The newly minted Big Five African Buffalo coin
The South African (SA) Mint, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the South African Reserve Bank, has released two new coin ranges for this year, including the highly-anticipated Big Five African Buffalo coin.
Introduced in 2019, the Elephant, Lion, Rhinoceros and the Leopard have already been issued as part of the Big Five coin series; however, with the addition of the Buffalo, coin collectors keenly waiting to complete their Big Five range now have the opportunity to do so.
The range, which is issued twice yearly, six months apart, sees each of the Big Five issued in an uncirculated-quality coin struck from 999.9 fine silver and a proof-quality version of the same (only available in a double capsule), as well as a 1 oz gold coin, a 1 oz platinum coin and two combination sets.
SA Mint MD Honey Mamabolo says the Big Five coins embody the SA Mint’s hallmarks of high quality and master craftmanship and serve as a showcase of the country’s “magnificent” natural wildlife.
Of the two combination sets, one houses the 1 oz silver proof-quality Buffalo coin, with a 1 oz fine silver proof Krugerrand which bears a special Buffalo mint mark paying homage to the wildlife series.
The second set features a single 1 oz gold Buffalo coin and a 1 oz gold proof mint marked Krugerrand.
The reverse of the coin features two halves of the face of the Buffalo and when two coins are placed next to each other, a complete close-up image of the face is seen. When multiple coins are placed next to each other, a herd of buffalos is formed.
The obverse features a design of the Buffalo, accompanied by the words “South Africa” and “Big 5 2021” below the image, and the national coat-of-arms signifying its legal tender status.