Silver coin 20 euro Austria 2023 – Eyes of the world “America – The healing power of the bear”

As part of the Eyes of the World series, five coins have been issued, each of which is dedicated to one of the Earth’s continents and the animal that inhabits and personifies it:
– Australia and the snake
– Europa and the owl
– Africa and the elephant
– Asia and the tiger
– America and the bear

The eyes of the five animals featured in this series shine on the reverse of five different coins, each with a different shade of Swarovski crystal.

 

To the natives of North America, the bear was not just a bear. People and bears were considered one kind of creatures that lived in the environment among other species. The bear also possessed a soul and was considered a supernatural being looked upon with a mixture of awe and fear. The calmness, self-confidence and equanimity of the animal depicted on the coin are an accurate reflection of its character.

In the mythology of the indigenous people of North America, the bear was credited with great strength and healing abilities. In some legends, bears taught people medicine and herbalism, and there are even stories in which bears change their form in order to live unnoticed among people.

Native Americans of the Great Plains performed a bear dance before hunting grizzlies, in which the hunters, led by a shaman in a bearskin coat, asked for supernatural protection. Before, during and after the hunt, many taboos were imposed on the bear in order to reconcile the soul of the bear with death. These rituals express a view of the world that is unwilling to distinguish between humans and nature. Animals, plants, stones and elements also have a soul. The serious and good-natured depiction of the bear reminds of the need to live in harmony with nature.

Reverse: a roaring bear stands upright against the backdrop of a forest, the image is framed by an ornament reminiscent of Native American needlework.
Obverse: Close-up of a bear’s head, looking straight at the viewer with emerald green Swarovski® crystal eyes.

Series: Eyes of the World
Denomination: 20 euro
Metal: 925 silver
Weight: 20.74/22.42g
Diameter: 34mm
Quality: PROOF
Insert: Green Swarovski crystal
Circulation: 30.000
Packing: capsule, box
A certificate of authenticity is included.