Featuring an endangered Armenian butterfly and the summit logo, the 300-piece coin highlights the country’s natural heritage as Yerevan prepares to host global biodiversity talks.
The limited-edition collector coin features an endemic butterfly and the conference logo.
The Central Bank of Armenia will put a silver collector coin dedicated to the upcoming UN biodiversity summit into circulation on October 5.
The coin commemorates the 17th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP17), which will take place from October 19 to 30, 2026, in Yerevan, Armenia. The Central Bank announced the coin’s design and specifications in a press release on Friday.
Its obverse features Armenia’s coat of arms and a stylised tricolour flag. The reverse carries the COP17 logo, depicting a stylised Yerevan blue butterfly, alongside the inscriptions “COP17, YEREVAN, ARMENIA” and “TAKING ACTION FOR NATURE”.
The butterfly, Polyommatus eriwanensis, is endemic to Armenia and listed in the country’s Red Book.
Designed by Anna Kurghinyan, the coin will be minted at the Royal Dutch Mint. It has a face value of 1,000 Armenian drams and is made of 925-fineness silver. The proof-quality coin weighs 33.6 grams, measures 40 millimetres in diameter and has a ribbed edge. The issue is limited to 300 pieces.
The Convention on Biological Diversity is one of three global environmental conventions. Its objectives include conserving biological diversity, promoting the sustainable use of its components and ensuring the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from genetic resources.
Armenia will host COP17 in 2026 and hold the conference presidency until 2028.
