The planned silver coin “125 Years of the Wuppertal Cable Car” is still waiting several months before its next anniversary. “Issuing coins is not impossible,” a spokesperson for the Federal Ministry of Finance told dpa. However, he could not provide a new release date for the 20 euro collector coin. The Wuppertal cable car will be 125 years old on March 1 next year.
Material and cost reasons
Initially, January 22, 2026 was announced as the issue date for the suspension train coins. The Federal Ministry of Finance removed this policy in mid-October. “As a result of the sharp rise in silver prices, the material value of the German 20 euro and 25 euro silver coins is now much higher than their respective face values,” he said at the time. New issuance of the corresponding coin is not possible in this situation.
“Three Kings” was also affected
The 25 euro “Three Kings” collector coin, originally scheduled to be issued on November 20, 2025, will also not hit the market on the planned date. “Action options for further coin issuance – if necessary with adjusted parameters – are currently being examined,” the Federal Ministry of Finance said in October. A ministry spokesperson added that the statement still stands.
Don’t let the festive atmosphere turn sour
Wuppertaler Stadtwerke is optimistic that collector coins for the cable car will be available in the future. “We assume the coin will arrive in 2026, although the release date is still uncertain,” a spokesperson said. The company operates the cable car. Next year, after extensive modernization, two cars from the first series of 1900 will again be available for special trips.
An elephant cannot be lost
The collector’s coin design by Berlin artist Heinz Hoyer shows blue articulated train cars from the current series leaving the central railway station, the Federal Ministry of Finance announced. At the bottom of the picture is also seen a small elephant which reminds us of the fall of circus animal Tuffi from the hanging rails into Wupper some 75 years ago. “This coin honors the city’s unique means of transportation and world-famous landmark Wuppertal.»
The cable car is older than the city
Nearly 125 years ago, on March 1, 1901, the cable car line began operating. At that time the city of Wuppertal did not exist. Barmen, Elberfeld, Vohwinkel and other municipalities were united into one city in 1929. The first passengers on the cable car line were Kaiser Wilhelm II and his wife Auguste Viktoria on a special trip on 24 October 1900 on a section of the cable car line, whose length was ultimately 13.3 kilometers.
© dpa-infocom, dpa:251122-930-325256/1
