Gold Quarter Ounce 2015 KBR - Species, Coin from South Africa - detailed information

South Africa pioneered modern bullion coinage when it first issued the Krugerrand on 3 July 1967 to help market South African gold; it is the first modern bullion coin and is still issued today.

Gradually, the South African Mint started diversifying the range, first by issuing fractional Krugerrands, then by introducing different designs to the gold quarter-ounce (1/4 oz) format. These include the Protea series, the Natura series, as well as one-year types that do not fall into a particular series. The quarter-Krugerrands retain their specifications (22-carat gold) while the other coin series issued after 1994 are 99.99% gold; just as the quarter-Krugerrand though, they contain exactly a quarter ounce of pure gold or 1/4 oz Absolute Gold Weight (0.250 oz AGW).

This coin is part of the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere coin series; in 2015, the South African Mint issued two gold quarter ounces and two silver ounces in it. This coin represents the iconic species living on the shoreline of the Kogelberg Marine Park.

The South African Mint says about it:
"Greater consciousness on how we interact with nature has developed in the last half-century. UNESCO launched the Man and the Biosphere Programme in 1971 ‘to promote interdisciplinary approaches to management, research and education in ecosystem conservation and sustainable use of natural resources’. South Africa participates in this international initiative; it has six biosphere reserves.

The Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve (KBR) was registered in 1998. The map on the common obverse of the four coins indicates its location in the Western Cape Province. An enlarged map shows the reserve, which covers land and sea."

The second gold coin focuses on the iconic species living on the shoreline of the Kogelberg Marine Park. The African Black Oystercatcher (Haematopus moquini) forages for mussels in the rocky intertidal zone while the African Penguin (Spheniscus demersus) glides through the Atlantic Ocean before returning to the breeding colony at Stony Point. The Cape Clawless Otter (Aonyx capensis) makes its home in fresh-water rivers, estuaries and lakes.

Both sides were designed by L Guerra.