2021 Big 5 Elephant

Ready to Tackle the Largest Member of the Big 5 First Release of a New Series Salutes the African Elephant.

Now, in 2021, the Mint is beginning a second Big Five series — starting with the largest of all land mammals, the African Elephant.

African Elephants Have the Biggest Brains in the Animal Kingdom…

…and they have big hearts too. Literally, since an Elephant’s heart can weigh up to 47 pounds. Elephants are considered noble beasts, renowned not only for their dominance, but for their intelligence and problem-solving skills. But make no mistake, they can also be dangerous, especially mother elephants protecting their young, and the older bulls when they are provoked. Unprovoked, elephants often spend 16 hours of every day eating and drinking – up to 500 pounds of food and 43 gallons of water per day. Female elephants don’t reproduce until they reach the age of 16, after which they can bear up to four baby elephants, with 22-month-long pregnancies. Females spend their lives in tight family groups of grandmothers, mothers, aunts, sisters and daughters, with the eldest of the group serving as the leader of the herd. Male elephants, on the other hand, may leave the group between the ages of 12 and 15 years old, in search of their next mate. Elephants can live to be 70 years old.

A Design that Captures the Majesty of the African Elephant

The obverse of these coins depicts the massive head of a big bull elephant as if he’s looking down his long trunk at you, his imposing tusks ready for digging, lifting and gathering food. On the lower half of the coin, the legend SOUTH AFRICA is separated from the inscription BIG FIVE 2021 by a small Coat of Arms of South Africa.

The reverse features an ingenious design that includes the image of two halves of an elephant’s profile, side by side . An ear, tusk, eye, and part of the trunk of each of these halves are prominent in this design, which becomes one complete elephant head when two coins are placed next to each other. Place multiple coins next to each other, and a herd is formed. Finally, if you dare, trace your fingers lightly across the rugged design…it almost feels like you’re caressing the torso of a real elephant!

Struck in Gold, Silver and Platinum

These Big 5 Series II Elephant Coins are struck with a shimmering proof finish in one ounce of high-purity 99.99% pure gold (50 Rand South Africa legal tender), one ounce of 99.95% of fine platinum (20 Rand South Africa legal tender) or one ounce of 99.9% fine silver (5 Rand South Africa legal tender). Each of these coins is also available as part of a 3-Pc. Set.

Certified Flawless Proof-70 with a First Day of Issue Pedigree by NGC

Proofs and coins are graded on a 70-point scale, with a grade of 70 representing absolute perfection, even under magnification. There is no higher grade. These proofs have been certified as perfect Proof-70 (PF70) by Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC), one of the top coin-grading services in the world. Not only that, these Proofs have been certified by NGC as First Day of Issue (FDI), meaning they were struck and received by NGC within 24 hours of the mint’s official official release date. First Day of Issue proofs are sought-after because they are fresh and sharp, and because there are so few of them compared to the overall population.

These are not only the best of the best, they’re also the first of the best.

Exclusive Hand-Signed Signature Labels

Each of these perfect, flawless coins comes sonically sealed with an exclusive label with a hand-signed signature from the Director of the South African Mint, Honey Mamabolo.

Extremely Limited Release

If you haven’t already grabbed the phone to secure your 2021 Gold, Platinum and Silver Big 5 Series II African Elephant coins, now is the time to get after it! Only 3,000 silver proofs, only 500 platinum proofs and only 600 gold proofs were minted. And far fewer of each of those mintages have been certified as flawless PF70 condition, with a First Day of Issue pedigree and hand-signed labels.

2021 One-Ounce Gold, Platinum, Silver Big 5 Series II Elephant 3-Proof Set

• First Release of an All-New Series
• 3-Piece Set
  • One Ounce of 99.99% Pure Gold
  • One Ounce of 99.95% Pure Platinum
  • One Ounce of 99.9% Fine Silver

• Official Legal Tender
• Innovative Design
• Certified by NGC as Proof-70 (PF70)
• Certified by NGC as First Day of Issue (FDI)
• Labels Hand-Signed by Honey Mamabolo
• Deluxe Wooden Presentation Case with Big 5 Logo

2021 One-Ounce Gold Big 5 Series II Elephant Proof

• First Release of an All-New Series
• One Ounce of Pure Gold
• Struck in 99.99% Fineness
• 50 Rand Legal Tender
• Innovative Design
• Certified by NGC as Proof-70 (PF70)
• Certified by NGC as First Day of Issue (FDI)
• Label Hand-Signed by Honey Mamabolo
• Only 600 Struck

2021 One-Ounce Platinum Big 5 Series II Elephant Proof

• First Release of an All-New Series
• One Ounce of Fine Platinum
• Struck in 99.95% Fineness
• 20 Rand Legal Tender
• Innovative Design
• Certified by NGC as Proof-70 (PF70)
• Certified by NGC as First Day of Issue (FDI)
• Label Hand-Signed by Honey Mamabolo
• Only 500 Struck

2021 One-Ounce Silver Big 5 Series II Elephant Proof

• First Release of an All-New Series
• One Ounce of Fine Silver
• Struck in 99.9% Fineness
• 5 Rand Legal Tender
• Innovative Design
• Certified by NGC as Proof-70 (PF70)
• Certified by NGC as First Day of Issue (FDI)
• Only 3,000 Struck