There are one million known insect species worldwide, 33,000 species in Germany alone. From 2022, a total of nine coins will be dedicated to the theme of ‘The Wonderful World of Insects’. The ‘Insect Kingdom’ coin marks the start.
Unlike its eight successors, the inaugural coin ‘Insect Kingdom’ provides a general insight into the world of insects. The obverse shows a diverse habitat with water, land and air as well as various insects that animate this space. It is skilfully brought to the fore visually by the delicate colouring and the filigree depiction of the animal and plant world. For the first time, a digital print is used in which the colour is applied to the relief. The coin's title ‘Insect Kingdom’ embedded in the lower edge of the image forms the basis for the harmonious and successful depiction. The design was created by the artist Jordi Truxa from Neuenhagen near Berlin. The value side is used for all coins in the series. The design, created by artist Andre Witting from Berlin, impresses with its dignified yet dynamic depiction of the federal eagle.
80 % of insects belong to the ‘Big 4’: beetles, dipterans (flies and mosquitoes), hymenopterans (bees, wasps, ants) and butterflies. Together with the first dinosaurs, insects were already living on earth around 480 million years ago. They owe their great biodiversity to co-evolution with flowering plants, more than 75 % of which are pollinated by insects. Insects colonise all habitats on land and in fresh water, with the exception of the open oceans, and play an important role in all ecosystems.
As pollinators of flowering plants, insects play a key role in preserving the diversity of wild plants and play a decisive role in securing the world's food supply. They promote the formation of humus and thus maintain the fertility of soils. Insect larvae living in water contribute to the purification of water bodies. Insects also serve as a model for medical and technological innovations and are an essential food source for animal groups such as spiders, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals. In recent decades, the diversity and abundance of insect species has declined dramatically - the keyword here is ‘insect extinction’. This decline has a direct impact on other plant and animal species in various ecosystems. Often reviled as pests and nuisances, it has now been recognised that insects, like the forest and our native birds, are an important part of our natural heritage. This fact is appropriately honoured by the new coin series
