Colored coin 3 euro Austria 2022 – Luminous Marine Life “Blue-Ringed Octopus”

The blue-ringed octopus is a brilliant example of how fascinating and colorful the underwater world can be. One of the most intelligent invertebrates, this amazing animal is not only smart, but also very poisonous. If he feels threatened, his rings will light up several times per second.

Many octopuses can instantly change their skin color and even body shape. Special skin cells contain pigments with different color properties, some of which only reflect certain colors of light when it hits them. This property is known as “iridescence”, which means that different colors appear on the surface depending on the angle of view. Muscle tension can cause these pigments to contract or expand, which is why the blue-ringed octopus can change its skin color in certain places.

Another amazing feature of the octopus is that it not only has a central brain in its head, but also other brains in its eight tentacles. This allows octopuses to always keep everything under control and very quickly adapt to the environment. This is why octopuses are considered the most intelligent invertebrates. Although the blue-ringed octopus is one of the most venomous marine animals in the world, it can be found on swimming beaches in the Pacific and Indian Oceans and therefore comes into regular contact with humans. The octopus signals its presence by rapidly flashing blue rings and is only dangerous to humans if it bites them, which only happens if it feels more threatened.

The reverse of the coin depicts a colored octopus with blue rings. When an octopus is exposed to ultraviolet light, its blue rings begin to glow and its body color changes from tan to green. A wide band, reminiscent of an antique porthole, frames the water scene. As on all coins of the series, a shell and a starfish are visible to the left and below the octopus to the right. All 12 magical sea creatures from the Luminous Marine Life series are depicted as silhouettes on the obverse of the coin. Air bubbles between them, and the tail fin disappears under the waves to the right.

Series: Bright Sea Life
Denomination: 3 euro
Weight: 16g
Diameter: 34mm
Material: CuNi
Quality: UNC
Circulation: 65,000 pieces

All 3 euro coins in this series are legal tender in Austria.