at the North Pole) also the polar bear, which hunts seals. There are also a large number of birds that feed from the sea, such as gulls, cormorants and puffins. The polar waters are home to many species of whales and fish. All these animals are survival artists that have adapted perfectly to the difficult conditions of the polar zones.

The "Polar Zone" coin is therefore also a reminder of the need to protect these creatures - and our entire planet."