April 25, 2013 – The Mongolian wolf is one of the many animals in danger of extinction. There are very few safe refuges for the grey predator, even in the sparsely populated Central Asian country. Now, Mongolia is dedicating a gold plated silver coin to this native subspecies of the wolf, a coin that most certainly has a chance of winning the ‘Innovation’ category at the next Coin of the Year awards.
Mongolia / 500 Togrog / 1/2oz Silver .925 /38.61 mm / Mintage: 2,500.
A special cutting method was used in producing this coin. Rather than being created through traditional stamping, the motif of a wolf howling at the sickle-shaped silhouette of the moon is milled-out of the actual coin. Against a dark background, this coin serves as the perfect numismatic realization of a golden silhouette. On the obverse of the coin, to the left above the wolf silhouette, is stamped the Mongolian coat of arms along with the country name, Mongolia, as well as the face value of 500 togrog.
The reverse of the coin is left completely plain other than the name of the coin – Mongolian Nature 2013 – which appears on the left edge of the inner field.
Howling wolf in Dakota, USA. Photo: Retron / Wikipedia.
Using an artistically innovative approach, the coin depicts a wolf in a pose that most everyone associates with the grey predator: sitting and howling at the moon. The Mongolian wolf is a subspecies of the grey wolf whose average weight of about 45 kilograms is considerably less than that of its relatives, which can weigh up to 80 kilos.
In Mongolia, much as in other countries, it is difficult to bring the wolf and its way of life in harmony with human cultural space. At the beginning of the last century, wolves were still seen as a nuisance and considered dangerous threats to civilization. In order to protect the rural population, the Mongolian People’s Revolutionary Party organized two national hunting weeks for wolves, one in March and one in December. Anyone who could produce a pair of ears as proof that they had killed a wolf would receive a prize of a sheep and some felt. It’s said that in the early 1930s, up to 5,000 wolves were hunted in Mongolia every year, and even in 1976, 4,000 animals were killed. Today, wolves in Mongolia live only in designated protected areas and are considered endangered.
Now, Mongolia is issuing a gold plated silver coin for collectors with a distinct and unique eye-catching design. The designers at Coin Invest Trust have created a small masterpiece, whose minimalist use of forms manages to conjure up an impressive scene. Collectors have obviously felt the same way, since the coin is already sold out and therefore advances straight after its issue to being a collector’s item.
The coin was minted by B.H. Mayer’s Kunstprägeanstalt.
You can listen to a howling wolf here …
More information on this and other coins are available from the website of Coin Invest Trust.