Tanzanian Rare Wildlife two-ounce silver coin series continues with the Lion in high relief

While the Rare Wildlife series has ostensibly been running for five issues, we think it fair to say that in its current form the series launched in 2016. That would make the coin we’re looking at today the third to be issued, following the excellent Black Panther and Bengal Tiger coins. It was the Black Panther coin that introduced the clever colouring technique which eschews the bottom layer of white so that the vibrancy of the silver can shine through the rest in a subtle way.

The concept remains a simple one and is all the better for it. A portrait of the animal literally fills the reverse face of the coin and this years Lion is the third big cat in succession to be released. It’s a gorgeous piece and a really fine depiction of this incredibly iconic animal. Colouration is rich and vibrant, just as it was on the Bengal Tiger issue last year. Inscriptions and a series logo are struck into the coin, but are integrated into the colouring so as to be almost invisible – a nice touch that works perfectly to keep the design clean and unencumbered.

Issued for the African state of Tanzania, that nations emblem sits on the obverse and is an appropriate choice for the subject matter. Struck in two ounces of fine silver to a high-relief and ably aided by the proprietary smartminting technology, there’s little to find fault with here. The coin is presented in a decent box with a certificate of authenticity. The mintage is set at a maximum of 999 pieces and it should be available later this month or early in June. Prices on the previous issues have been around the $200/$200 mark and this one seems to be following that closely. A few of our sponsors sell these and it’s a coin we’d recommend to the nature coin collector without question.

MINTS DESCRIPTION

A new issue featuring the Lion in this hitselling series now with improved ultra high relief (smartminting). Coloring with shiny silver coming through. The fur shines in the sun! 2 ounces pure silver and a low mintage will make this a sell out.

The lion (Panthera leo) is a species in the family Felidae and a member of the genus Panthera. It has been listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List since 1996, as populations in African range countries declined by about 43% since the early 1990s. Lion populations are untenable outside designated protected areas. Although the cause of the decline is not fully understood, habitat loss and conflicts with humans are the greatest causes of concern. The West African lion population is listed as Critically Endangered since 2016. The only lion population in Asia survives in and around India’s Gir Forest National Park and is listed as Endangered since 1986.