Congo Silver Coins

Silver Coins from the Republic of Congo

All of the major silver coins for sale from the African continent, with the exception of South African Krugerrands, are struck by mints outside of Africa. Among the newer options out there are silver coins from the Republic of Congo. Currently, the nation has only one annual issue coin in the form of the Silverback Gorilla coin. Additionally, the country was represented in the African Lion Series in 2016. Learn a little more about silver coins from the Republic of Congo now!

Silverback Gorilla Coins

The Congo Silverback Gorilla coin series debuted from the Scottsdale Mint in 2015. The coins are a unique annual release due to their proof-like finish. The coins have a set mintage figure each year of 50,000 coins in total. Important information on the releases in this series include:

• Individual coins arrive inside of protective plastic capsules while multiples of 5 are available in plastic sheets.
• Contains 1 Troy oz of .999 pure silver.
• Bears a face value of 5,000 Francs (CFA) backed by the Republic of Congo.
• Reverse includes the image of the seal of the Republic of Congo.

All Congo Silverback Gorilla coins have a proof-like finish. This means that even though the coins are bullion issues, the surface areas have visual elements similar to that of a proof coin. In this case, you’ll notice a slight frosting to the design elements and some mirrored elements to the background field.

The Congo Silverback Gorilla coins are unique for another reason. Like the Chinese Silver Panda, this collection features a new obverse design element each year focusing on the Silverback Gorilla. Silverback is not a term that refers to the species, but rather to a member of the family troop. The silverback is the eldest male and dominant member responsible for moving the family and fending off other aggressive male gorillas. Available designs in the series include:

• 2015 – The silverback in this design puts his aggression on display with his mouth open wide as he yells to deter any younger males who might invade his territory or threaten the family troop.
• 2016 – This design of the silverback captures the figure in a more timid moment. Though his face has an aggressive look, he is stoic in nature and stares directly at you as you view the coin.
• 2017 – Aggression returns in the 2017 design as the silverback’s broad shoulders and powerful chest are visible in the design as he again yells to make his presence known to any males in the area.
• 2018 – This design captures the silverback in a mood that can be best described as perturbed. He looks at you with an unimpressed look on his face as he might study an intruder in his territory.
• 2019 – In the fifth design of the series, the Scottsdale Mint offers an aggressive image of the male silverback gorilla in the family troop. The gorilla’s upper torso is focused on in the design, with the creature’s mouth open and teeth exposed as it lets out a thundering roar. The 2019 Silverback Gorilla coin returns to an aggressive design in keeping with its alternating images of gorillas, depicting docile creatures in 2016 and 2018, and aggressive images in 2015 and 2017 prior to this release.

At times, the Congo Silverback Gorilla Silver Coin has been issued with unique colorized finishes or in different weights. For example, 2017 saw the introduction of a 1 Kilo version of the coin with no proof-like finish and a Brilliant Uncirculated condition. The 2016 and 2017 coins were also available in colorized versions, with the 2017 coin really capturing the fur color and flesh tones of the gorilla.

Scottsdale Mint and the Republic of Congo

The Scottsdale Mint is a private minting facility located in the Phoenix suburb of Scottsdale in Arizona. The mint prides itself on environmentally friendly refining practices, striving to produce most of its silver products using recycled sources of silver. The mint works with various central banks and governments on the African continent, but the Republic of Congo was among the first it embarked on a major program with.

2016 African Silver Lion

Separate from the work with the Scottsdale Mint, the Republic of Congo is represented on silver coins in the 2016 release of the African Lion 1 oz silver coin series. Introduced in 2015, the African Lion collection changes nation of issue and obverse design in each year of release. Most recently issued for two consecutive years for the Republic of Chad (2017-2018), the second release of the African Lion Silver Coin came in 2016 when it was issued for the Republic of Congo.

The African Lion Silver Coin series uses a new design for the lion each year on the obverse. The 2016 design was unique in featuring a male lion and female lioness from the pride walking the savanna on the hunt for prey. The inaugural release was for the nation of Burundi in 2015. The African Lion Silver Coins have a limited mintage of 50,000 coins and feature 1 Troy oz of .999 pure silver.

Get Your Silver Coins from the Republic of Congo at JM Bullion

Republic of Congo silver coins are available currently from JM Bullion. If you have any questions about buying silver, please feel free to reach out to us. Our customer service team is available to you at 800-276-6508, online using our live chat, and via our email address.