1 oz, South Africa, 2020, Silver, Big Five I - Leopard

The Big Five coin series by the South African Mint 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 refers to the five most dangerous animals in Africa: the Elephant, Lion, Leopard, Rhino, and Buffalo.

The South African Mint celebrates Africa’s precious wildlife by embodying the strength and beauty of the Big Five in this series of legal tender coins.

The coins are issued in different metals and qualities every 6 months since their first issue in 2019. The Leopard is the third of the ferocious five to be featured in this series. They are the most mysterious and subtle of all the big cats, and their strength enables them to easily drag the body of a large kill onto a tree to protect the carcass from scavengers like hyenas. Their diet sometimes includes fish as they are good swimmers.

Most leopards are light, golden coloured and covered in dark spots referred to as rosettes because of their shape. They are solitary animals; males and females only spend a brief time together while mating, and thereafter go their separate ways again, leaving the female to raise the cubs on her own.

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