November 27, 2014 – In 2013, Austrian Mint introduced a new coin series, “Wildlife in Our Sights, issuing a new coin every year until 2018. The second gold coin in the program features the Wild Boar, looking out at you with a knowing grin from its golden background.
Austria/ 100 Euro/ Gold .986/ 30 mm/ Designer: Thomas Pesendorfer (obverse), Helmut Andexlinger (reverse)/ Mintage: 30,000.
The obverse of the coin depicts the boar’s thick neck and shoulders. With its large head it looks out at you grinning, surrounded by variety of grasses and vegetation that it likes to munch on, and is perhaps thinking “I wonder what’s for dinner tonight?” The Wild Boar is particularly fond of acorns that are also carefully detailed on this side. The obverse also bears the country of issue, “Republik Oesterreich”, the 2014 year of issue and the face value 100 euros. The obverse was designed and engraved by the Mint’s chief engraver Thomas Pesendorfer.
The coin’s reverse shows a female, or wild boar sow, watching over her two young offspring as they wallow playfully in the mud. A badger looks on in the woodland habitat that both animals share. The reverse was designed and engraved by mint engraver Helmut Andexlinger.
The pig is the domesticated ancestor of the Wild Boar. The boar comes in a variety of sizes and colors ranging from brown to black and greyish. A variety of sub-species of the boar roam over much of the world. It is the most widespread cloven hoof animal in the world. Classified as omnivores, they are not very picky eaters, consuming almost everything they come across, and at times even baby animals or young birds and reptiles. Both the male and female boar grow tusks that curve upwards, though the male tusks are much larger. The tusks are used to help them scrape up whatever potential meal is around them. Their strong jaws allow them to crack nuts, even walnuts, and thereby enjoy the nutmeat inside.
This six coin series is as follows:
- 2013 The Red Deer
- 2014 The Wild Boar
- 2015 The Wood Grouse
- 2016 The Fox
- 2017 The Alpine Ibex
- 2018 The Mallard
Wooden collector case with minted shield.
A wooden collector case with a rustic elegant design is available for the series. The case is adorned with a gracefully minted shield designed and crafted by the mint’s in-house engravers.
You can see the whole series at Austrian Mint online.