Silver coin 1 Oz Woodland spirits: Snow leopard

Silver coin featuring the snow leopard is part of the Woodland spirits series from CIT Coin Invest.

Snow leopard, also known as the snow leopard, is a feline that calls some of the world’s harshest mountains home. In the mountain ranges of Central Asia, it moves with ease amongst steep cliffs and snowdrifts. Its thick grey-white coat, with dark rosettes, blends perfectly with this landscape, making it almost invisible. Furthermore, it is solitary and extremely shy, so it is no wonder that it is nicknamed ‘the spirit of the mountains’. Its large, fur-covered paws act as natural snowshoes, and its powerful hind legs enable it to cover enormous distances in a single leap. Its long, bushy tail helps it maintain its balance; it also wraps itself in it whilst sleeping to protect itself from the cold. Although the snow leopard is perfectly adapted to life in the high mountains, its future is threatened by the loss of its natural habitat, a decline in prey numbers and poaching. It is thus a stark reminder that even the most well-adapted creature may not survive in a world scarred by human activity…

The reverse side of the coin features a colourised depiction of an adorable snow leopard cub hidden in the forest undergrowth. The obverse side, which depicts a wild forest, incorporates the attributes of the coin’s issuer, which is the national emblem of Mongolia and the nominal value of 500 TOGROG.

The mintage totals 1,500 pieces.