2021 Buffalo (Series I)

The African Cape Buffalo is the last of the animals featured in this popular Big 5 coin series since its debut in 2019. 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.

African Buffalo are sociable animals with herds of up to several hundred individuals, often observed. These herds might splinter into smaller units in times of drought. 

Primarily preyed upon by lions, when a herd member is attacked, other buffalo will rush to its defence. Together, several buffalo are more than capable of warding off an attack by an entire pride of lions. A wounded buffalo bull is regarded as the most dangerous by hunters, which is one of the main reasons why this animal is included in the Big Five. This characteristic is the origin of many hunting adventures, myths and legends.

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 obverse features a breathtaking design of the Cape buffalo, which fills up much of the surface area of the coin. The words ‘South Africa’, and ‘Big 5 2021’ appear below the image, with the national coat-of-arms in the centre signifying its legal tender status.