Bionik, the exquisite purple 2012 addition to 25 euro Silver Niobium series, pays fitting tribute to how evolution in the natural world acts as a prototype for technology.
Evolutionary pressure typically forces living organisms to become highly optimised and efficient. A prime example is the water-repellent nature of the lotus flower and of shark skin, a phenomenon fundamental in the development of paint. By the same token, the chambered shell of the nautilus has influenced architectural design and the mechanics of bird flight have clearly inspired aviation. All four of these examples feature on the coin’s obverse, while its reverse focuses on the use of bionics in architecture. A radiolarian, the plankton that inspired Spanish modernist architect Antoni Gaudí, is depicted in the foreground, while the reverse’s background shows an interior view of Munich’s Olympic Stadium, the roof of which was based on findings in bionics.
What makes Silver Niobium coins so special is the fact that their niobium tones arise without the application of colour, purely through light refraction on an extremely thin, transparent oxide layer.
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