Mongolia – 2014 – 500 Togrog – Manul Gold (PROOF)

Description

Issue date april 2014. Delivery after issue date.

Metal: Gold .9999
Weight: 0.5g
Size: 11 mm
Quality: PROOF
Mintage: 15’000 pcs

The fifth instalment of the award winning Wildlife Protection series issued by Mongolia shows the charming Manul. The silver coin is traditionally minted in antique finish, high relief and features two dark green SWAROVSKI® ELEMENTS representing the cat’s gleaming eyes.

The Manul, also known as Pallas’ cat (Otocolobus manul), is a small, unique, and little-known wild cat inhabiting the Central Asian steppes. Harsh, wind-swept, and often featureless landscapes have resulted in special adaptations that allow the Manul to cope with these circumstances.

The cats are plump and short-legged, albeit no larger than a domestic cat. The ears are short and placed far apart creating a flat-headed appearance. Dense, long fur emphasizes the stout body shape. Even the eyes are unusual among cats, always maintaining a round shape. Manuls therefore, lack the characteristic slotted “cat-eyes”.

Like most small cat species, Manuls live solitary lives. The days are spent in burrows or small caves. Come nightfall however, Pallas’ cats leave their dens and hunt the grassy fields for gerbils, pikas, other rodents and small birds. Natural predators, such as eagles and large carnivorous mammals occasionally prey on Manuls. Unfortunately however hunters and poachers represent the biggest threat to this amiable feline.