100 Euros Oberes Mittelrheintal

Part of Germany's ongoing gold program commemorating UNESCO World Heritage Sites, this issue marks the Upper Middle Rhine Valley — a stretch of river gorge between Koblenz and Bingen whose romantic associations drove 19th-century tourism and shaped much of what the wider world imagined Germany to be. The valley's inscription on the UNESCO list in 2002 was not without controversy; preservation disputes between development interests and heritage advocates had simmered for years before the designation was secured.

Struck at .999 fineness, this belongs to the same annual series that began in 2003 with the Quedlinburg collegiate church issue.