2025 Austria 25 Euro Silver & Niobium BU Coin Digitalization

  

Issue limit: 65,000 pcs. Alloy: Silver ring, Niobium core. Artist: Kathrin Kuntner, Rebecca Wilding.

Since 2003, the Austrian Mint has been issuing coins with niobium cores, dedicated to topics related to science and research. The color of the coin is not applied, it is created by precisely controlled oxidation generating oxide layers a few nanometers thick on the surface. This technique is called "anodic oxidation". From computing machines that filled entire rooms to artificial intelligence that fits in the palm of our hands, the digital revolution has reshaped our world in just a few decades.

This issue celebrates this technological progress while reminding us that change is constant and shapes both our society and our future. Our world is more connected than ever. The Internet, smartphones and social media dominate our lives as technological progress has fundamentally changed how we communicate, both privately and professionally.

A good illustration of this is how in the past a birthday card sent to a loved one abroad had to be posted weeks in advance to guarantee that it arrived on time, whereas today just a few clicks are enough for good wishes to arrive in a fraction of a second. Others are how music can now be streamed directly from the cloud and books are available as e-books and audiobooks. The transformation didn't happen overnight. In 1941, pioneering computer scientist Konrad Zuse built the Z3, the first binary computing machine.

In 1976, the Apple I revolutionised the personal computer market with a vision of the future that is now an integral part of our daily lives. Digitalisation now extends far beyond the computer, of course. Communication, commerce, education and even art have undergone radical changes. Artificial intelligence, blockchain technology and smart devices are increasingly shaping our daily lives.

Machines are learning to handle complex tasks and algorithms influence our digital experiences. As much as these advancements make life easier and more enriching, humanity cannot be reduced to the zeros and ones of the binary numeral system. Relationships and emotions remain far more complex than any machine. The key is to find the right balance between technology and human connection, because whether we like it or not, digitalisation has a massive impact on all our lives.

Their analogue counterparts are depicted in the silver outer rim. In the very centre are the letters'KI' (AI in German) in a microchip that connects everything. Comes in a case complete with a numbered certificate of authenticity and protective slipcase.