REPUBLIC OF EQUATORIAL GUINEA
DICTATORSHIP OF PRESIDENT TEODORO OBIANG NGUEMA (1979-PRESENT)
WILDLIFE CONSERVATION SERIES- PROTECTION OF THE AFRICAN ELEPHANT
GOLD 30,000 FRANCOS CERTIFIED BY PCGS MINT STATE 66
OBV: NATIONAL ARMS WITH SIX FIVE-POINTED STARS ABOVE; DENOMINATION BENEATH.
REV: HEAD OF AFRICAN ELEPHANT 3/4 FACING WITH BODY BEHIND RIGHT.
THIS COIN'S REVERSE DEPICTS THE AFRICAN ELEPHANT (LOXODONTA AFRICANA), ALSO CALLED THE SAVANNA OR BUSH ELEPHANT. IT IS THE LARGEST LIVING LAND ANIMAL. THE LARGEST RECORDED AFRICAN ELEPHANT WAS MEASURED AT FOUR METERS TO THE SHOULDERS AND WEIGHED TEN METRIC TONS.
ELEPHANTS ARE ALSO ONE OF THE EARTH'S MOST INTELLIGENT ANIMALS, RIVALLING PRIMATES AND CETACEANS, AND EXHIBIT A WIDE RANGE OF EMOTIONS AND TALENTS USUALLY ATTRIBUTED TO HUMANS SUCH AS HUMOR, ART, TOOL USE, COMPASSION, GRIEF AND POSSIBLY LANGUAGE, AMONG MANY OTHERS.
IVORY POACHING IS THE GREATEST SHORT TERM THREAT TO THESE ANIMALS. IN 1990 THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY PLACED A BAN ON IVORY TRADING, BUT THE POACHING CONTINUES TO PLAGUE ELEPHANT POPULATIONS. IN CHAD, A 1970 POPULATION OF 400,000 ELEPHANTS DROPPED TO 10,000 BY 2006 BECAUSE OF POACHING, AND IN KENYA THE POPULATION DROPPED BY 85 PERCENT IN A SIXTEEN YEAR PERIOD. BY 1990, AN ESTIMATED TOTAL POPULATION OF WHAT HAD BEEN 1.3 MILLION DROPPED TO 600,000. THEIR GREATEST LONG TERM DANGER IS LOSS OF HABIT DUE TO HUMAN ENCROACHMENT.
KM #107
CONTAINS 33.93 GRAMS OF .917 FINE GOLD (1.0003 OZ AGW)
32.8 MM IN DIAMETER
700 WERE ORIGINALLY MINTED BUT 400 WERE MELTED, ONLY 300 REMAIN!
