Rare coins to boost conservation efforts
A beautiful and rare coin set, celebrating the special features of the Waterberg, is on auction to raise funds to support the protection and conservation of this unique area.
The Waterberg Biosphere Reserve coin set has two gold coins each at ¼ oz 24 ct, and two silver coins (33,6 g). The complete coin set has a mintage of only 22. The coins showcase the area with one gold coin depicting the critically endangered black rhino and its connection with the Waterberg, having been reintroduced back to the Waterberg in the 1990s. The Waterberg continues to be crucial to black rhino conservation.
The second coin features San rock art of the hartebeest, an animal that features in many rock art sites in the area. Both the silver coins capture the Seven Sisters mountain range between Alma and Vaalwater. One coin features the vulnerable Cape Vulture, which breeds on the cliffs of Marakele National Park in the largest breeding colony in South Africa. The other silver coin features the iconic greater kudu.
The coin set was initially introduced in 2015, with this set dating in 2018.
The money raised from the auction will benefit the Waterberg Landscape Alliance (previously Save the Waterberg Rhino) to help protect, secure, and conserve the Waterberg and all its biodiversity. To date, they have raised more than R13 million helping to secure the Waterberg as a biodiversity stronghold.
The auction of the coin set is done by the Waterberg Landscape Alliance, in partnership with Everlasting Coins and On My Wall Photography and Art. The online auction ends on Friday, June 30.
Those interested in bidding on the coins can visit https://airauctioneer.com/the-waterberg-biosphere-coin-collection.
According to Kelly Abraham of the Waterberg Landscape Alliance, the area contains three important biodiversity and bird areas as well as Nylsvley, a Ramsar site that is the largest inland floodplain system in South Africa, where up to 80,000 breeding water birds gather in a flood year. About 70% of the district has endemic or near-endemic vegetation types and the plateau constitutes as a critical water catchment area. On the highest areas in the Waterberg, there are ecologically unique grassland biome patches that contain proteas and grassland bird species.
The conservation of this area is of concern as the Waterberg is a critical area for Cape vultures, blue cranes, black and white rhinos, pangolins, African wild dogs, leopards, giraffes, cheetah, brown hyaena, sable, roan, nyala, mountain reedbuck as well as reptiles. The Waterberg is home to 63 animal species that are threatened. While the Waterberg occupies only 3,7% of the country it contains 40% of the total bird and mammal species and 34% of the reptiles of the country.
