Germany. Latest Annual Gold Coins Feature the Majestic European Bison

First launched in 2023, the Return of Wild Animals series is dedicated to various animal species that were nearly extinct in Germany but have successfully returned to their original habitats thanks to intensive conservation efforts. For 2026, it is Europe's largest land mammal, the European Bison who takes centre stage.

The European bison is considered a symbol of European nature conservation. Once widespread across almost all of Europe, it disappeared completely from the wild in the 20th century due to intensive hunting and the destruction of its habitat. Only a few animals survived in zoos and wildlife parks – they were the species' last chance. In one of Europe's most successful re-introduction projects, the European bison was selectively bred and released back into the wild starting in the 1950s. Today, stable herds live again in Poland, Lithuania, Ukraine and, since 2013, also in Germany, particularly in the Rothaar Mountains.

As a large herbivore, the European bison shapes its environment, its way of life creates open woodlands and open areas where many other animal and plant species find new habitats. It thus plays a vital ecological role. Despite its return, the protection of this impressive animal remains a shared European responsibility.

Designed by Jasmin Lewis, the obverse side depicts the European Bison in a calm, forward-striding motion on a portion of grassland. The compositional horizon of the open landscape harmoniously divides the background field. Below the primary design is the incused text WISENT (Bison) positioned centrally. The designer’s initials JL is shown just to the right above the horizon line. The reverse side depicts a stylised eagle which is centred. The coins’ denomination 20 EURO is shown below the eagle with six five-pointed stars placed on either side. The text BUNDESREPUBLIK DEUTSCHLAND isplaced along the upper rim above the primary design and the year 2026 is seen just above the eagle. An F mintmark denoting the Stuttgart Mint is shown to the right of the eagle’s wing.

Innovative and Unique Security Feature. Included for 2026 on each new gold coin is a new security feature first presented by the German Mint at the World Money Fair in January. A new innovative addition from Germany that for the first time, consistently extends the classic medium of the coin into the digital world. The German Federal Ministry of Finance has incorporated AuVerIn technology developed in Germany, the so-called ‘relief signature’. This abbreviation stands for Authentication, Verification, Information and is a process in which a virtually invisible code is integrated directly into the coin's relief. The signature is not an added chip, an NFC element or a visible marking but rather a natural part of the coin. It is a unique security feature that can unequivocally prove the coin's authenticity.

The unique security feature is that the coin remains a purely analogue object, but acquires a digital identity in the form of a relief signature. Using a free app, the encoding can be read with a smartphone camera. This means the coin contains a key to a digital certificate of authenticity or to exclusive digital content – ​​depending on the issuer's design.

The ordering period to reserve any of the gold coins is from the 18^th March to the 8^th April 2026. Each coin will be dispatched at a later date commencing the 5^th October. For additional information, please visit the e-webshop of Munze Deutschland.