Natura - 2010 The Black Rhinoceros, Prestige Set(4 coin set, 24 ct gold)

Safari through South Africa - The Black Rhinoceros

Natura’s "Safari through South Africa" theme commenced in 2009 with the White Rhinoceros. The critically endangered Black Rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis) is featured on the 2010 Natura series and together with the 2009 series, these coins highlight the severe threat these rhinos now face from poachers who use highly sophisticated equipment and poaching methods.

The name Black Rhinoceros was chosen to distinguish it from the White Rhinoceros. Both names are misleading as the two species are not really distinguishable by color. The White Rhino is a mistranslation of the Dutch word wijd for wide, referring to its square upper lip with which to eat grass, as opposed to the pointed or hooked lip of the leaf-eating Black Rhino. They are now often referred to as the Square-lipped (for White) or Hook-lipped (for Black) Rhino. The Black Rhino can be distinguished from the White Rhino by its smaller body, skull and ears and of course, its mouth.

The Black Rhino is a herbivorous browser that eats leafy plants, branches, shoots, thorny wood bushes, and fruit. Their diet helps to reduce the amount of woody plants which results in more grasses growing for the benefit of other animals and they can live for up to 5 days without water during a drought.

Black Rhinos are solitary animals except when they come together to mate. Mothers and calves will sometimes congregate in small groups for short periods of time and the calf will stay with the mother for 2–3 years until the next calf is born. In natural conditions, the life expectancy of the Black Rhino is from 35-50 years. However, with the current renewed interest in the mythical powers of rhino horns, this species faces extinction instead of a long life. Depicted on each coin is the IUCN Red List "1970 – 70,000; 2010 – 4,240". These statistics embedded in gold, affirm that the Black Rhino is now in critical danger of extinction!

Natura Coin Specifications

Certificate of Authenticity

Each coin and coin set issued has a Certificate of Authenticity. The certificate describes the coin’s specifications, the year, the limited edition as well as a short description of the product. It also depicts the signature of the South African Mint’s Managing Director, Mr Andile Mvinjelwa. To prevent the duplication of a South African Mint product, the certificates are re-designed each year to include the coin design and each certificate is individually numbered according to the limited edition of the coin or set. As another security measure, the South African Mint’s logo, which is printed in transparent ink and only visible under ultra-violet light, features as part of the layout.