Scottsdale Mint’s Congo Silverback returns for an eighth rampage through the bullion and proof coin markets

A perennial fixture in the bullion calendar since 2015, the Congo Silverback is one of Scottsdale Mint’s core series. Like the Perth Mint’s many bullion ranges, the Silverback has a design that changes every year, generating fresh interest with every release. For the first six issues, the coins featured a portrait view of this magnificent animal, but last year, the style changed considerably, with a full body image of a gorilla formed from low-resolution polygons, or facets,

This year, the full-body view remains, but we’ve returned to the naturalistic artwork that was used prior to 2021. The gorilla on this one has a bit more pep than the 2021 beastie, and he’s showing off his muscles for the ladies. Fortunately, there’s some strategically placed foliage covering up his wedding tackle. The pose actually seems to suit a coin, filling the face, and leaving no excessive negative space. The inscribed date and composition are well-placed, and realised in a small and neat font. Others, please take note.

Primarily a one-ounce silver bullion series, last year saw the addition of a limited number, just 100 pieces, of proof one-ounce gold coins, which came fully presented in a box, with a Certificate of Authenticity. This year, that format returns, and brings with it an unboxed, one-tenth ounce gold proof coin with a mintage of 1,000 pieces. A nice addition, and in a format that doesn’t seem as common as it once was. The images suggest that despite the smaller size, it doesn’t give up anything in quality.

All variants should be available to order this week, with shipping in 2-3 weeks time.

SPECIFICATION
DENOMINATION 500 Francs CFA 3,000 Francs CFA 1,000 Francs CFA
COMPOSITION 0.999 silver 0.9999 gold 0.9999 gold
WEIGHT 31.1 grams 31.1 grams 3.1 grams
DIMENSIONS 39.0 mm 32.0 mm 16.5 mm (TBC)
FINISH Bullion Proof Proof
MODIFICATIONS None None None
MINTAGE 75,000 100 1,000
BOX / C.O.A. No / No Yes / Yes No / No