The South African Mint, a subsidiary of the South African Reserve Bank, has released the Big Five Series II collectible coin collection. The series is a sequel to the award-winning 2019 collection.
According to South African Mint, the Big Five Series II coins will be available in three metals: silver, gold and platinum.
“They will be steadily released every six months,” it said.
The mint said the elephant coin would lead the launch and be followed by the lion, rhino, leopard and buffalo.
“This edition of the Big Five Series II has a slight change to the obverse (the side of the coin with the principal design) design. The reverse designs remain unchanged with two halves of the creature’s face,” it said.
The mint manufacturers said the obverse of the previous elephant coins had both the face and the rest of the animal’s body depicted and was facing to the left. In the new series, the obverse of the coins is dominated by the faces of the animals without their bodies shown.
“In the previous series on the obverse side, the elephant’s tusks were long and pointed downward, now, in the new series, they point upward and face the right,” the company said.
The platinum offering Brilliant Uncirculated is packaged in a blister folder, unlike the traditional coin box, a Big 5/Krugerrand combination set and the two-coin set. According to the South African Mint, additional silver sizes are being explored for a later release date.
“In the gold range, the coins are proof grade and the standard 1oz coin and Big 5 Krugerrand combination set are joined by a new single 1/4oz coin and a new two-coin double capsule 1/4oz set,” it said.
South African Mint managing director Honey Mamabolo said they were extremely proud of their latest offering. “The big five coins have truly entrenched themselves as a popular choice among collectors around the world, in a remarkably short two-and-a-half-year period since the first coin was introduced.
“We are particularly proud to introduce this latest range and emerge with this success story following a tough economic period for the country, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Big 5 coins have changed the game for us and shifted our product portfolio to become the best-selling range, superseded only by the legendary Krugerrand,” said Mamabolo.
BUSINESS REPORT ONLINE