Murderous Moggies: Treasures of India bullion series kicks off with mighty Royal Bengal Tiger

We were going to put this one out on Sunday as part of our Murderous Moggies Weekend of silver bullion coins, but we got the embargo date wrong, so here we are at last. The first in a new series by the East India Company called Treasures of India, this is a very limited mintage one-ounce silver coin that will take a look at some of the natural highlights of this environmentally diverse nation,

Depicting that most magnificent of predators, the Royal Bengal Tiger, the animal appears framed by a border space carrying the inscribed compositional details. Also placed here, at the 7’o’clock position, is the small privy mark of the East India Company, and the reverse has a mesh-pattern background field behind the tiger. That mesh pattern also appears behind the international version of Jody Clark’s effigy of Queen Elizabeth II on the obverse face. Again, a border detailing the issue information surrounds her.

Now this is a straight up silver bullion coin and the first in a series. It’s from a producer with a fine reputation, and is exclusive to APMEX worldwide. You can purchase them singly, in tubes of 18 coins, or in a monster box of 25 tubes (450 coins). The mintage is the key feature here. At just 3,000 coins, there will only be a little over six monster boxes produced. The premium at APMEX as we write is extremely reasonable in light of this (a touch under $24). Well worth a look for the avid collector. Available to order now, they will ship towards the end of August.

MINTS DESCRIPTION

Beautifully struck in .999 fine Silver, the magnificent Tiger coin celebrates India’s national animal and one of the world’s most endangered species. This Silver coin is the first creation by animal artist Veronica Mackinnon and captures the elegance and strength of this majestic creature. It is the first release in the highly anticipated Treasures of India series.

With a denomination of £1, the obverse bears the effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II created by engraver Jody Clark on a laser-engraved patterned background. The text around the Queen’s portrait is surrounded by her legend “ELIZABETH II DEI GRATIA REGINA F. D. ST HELENA”.

As the national animal of India, the tiger holds important meaning. For centuries, it has been a symbol of power, strength and grace, closely associated with bravery and valour. In Hindu mythology this majestic animal symbolizes the possession of unlimited power. Officially known as Panthera tigris tigris, the Royal Bengal tiger represents strength, elegance and endurance.

Well protected in India, genetic research confirms this species of tiger arrived to the Indian subcontinent more than 12,000 years ago. While all tigers are considered endangered, the Bengal tiger is the most numerous of all subspecies with approximately 2,500 left in the wild. However, it remains under the constant threat of poaching. The creation of India’s tiger reserves in the 1970s helped stabilize its numbers but poaching in recent years has again put the Bengal tiger at risk.

The APMEXclusive® 2019 St. Helena 1 oz Silver Tiger coin is part of a new series of limited-edition coins issued for the Silver coin collector and bullion investor. Limited to just 3,000 coins worldwide, this 1 oz Silver Tiger coin will be followed by future releases of Silver coins celebrating India’s vast animal kingdom.