Silver Ounce 2015 KBR - Land, 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 2015, the South African Mint issued two gold quarter ounces and two silver ounces in it. This coin depicts the Elgin Valley.

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 first sterling-silver coin depicts the Elgin Valley, once a wildlife haven for large herds of antelope and a home to San hunters and Khoi pastoralists. Early pioneers established farms in this area, from which developed the largest fresh-produce export industry in southern Africa. The valley is best known for its apples and pears, depicted on the coin with an African Honey Bee (Apis mellifera scutellata). Hills covered in orchards appear in the background.

Both sides were designed by L Guerra.