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There’s no shortage of silver bullion options for investors today. The market has expanded significantly in the 2000s, with numerous nations introducing new coin series or expanding upon existing offerings. Among the high-profile programs available now are silver bullion coins from the Republic of Rwanda on the African continent. The top collections from Rwanda include the Rwandan Lunar Ounce, Nautical Ounce, and Wildlife Series. Learn more about each one below.
Introduced in 2017, the Rwandan Lunar Ounce collection is one of the newest lunar-themed collections on the market. The Rwandan Lunar Ounce bullion coins are available in both silver and gold each year. The program is set to run through 2028 when it concludes with the Year of the Monkey release.
Rwandan Lunar Ounces coins feature a face value in Rwandan Francs (FRW). The series includes a 1 Troy oz silver bullion coin and a 1 Troy oz silver proof coin, as well as a 1 Troy oz gold bullion coin. These are the only options available in the collection and you’ll find extremely limited mintage figures. The latest issue included a mintage of just 1,000 proof silver coins and 188 gold bullion coins. The 1 oz silver bullion coin has an unlimited minting figure with a set period of production that runs until the end of the calendar year of issue marked on the coin.
The reverse of the Rwandan Lunar Ounce coins features the official seal of the Republic of Rwanda. Included are several tribal images, such as a small hut in the center of the seal. Engravings on the coin come from the linguistic background of the Banyarwanda, a language known as Kinyarwanda. The inscriptions include “National Bank of Rwanda” and the face value of the coin.
On the obverse design field is a new image each year. The common features of all Rwandan Lunar Ounce obverse designs include “shattered-glass” appearance, a mosaic of small tiles that form the overall design field. Markings include “Lunar Ounce,” year of issue, weight, metal content, and purity, as well as the Chinese symbol for the animal represented in that year. Specific designs for each of the releases in this collection include the following obverse images for individual years:
Packaging for Rwandan Lunar Ounce silver bullion coins includes individual plastic or sheets of 10 coins. The silver proof coin is housed in a plastic capsule and comes with a Certificate of Authenticity. The gold bullion coin is also available in a protective capsule with display box and Certificate of Authenticity.
Introduced in 2017, the Rwandan Nautical Ounce Series commemorates the 525th anniversary of the European discovery of the Americas. Though already occupied by countless indigenous tribes at the time, many there for thousands of years, the date is commemorated as a moment when cultures collided as European colonial powers found a new source of wealth in the North and South American continents.
The obverse side of all Rwandan Nautical Ounce coins share the same design elements. This face of the coin has a traditional Rwandan basket in the center with native plants on either side flanked by the battle shields of native warriors. Above the hut is the sun and above that is a banner that reads “Republika Y’u Rwanda.” Other inscriptions denote the backing of the Central Bank of Rwanda and the face value of the coins in Rwandan Francs (RWF).
Each of the silver coins released in the Rwandan Nautical Ounce Series come with the reverse design of a ship that made a major impact on the course of human history. From altering the course of a continent to opening up new trade routes around the world, these ships played a big part on the evolution of human society to the point it has reached today. Those designs include:
All Rwandan Nautical Ounce coins feature 1 Troy oz of .999 pure silver and have no set mintage figures. However, the coins are struck for only a certain period of time, resulting in low mintage figures overall compared to other silver bullion coins. The Rwandan Nautical Ounce coins are available either in individual plastic wraps or sheets of 10 coins.
In addition to the silver bullion coins, the Rwandan Nautical Ounce coins are available as a proof specimen. The proof coins have limited mintage figures of only 1,000 silver coins and come with a protective capsule. The capsule and packaging include a numbered Certificate of Authenticity as well. In 2020, the Rwandan Nautical Ounce gained a new option for silver buyers. In addition to the BU and Proof versions, buyers can now find an antique silver version of the coin available with an extremely limited mintage of just 1,000 silver coins.
Like other animal-inspired bullion and proof coin programs, the Rwandan Wildlife Series of silver coins celebrate the beauty of the animal kingdom. This particular series focuses on the native species of the African continent. The name of the series is slightly misleading as not all of these animals are native to Rwandan. Instead, each of the creatures featured in the Rwandan Wildlife Series is native to the African continent as a whole, with some of them residing within the borders of Rwandan.
The program was launched in 2008 by BH Mayer at the Kunstprageanstalt GmbH mint in Munich, Germany. The coins have similar features from one year to the next in the release schedule, while the obverse side of the coin design is the same from one year to the next.
In keeping with the ever-changing designs of the Rwandan Wildlife Series coins, a new animal is featured on the reverse each year. The series launched in 2008 with a Rwandan Gorilla Coin. The common image found on the reverse of all Rwandan Wildlife Series coins is the rugged outline of the African continent featured on the reverse, along with the engravings of the year of issue, the weight, metal content, and purity of the product, and the phrase “African Ounce.”
For the 2008 Rwandan Gorilla Coin, a male Silverback gorilla, female, and young gorilla are featured in the lower left sitting amongst the tall grass of a natural setting. All subsequent coins followed this similar design, and included releases such as those listed below:
All Rwandan Wildlife Series Silver Coins feature one ounce of .999 pure silver. The face value of the coins is listed in Rwandan Francs at a set value of 50 RWF. The obverse side of each coin bears the coat of arms for Rwandan, and features inscriptions in the native tongue of a local tribe that has resided in Rwandan for centuries.
Rwandan Wildlife Series coins are available each year in extremely limited mintages. The BH Mayer mint facility kept original mintage low to protect the value of the products. As the popularity of the coin has gone up in recent years, demand has often outpaced the supply of these coins, making them even more valuable to both investors and collectors.
Each year the Rwandan Wildlife Series coins are struck in bullion and proof versions. The bullion coins are often easier to find as the proof coins are typically limited to a total mintage of around 1,000 coins for global distribution. Bullion coins are available in graded conditions from the Numismatic Guaranty Corporation and Professional Coin Grading Service, such as Brilliant Uncirculated and Mint State 70 condition.
BH Mayer Mint, known also as just Mayer Mint GmbH Germany, was founded in 1871, making it one of the younger mints operating in the European powerhouse. Unlike the sovereign mints of Germany, Mayer Mint is a family-owned operation that has been controlled by five generations of the same family since its inception. The mint prides itself on producing coins and other products with the highest quality and finest designs.
We encourage customers with questions about silver coins for sale to contact JM Bullion at 800-276-6508 with questions. You can also connect with us online through our live chat and email address features.
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