Silver Crown 2016 CWCBR - Fossils, 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 and metals, such as a silver one-ounce (1 oz) format. These include silver 1 oz Krugerrands, the Protea series, the Natura series, as well as one-year types that do not fall into a particular series. Some are made of Sterling silver (92.5%) alloyed with copper, just like the British pre-decimal Crown coins, and some are 99.9% silver. The Sterling versions are overall heavier though, so they also contain exactly one ounce of pure silver or 1oz Absolute Silver Weight (1.000 oz ASW); they are called "Crowns" in the "Crown and Tickey" coin sets in which some of them are issued, and are officially denominated as two, five or ten Rands.

This coin is part of the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere coin series; in 2016, the South African Mint issued two gold quarter ounces and two silver ounces in it. This coin represents the West Coast Fossil Park.

The South African Mint says about it:
"Greater consciousness of how we interact with nature has developed in the past half-century. UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) 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. Hence UNESCO’s logo is featured as a mint mark on the reverse of each coin

The Biosphere Reserve coin series was launched in 2015 and portrayed the Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve that year. The Cape West Coast Biosphere Reserve (CWCBR), designated in 2000, is featured in 2016. This series consists of two R2 (1/4 oz) gold coins and two R2 (1 oz) sterling-silver crowns."

The reverse of the first R2 (1 oz) sterling-silver crown features the West Coast Fossil Park, an area of historical and cultural value which lies within the buffer area of the biosphere reserve. It contains remarkably well-preserved faunal fossil remains dating from the terminal Miocene to the early Pliocene epochs, about 5,2 million years ago. Featured on the coin are the African bear (Agriotherium africanum) and one of the three African elephant fossils (Anancus capensis). Also represented are the hunting hyenas, the short-necked giraffe and the sand grouse. The palm trees are indicative of the plant life and climate that existed in the Miocene-Pliocene period.

Both sides were designed by L Guerra; the reverse was engraved by MJ Scheepers and the obverse was engraved by MD Mothobela.