Lunar Year of the Rabbit 2023 France 0,25€ Brilliant Uncirculated Coin

Denomination: 0,25 €
Alloy: Cupro-nickel Nordicgold
Weight: 15,8 g
Diameter: 34 mm
Quality Brilliant Uncirculated
Year: 2024

Surrounded by plum blossom, a popular symbol in Chinese history, art, and lanterns, the dragon’s depiction appeals to children. The inscription 'Year of the dragon’ and the yeardate appear at the center of the coin. The ideogram of the dragon appears below. On the reverse side, all the animals of the Chinese zodiac are drawn in a cartoon-like way around the Ying and Yang symbol. A complete cycle of the Chinese zodiac will be composed from 2018 to 2029

Face value: 0.2 $
Issuing country: Samoa
Weight: 25 g
Diameter: 40 mm

Face value: 5 €
Diameter: 34 mm
Weight: 19.1 g
Metal: Brass
Mintage: 45,000

Obverse:
The obverse depicts a male western capercaillie in a heathland environment, together with a female of the species in the lower right of the design. In the background are conifer trees and an upright, splintered tree trunk. The Slovak coat of arms appears on the right side of the design, below the coin’s denomination and currency: ‘5 EURO’. Inscribed along the top edge are the name of the issuing country and the year of issuance: ‘SLOVENSKO 2024’. Next to the right edge is the mint mark of the Kremnica Mint (Mincovňa Kremnica), consisting of the letters ‘MK’ placed between two dies.

Reverse:
The reverse is dominated by an image of a male western capercaillie perched on a branch. The Slovak name of the species, ‘HLUCHÁŇ HÔRNY’, is inscribed along the bottom edge of the design, while the scientific name, ‘TETRAO UROGALLUS’, appears along the upper left edge. To the right of the capercaillie is the tip of a pine branch with a cone, next to which are the stylised letters ‘TL’, referring to the coin’s designer Tomáš Lamač.

The western capercaillie is one of the largest bird species in Slovakia. The cock is black except for a bluish-green metallic sheen on the chest and for chestnut-brown wings with a white spot on the bow. The feathers below the beak are elongated and protruding, and above each eye there is a bright red spot of skin. The relatively long black tail feathers have whitish spots and broaden at the end. The hen is plainer, with a chestnut-brown, mottled plumage and a noticeable rust-coloured breast patch. The young are similar in appearance to the hen, though with somewhat less pronounced mottling. In Slovakia, the western capercaillie is found in coniferous and mixed forests at altitudes from 600 to 1,550 metres above sea level. The species thrives in scattered swathes of old, primeval-like mountain forest. The western capercaillie nests on the ground, in a shallow depression lined with dry leaves, twigs, and grass blades or pine needles. Egg-laying occurs in April-May, with the hen typically laying six to nine yellowish-brown speckled eggs. In winter and early spring, the western capercaillie feeds almost entirely on pine needles, shoots and buds, while in the summer its diet extends to various berries and plant leaves, plus an animal component consisting mainly of insects. The western capercaillie is a solitary creature, except when the two sexes come together in the mating season. During courting, the cock postures himself with raised and fanned tail feathers, erect neck, and beak pointed skywards. The western capercaillie is a protected species in Slovakia.

Quality: Special Uncirculated
Face Value: 5 Euro
Diameter: 28,5 mm
Copper: 99,9%
Total Weight: 8,5 g
Comes without packaging

The New Year Coin 2024 is a special coin for a very special year. With 366 days instead of the usual 365, 2024 is a leap year and this limited-mintage coin is designed to remind you that the extra day should be enjoyed amid the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

The extra day in a leap year keeps the calendar year synchronised with the solar year and thus with the cosmic order. You should accept it as a heavenly gift and treat it as an extra portion of luck. The extra day is a day with great potential on which you can allow yourself a little more ‘me time’, dedicate more time than usual to someone else, or do something you have always wanted to do. Or if you have resolved to tackle something completely new by the end of the year, why not use the extra day for that? Everyday life tends to demand a great deal from us without making any concessions, but that is not the case in 2024 when we are given a whole extra day to enjoy.

The reverse of the nine-sided coin is dedicated to the Gregorian calendar, which was introduced by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582 to bring the calendar back into line with the solar year. Pope Gregory XIII features on the right edge of the coin next to a large, flame-haired human manifestation of the Sun. Below the Sun is the calendar page for the month of February showing the 29th of February – the extra day. At the top is the zodiac sign Pisces, which corresponds to late February. The coin’s obverse shows the coats of arms of the nine provinces of Austria.

Face value: Samoa 0,25$
Weight: 47 gr
Diameter: 40 mm
Mintage: 3 000

The tawny owl (Strix aluco), also called the brown owl, is commonly found in woodlands across Europe to western Siberia, and has seven recognized subspecies. It is a stocky, medium-sized owl, whose underparts are pale with dark streaks, and whose upper body may be either brown or grey. (In several subspecies, individuals may be of either color.) The tawny owl typically makes its nest in a tree hollow where it can protect its eggs and young against potential predators. It is non-migratory and highly territorial: as a result, when young birds grow up and leave the parental nest, if they cannot find a vacant territory to claim as their own, they will often starve

Face valie 0,5 AUD
Metal: copper/nickel
Weight: 15,37 g
Diameter: 31,51 mm
Mintage: unlimited