Hunters by Night – Eagle Owl
Palau. 10 Dollars 2021. Silver .999. 2 oz. 38.61 mm. Obsidian Black. Mintage: 888. Special Technology: smartminting (Ultra High Relief) combined with partial color application. B. H. Mayer’s Kunstprägeanstalt, Munich.
Description of the Coin
One side features the head of an eagle owl (Bubo bubo) from the front; only its eyes gleam from the surface in Obsidian Black; on the rim the year 2021.
The other side features the coat of arms of Palau, above the name of the country, below the denomination; all in a night sky which is framed by a mountain landscape on the bottom; on it the name of the series: HUNTERS BY NIGHT.
Background
January 2020 saw the release of Black Panther, the first issue of the spectacular Hunters by Night series. Its innovative design, which combines new Black Obsidian surface technology with sophisticated partial coloring, attracted attention around the globe. Black Panther’s outstanding technology was honored with the Coin Constellation Award. Now, the second issue of this series will be released. It is dedicated to the eagle owl (Bubo bubo). This animal is also one of the silent hunters of the night that CIT gathers in this series.
As the largest owl species, the eagle owl is considered the “king” of nocturnal birds of prey. Despite its size of more than 60 cm and a wingspan of about 160 cm, the eagle owl is an agile hunter, snatching up tiny mice – as well as young boars and fawns. It can fly faster than ravens and pigeons, which – like many other birds – are among its prey. It even hunts successfully for crabs and fish on the seashore.
With Eagle Owl, CIT created an impressive image of the bird. It is dominated by its hypnotic eyes that, unlike those of most other birds, look both to the front. This enables eagle owls to perceive their surroundings in three dimensions. Its perfect night vision is ensured by a high number of photoreceptors combined with a dense network of so-called rods, enabling it to catch and use even the slightest ray of light.
The other side of Eagle Owl is the same as that of Black Panther. It features a mountain landscape with a starry sky that shines or disappears depending on the angle from which you look at the coin.
The Hunters by Night series combines state-of-the-art technology with an impressive design. This has already resulted in the first release with a mintage of 888 pieces selling out immediately. Something similar is to be expected for the second issue, which will particularly appeal to bird lovers worldwide.
Further Information
www.cit.li/coins/hunters-by-night-eagle-owl
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CoinWeek Podcast #155: Ultra-Modern Coins Take Over
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In this episode of the CoinWeek Podcast, we have a lively, interesting, and provocative conversation with Chang Bullock and Orlando Lorenzana of CIT, where we talk about how ultra-modern coins (or postmodern coins, as we call them) have taken over the contemporary coin market and how CIT’s innovations in color and coin minting technology are changing the game for private and sovereign mints.
You cannot walk away from this podcast without learning something about the way minting has changed–and has always been changing throughout the course of monetary history–and we hope it will give you a clearer picture of where we are heading.
