Despite all the attention being focused on the art-architectural, ancient gods and domed coins of late, a perennial favourite always kicks up its fair share of impressive numismatics and likely will always continue to do so. That favourite is the wildlife coin. Available in a wide range of formats to suit all pockets, nature coins continue to sit apart from fleeting coin trends, remaining a part of the market unbuffeted by the fickle nature of collectors.

That isn’t to say the genre is short of innovation, and it certainly isn’t short of quality. Case in point is Numiscollects new coin. Elephants on coins are pretty popular creatures. There’s even a couple of bullion coin series featuring them, including the hugely popular Somali Elephant series in production since 2004. There have been some great numismatic designs over the years as well. From the tiny minigold in the African Pride series, through a stylistic set, to the worlds biggest silver coin, there’s a ton of choice, even if prehistoric is your bag.

Numiscollect have eschewed gimmickry and gone with a simply superb looking piece of artwork. Struck in an ounce of fine silver with an antique finish, the Tanzanian-issued coin is an object lesson in great design. With just the bare minimum of inscriptions on the reverse face, the design is given room to shine and does so with ease. The main subject is a full-on bull elephant almost looking like it’s heading out of the coin. Two other smaller elephants sit in the background, along with the characteristic Umbrella Thorn Acacia tree.

There’s an absolute wealth of detail on offer here, the main subject looking immensely powerful. Benefitting from smartminting that Numiscollect have dubbed HiRe, the depth on display is perfectly judged on an animal anatomically bang on. It’s hard to see how this one could be improved in our view. The proof finish tusks are a great touch and follow on from the first coin last year that featured the Narwhal, and had a similarly highlighted tusk.

The obverse depicts the Tanzanian emblem, a pretty cool design and a welcome change from the Queens effigy that sits on the back of Commonwealth coins. The coin comes boxed and in a coloured shipper, with an enclosed Certificate of Authenticity. It ships late October/early November and we’re certainly looking forward to seeing it in hand.

This high relief [HiRe minted] coin with partly proof horn is unique in it’s kind. Issued by Tanzania; where elephants are endangered.

African elephants are listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), while the Asian elephant is classed as endangered. One of the biggest threats to elephant populations is the ivory trade, as the animals are poached for their ivory tusks.

Other threats to wild elephants include habitat destruction and conflicts with local people. Elephants are used as working animals in Asia. In the past they were used in war; today, they are often controversially put on display in zoos, or exploited for entertainment in circuses. Elephants are highly recognisable and have been featured in art, folklore, religion, literature and popular culture.