5 ECU Carl Von Linne

This piece was issued to mark the 1995 anniversary commemorations surrounding Carl von Linné, whose binomial nomenclature system, formalized in the 1753 publication Species Plantarum, remains the foundation of modern biological taxonomy. Sweden had long claimed Linné as a national figure — his face appeared on the 100-kronor banknote for decades. The 5 ECU denomination places this coin within the brief window when Sweden, having joined the EU in January 1995, issued ECU-denominated collector pieces before the euro replaced the unit entirely.

Nordic gold — the copper-aluminum-zinc-tin alloy developed by the Swedish mint — was introduced precisely for collector and circulation coinage of this period.