The British Pobjoy Mint has released a new a high relief 2 oz silver coin featuring the head of a rhino. The new coin is the third addition to the private mint’s popular “Big Five” series. The term big five refers to the most popular African animals when considering a safari holiday: The elephant, the lion, the Rhino, the leopard, and the Buffalo. The two previous releases in the series featured an elephant, and a lion respectively.

As is the case with previous releases of the series, the new coin is issued on behalf of Sierra Leone and produced in an impressive High Relief, demonstrating the power of these mammals and showing their popularity and appeal among tourists.

The reverse side of the new coin features the head of a rhino designed in a way that resembles an African mask. Like previous releases, it has a special incused rim featuring an African pattern to continue the theme.

The obverse displays the Coat of Arms of Sierra Leone. It shows the nation's motto "UNITY, FREEDOM, JUSTICE." The inscriptions "REPUBLIC OF SIERRA LEONE" and "2019" are surrounding the emblem.

The remaining animals of the big five will feature on the next two releases. These coins are meant to display the power of these strong animals and their appeal among tourists from across the globe. 

The new coin is struck in .999 pure silver. It has a limited mintage of only 500 coins. 

Rhinos have been around for millions of years and do have a prehistoric look about them. They are easily recognizable by the horns on the forehead. The largest land mammals after the elephant, rhinos can be very bold and have been seen grazing right next to lions.

Rhinos are threatened with extinction because of the high value of their horns which makes them a primary target for poachers. Today, rhinos rank among the most endangered species on Earth.

Source: Pobjoy Mint