Silver coin 2 Oz Bionic Bee

This silver coin from Power Coin explores what will happen when pollinators disappear from the world and are replaced by bionic bees.

Albert Einstein once said that once the bees die out, humanity will survive for only four more years—without pollination, there will be no harvest, and we will starve to death. Yet we take bees for granted and fail to realize that they are disappearing from the world forever. Their decline is driven by climate change, intensive farming, the use of chemicals, as well as bacteria, mites, and parasitic beetles. In this context, the question is increasingly being raised as to whether these industrious creatures could be replaced by artificial counterparts—tiny drones controlled by artificial intelligence, which would not be subject to the negative effects of weather, disease, or pesticides. The idea of robotic pollinators sounds fantastic at first glance, but we must not forget that the bee is the result of millions of years of evolution—part of a complex living system, in which it plays a role not only as a pollinator but also as a link in the food chain, an indicator of landscape health, and a contributor to biodiversity. Yes, a non-living alternative may serve as an emergency backup for crisis scenarios, but before we start building mechanical swarms, we should use advanced science and technology to save real bees from extinction…

The reverse side of the coin features a bionic bee in a mechanical hive made of processors and printed circuits. The honeycomb appears to be full of honey, but in reality it is molten metal, which the robots use to expand their swarm. You can also find the hive on the obverse side of the coin - this time from the perspective of a bee, which perceives the world through its compound eyes. Incorporated into the honeycomb are the attributes of the coin’s issuer, the island nation of Niue - the national coat of arms, the nominal value of $2 (NZD), and the year of issue 2026.

The mintage of the coin, which is stored in an elegant frame, is limited to just 499 pieces.