2017-06-27 Tue

Scottsdale Mint produced the 2017 Water Buffalo 100 grams .999 silver 3.21 ounces 50-franc coin for the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is the world’s first silver bullion coin of that size. A water buffalo’s face is shown on the concave obverse with a twisted horn and a torn ear. Another buffalo is shown in the distance behind. A river rock pattern that appears in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s coat of arms is shown on the reverse. Another inscription reads 50 FRANCS CFA. The coin has reeded edges and it has mintage limit of only 30,000 pieces.

Water buffalos live in the tropical and subtropical forests of Asia which is why they are also called Asian buffalos. They spend a lot of time in the water and are the largest member of the Bovini tribe. Human beings have domesticated them for over 5,000 years to obtain their meat, horns, hides, and power. It is generally 5 to 6 feet tall, with long twisted horns and a gray-black coat. They do not sink into the mud at the bottom of ponds, swamps and rivers because of their extra wide hooves. They roam around in grasslands, savannas, swamps, lowland floodplains, mixed forest but do not go far away from water bodies. They are also sometimes known for attacking people. They take care of sick and old herd members by protecting them from predators.