NIOB | 2009 | Year of Astronomy | Bimetal coin

400th anniversary of the telescope

2009 has been declared the International Year of Astronomy by UNESCO. The bright yellow niobium coin therefore not only pays homage to the 400th anniversary of the telescope, but also to Galileo Galilei.

The value side:
In 1609, the mathematician and astronomer Galileo observed the moon with a telescope for the first time. On the obverse of the coin, the yellow core is identical to the reverse of the moon.

The obverse:
The portrait of Galileo Galilei can be seen on the other side of the coin. The outer silver ring shows the development of the telescope and spans an arc from Galileo's perspective glass to Isaac Newton's telescope and today's radio telescopes.

Read more