Austria 2018 Colorful Creatures: The Parrot 3 Euro Glow-in-the-Dark Coin

Description:

The Austrian Mint launched the Colorful Creatures series of three-euro glow-in-the-dark collector coins in October 2016 and will release a new coin about every three months until July of 2019. Colorful Creatures is the first series of three-euro coins produced by the Austrian Mint; they are legal tender only in Austria but as collector coins they are not intended for general circulation.

Each entry in the 12-coin program showcases a different animal from around the world, engraved and colored to photorealistic effect. All come in the Austrian Mint’s Special Uncirculated finish – essentially a “first strike”-quality coin that is individually handled and inspected.

The sixth issue in the series–2018’s The Parrot, released March 7–is dedicated to a dazzling figure: the parrot. Did you know that almost 50 percent of all parrot species are threatened with extinction? One of the main reasons for this is the persistent habitat destruction. A parrot prefers to live in untouched nature and among its peers; If he lives with people, it may be that he starts to speak.
The Austrian Mint’s “Colorful Creatures” Coin Program: The Bat (2016) | The Tiger – The Crocodile – The Kingfisher – The Wolf (2017) | The Parrot – The Shark – The Owl – The Frog (2018) | The Turtle – The Otter – The Crayfish (2019)

A Wild Bird is Not a Fashion Statement

The parrot expert Nadja Ziegler knows what she’s talking about:

“Since 2005, we have an animal welfare law that prohibits individual housing and caging. This scares off many who still have this classic approach: This should be the Coco or Laura, who sits on his shoulder and talks as much as possible. So you do not see anyone walking with the parrot on the street.

Parrots choose and are very consistent. There must be a sympathy between parrot and human, as well as between parrot and parrot. Often it does not help, if I already have one and think, Well, I’ll buy a second one. The chance that the two become friends or even a couple is relatively small. You need a free mate choice. Otherwise it is a forced marriage. They can turn their backs on each other for 20 years. They do not arrange.

Parrots, like ravens, use their vocal apparatus to imitate words. And because they are very intelligent birds, they can think associatively. It is precisely this speech that has sealed the fate of the parrots, because that was the main reason for the import and breeding of tens of millions of animals.

I often talk to people who say: Our bird is happy, it speaks all day long. But that’s actually a bad sign, because that shows the extent of his loneliness.”

The Coin

A group of animals is at the center of the obverse; naturally enough, these are the animals featured in the “Colorful Creatures” series. Animals that fly are placed at the top, animals that move about on land are in the middle, and creatures of the sea are on the bottom of the grouping. Starting with the bat and moving clockwise, we get an owl, a pine or fir tree, a crescent moon, a howling wolf, an African savannah tree, an otter, a crayfish, a turtle, a shark, a tiger and a parrot. A kingfisher, a frog and a crocodile form an inner ring, and a small patch of wild grass is at the very heart of the design. Flowers and stars are intermingled among the land animals, while dots and circles representing bubbles are dispersed among the sea creatures.

None are rendered in great detail. Instead, a sort of pointillistic effect is used.

The inscription REPUBLIK ÖSTERREICH wraps around the left side of the rim, while a large numeral “3” and the word EURO denote the denomination of the coin along the bottom. The sans serif font appears to be a thicker version of that found on the reverse. Between the two phrases is a paw print.

On the other coin side is a colorful parrot, which luminesces in the dark.

Designer(s):

Engraver Anna Rastl is new to the Mint, working primarily in the medals department.

With the retirement of Thomas Pesendorfer in 2016, Helmut Andexlinger is now the Chief Engraver of the Austrian Mint. His innovative work with computer technology has resulted in many award-winning coins for the Mint and places him at the forefront of a younger generation of coin designers (View Designer’s Profile).

Both artists studied at the Fachschule für Metalldesign in Steyr, Austria.

Coin Specifications:

Watch the video below to see how the Austrian Mint makes the glow-in-the-dark coins of the Colorful Creatures series.

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