Natura Series | SA Mint

The Natura Series
NATURE’S FAMILIES - THE MEERKAT

The 2011 Natura coin series features “Nature’s Families” and depicts the popular Meerkat Family. The common obverse of this series shows part of a family in their typical watchful stance, stretched high on their back legs to observe all and sundry on the desert’s horizon.

Meerkats are a type of Mongoose. The name “Meerkat” is the Afrikaans version of the English name, Marsh Cat. However, Meerkats do not live near marshes and they are not cats! They are found in the southern part of Africa which is dominated by the Kalahari Desert. Their scientific name is Suricata suricatta.

The reverse of the 1 oz Natura portrays a family of Meerkats, ever alert and watchful. The families may grow as large as 40 strong and each Meerkat in the gang, has its own important role to perform and skills to teach the pups.

The reverse of the 1/2 oz Natura portrays a Meerkat sentry on duty. In order to survive, Meerkats must live in groups for protection and sentry duty is a main duty to be performed by every meerkat at some stage.

The reverse of the 1/4 oz Natura portrays a watchful alpha male Meerkat on his hind legs and the alpha female grooming a pup. It is the duty of the alpha male and female to breed for the family.

The reverse of the 1/10th oz Natura portrays a Meerkat in an old tree searching for termites and larvae. A typical Meerkat diet consists of worms, crickets, grasshoppers, small rodents, lizards, small snakes, birds, eggs, fruit and ant larvae. Meerkats also love to eat poisonous scorpions and appear to be resistant to many deadly types of venom.

SPECIFICATIONS

	Mass	Diameter	Metal Content	Reverse Die-Sinker	Reverse Artist	Obverse Die-Sinker	Obverse Artist	Limited Edition
1 oz, (R 100), 24ct Gold Coin	31.107 gram	32.69 mm	Au 999.9	MJ Scheepers	N van Niekerk	MJ Scheepers	N van Niekerk	1500
1/2 oz, (R 50), 24ct Gold Coin	15.553 gram	27.00 mm	Au 999.9	C Moses	N van Niekerk	MJ Scheepers	N van Niekerk	1500
1/4 oz (R 20), 24ct Gold Coin	7.777 gram	22.00 mm	Au 999.9	MD Mothobela	N van Niekerk	MJ Scheepers	N van Niekerk	3000
1/10 oz (R 10), 24ct Gold Coin	3.110 gram	16.50 mm	Au 999.9	VL Chipa	N van Niekerk	MJ Scheepers	N van Niekerk	3000
Natura Prestige Set								1000