Gold Quarter Ounce 2021 Big Five - Elephant, 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 is the first design in the Big Five II series by the South African Mint, which celebrates Africa’s unique natural heritage by embodying the strength and beauty of the Big Five animals on legal tender coins.

The “Big Five” term originated when big game hunters visited the shores of Africa to shoot for trophies, and locals warned them about the five most dangerous animals in Africa: the Elephant, Lion, Leopard, Rhino, and Buffalo. The series started in 2019 with the Elephant, with a new design issued every six months; its second edition started again with the Elephant in 2021. The gold-quarter ounce was introduced in this second iteration of the series (earlier issues only had one-ounce coins in different metals); in other words, this Elephant is the first gold quarter-ounce Big Five coin.

For the creation of this coin, the South African Mint credits: Paul Botes (die-sinker), JA Geldenhuys (artist) and RC Stone (designer).