Description

The 2024 Silver Niobium coin ingeniously brings to light the hidden marvels beneath our feet, showcasing the vibrant world of the Edaphon—a crucial but often overlooked foundation of our existence and the linchpin of our planet's future. This collective term encompasses all living organisms within soil, a bustling ecosystem as diverse as a rainforest, where the chaotic synergy of life fuels growth and births new life. Though the soil may seem populated only by visible creatures like ants, beetles, and earthworms, it hosts an imperceptible army of microorganisms vital for decomposition and humus creation. This intricate collaboration of bacteria, fungi, plants, and animals, however, faces threats from modern practices such as industrialization, pollution, monocultures, and soil compaction, which diminish or halt the edaphon's productivity. Furthermore, climate change exacerbates these issues, with rising temperatures potentially depleting humus content and increasing soil erosion risks. Without intervention, the soil, a precious and irreplaceable resource, faces the looming danger of becoming scarce.

Design: Kathrin Kuntner, Rebecca Wilding, Herbert Wähner
Issue date: 17 April 2024