5 Euros Swallowtail

Part of Germany's ongoing "Insects" collector series, this issue continues a program launched by the Federal Finance Ministry specifically to highlight endangered native species. The swallowtail butterfly has been under legal protection in Germany since 1980 under the Federal Nature Conservation Act, its populations having collapsed primarily due to wetland drainage and the loss of wild carrot and milk parsley — the only plants on which it will lay eggs.

The CuNi format places it in the base-metal tier of the series, below the bimetallic polymer-ring issues that attract more collector attention. Face value of five euros makes it nominally spendable but effectively a cabinet piece from issue.