3 EUR The Elf

Get to know the adorable elf on the third coin in the Mythical Creatures series, featuring a colourful elf with butterfly wings who seems to come to life when ultraviolet light is shined upon her.                 

Elf myths - The prevailing image of elves differs depending on the particular era or myth considered and the terms ‘elf’ and ‘fairy’ are often used interchangeably in common parlance today, although they have different mythological origins. Originating in Norse and Celtic mythology, elves played an important role in medieval superstition where they were often equated or confused with dwarves or demons. From the 19th century, children's books spread a more benovelent image of elves and it became common to imagine elves as small, flower-dwelling magical creatures fluttering around in nature.                                          

In Icelandic folklore, elves are invisible, however. An integral part of local legends and fairytales, the huldufólk, or hidden people, populate the country’s wild and untouched natural areas. Today, few people in Iceland believe in elves in the literal sense, but for the vast majority, elves are very much a part of the cultural heritage. A belief in elves primarily expresses an appreciation of an ancient storytelling tradition and a close relationship with nature. Interestingly, in Icelandic building permit procedures, one factor is whether a project would damage cultural property, including topographical features such as large stone or rock formations, which are considered ‘inhabited by elves’ in Icelandic folklore.                         

Coin motif - The coin’s reverse features a colour-printed, winged elf in a greenish dress. To her right, strawberries with flowers and leaves can be seen in the foreground, to her left, a gold star decoration is printed. A band of gold is also printed around the coin’s edge. Both the colours of the Elf and the lettering under her change under the ultraviolet light provided by the UV torch that is available as an accessory to the series, enhancing the coin’s magical effect.

The coin’s obverse features an intricately decorated key with the letter ‘F’ representing the first letter of the German name of the coin series. Behind it a sun is depicted in the style of a silhouette, recessed into a circular, textured relief. The stars sparkling around the edge and the irregularly shaped letters add to the coin’s enchanted feel.

The accompanying book In the Garden of Mythical Creatures, by Thomas Brezina, serves as a collector album for the 12 Mythical Creatures coins.