Austria - 25 Euro Silver Niob BU, Fascination Light, 2008

The coin has a silver ring and the colour of the niobium is a luminous green. The motive on this side shows the lighting of a gas lantern as it was common in 19th century Vienna. The background is the Vienna City Hall, one of the buildings in Vienna which still is brilliantly illuminated at night. The inner portion of this side shows a stylised sun symbolising the natural light. The ring of silver shows several historical and modern means of illumination and the portrait of Carl Auer von Welsbach (1858-1929). With his numerous inventions he is regarded as a pioneer also in the area of lighting.