The Austrian Mint issues Quantum Physics, the 24th issue in its award-winning bi-metal niobium and silver series

At one time, the Austrian Mint’s annual niobium coin was one of the most popular and eagerly awaited series in modern numismatics. Despite a mintage of around 65,000 pieces, they regularly sold out in short order. While those days are behind it, as you’d expect of any series that’s reached 24 issues in age, it remains a popular fixture in the release calendar, which brings us to this fine 2026 release, this time featuring Quantum Physics as its subject.

Quantum physics is a theory that digs into the fundamental nature of the universe we inhabit. It’s one that is hard to envisage, often going against what one believes to be logical, with strange particle concepts like superposition (existence in multiple states at the same time), entanglement (connection across huge distances), and the infamous Uncertainty Principle. This isn’t a subject you can encapsulate in a couple of sentences, but definitely one of the most fascinating fields in science today, with many future applications.

The coin follows a well-worn path by now, having a nine-gram silver ring surrounding a niobium core. On the silver of the reverse face, we see a representation of an experiment by Anton Zeilinger, to prove quantum entanglement. Adorning the niobium pill, there is a representation of two entangled particles spinning in opposite directions. On the obverse face, quantum superposition, through the infamous Schrödinger’s cat thought experiment, is the focus. The niobium centre has a cat with eyes representing life and death, and it’s surrounded by an unstable atom, a Geiger counter, Schrödinger’s equation, the universal symbol for radiation, and a human observer.

Since 2014, the Austrian Mint enhanced the niobium oxidation technique to incorporate two colours (this isn’t a colour application like other coins have), and that continues for 2026. I have to admit to a huge soft spot for this series, as it delves into subjects very rarely tackled on coins. This one continues the series admirably, and is sure to keep interest in the series high. Available to order now, it should ship at the ed of this month. Check out our Coin Series Profile of the range.