CPI presents new 5 euro collector coin 'Planet Earth'

The collector coin was developed by a German expert group representing the State Mints of Bavaria and Baden Württemberg, the central bank “Deutsche Bundesbank”, the Aachen university, the European Vending Association (EVA) and CPI’s (Crane Payment Innovations) Coin Intelligence Group.

Holding the first German €5 coin up to the light makes the inner polymer ring shine in bright cobalt blue. Between experts, the coin is already hailed as world sensation and the inventors call it an epochal innovation, because it's the first coin with an inner ring made of a plastic material combining the core and the outer ring of a bimetallic coin.

The blue shimmering inner ring consists of a transparent polymer substance that can be coined like metal but actually is a plastic material enabling the integration of not only attractive colored pigments but also security features. However, the coin’s three component technology – core, inner and outer ring – does not impair the stability of the coin.

According to one leader of the coin project by order of the European Commission, Dr. Peter Huber, the adhesion between the polymer and the metals is as strong as between the two metals of common bimetallic coins. Currently, only a few mints in the world are able to master this minting technique making the coin as fraud-resistant as a modern banknote but much more cost-efficient.

The rear side of the coin shows our planet earth encompassed by a blue atmospheric ring. The outer metal ring surrounds the atmosphere around with other planets of our Solar System. Besides the mint mark, issue year, country and denomination the front bears an eagle and the twelve stars of the EU.

It was not easy to find a polymer material that is able to coalesce with a cupro-nickel bimetal. It also had to embrace a myriad of specific characteristics; resistance to heat, cold, water, chemicals and UV radiation. Neither could it be electroconductive nor toxic yet, it had to be resistant to mechanical stress but all the same mintable.

The CPI Coin Intelligence Group coordinated the coin’s construction and security features with the EVA Coin Group representing technology experts from all sectors dealing with coin processing, high speed sorting and vending. Everyone agreed that this coin is a promising approach to improving security for both human and machine verification.

Ten years of research and development went into creating this coin. Now a patent protects its design and the coining tools are being produced for the inaugural coin series. The first prototypes were presented on the World Money Fair earlier this year in February.

Technology to make coins more fraud-resistant is currently being investigated in many parts of the world. Germany however, is leading in terms of coining techniques and will be minting the new €5 when it goes into mass production. Chances are high this coin will be convincing enough that euro circulation coins will be equipped with the same technology. Especially when the decision would be made to replace the €5 banknote with a coin, as integrating security features in banknotes is more expensive.

Several new 'Planet Earth' coins will go to CPI in the foreseeable future for further test purposes ensuring that CPI coin sensor technology is always state of the art, even if coin material changes.

For more information, visit CPI's website.