A New Elephant Every Year
Most sovereign gold coins keep one design for decades. Somalia’s gold elephant does the opposite: the elephant on the reverse is redrawn for every year of issue, and the 2023 coin holds one troy ounce of .9999 fine gold behind that year’s version.
The African Wildlife Series
Somalia’s African Wildlife series has run since the 2000s, each year giving a fresh treatment to the same subject: a single African elephant, head raised, trunk reaching for leaves overhead. The coins are legal tender of the Somali Republic, but they are made in Europe, struck by the Bavarian State Mint in Germany. The 2023 release is the gold one ounce version of that year’s design.
What This Coin Is, and Is Not
This is a bullion coin first. You are buying a full ounce of gold at close to the gold price, and the yearly elephant design is a bonus rather than a reason to expect a collector premium later. Condition is Brilliant Uncirculated, so expect full mint luster along with the light contact marks normal for a coin handled in bulk. The 1000 shilling face value is a legal formality, not a measure of worth.
Why It Works in a Gold Stack
Under the design it is one troy ounce of .9999 fine gold from a recognized annual series, the kind of coin a dealer identifies on sight. The reeded edge and machine-struck consistency make it easy to check and easy to stack next to other one ounce gold coins.
Specifications
Every coin is one troy ounce of .9999 fine gold with a reeded edge, struck Brilliant Uncirculated by the Bavarian State Mint. The reverse carries the elephant with “AFRICAN WILDLIFE” above and the weight and purity marked below. The obverse carries the Somali coat of arms, the year, and the 1000 shilling face value. The full specification list sits on the Specifications tab.
Gold Elephant Coin FAQ
Does the Somalia gold elephant coin have a face value?
Yes. It is legal tender in the Somali Republic with a denomination of 1000 shillings. That figure is nominal. The coin trades on its gold content, not on 1000 shillings.
Who mints the Somalia gold elephant coin?
The Bavarian State Mint in Germany strikes it for the Somali Republic. It is a European-made coin carrying an African country’s legal tender status.
Does the elephant design change every year?
Yes. The African Wildlife series keeps one subject, the African elephant, and gives it a new treatment for each year of issue. The 2023 reverse is specific to that release.
Is this the same coin as the silver elephant?
No. This is one troy ounce of .9999 fine gold. The Somali elephant is also struck in silver, at a different size and a much lower price, and the two are easy to mix up in online listings.
What does Brilliant Uncirculated mean here?
It means the coin left the Bavarian State Mint with full original luster and no wear, struck for buyers rather than for circulation. A few light contact marks from striking and handling are normal at this grade.
Want gold you can buy today? Browse our , where recognized one ounce coins are in stock now.
The 2023 Somalia 1 oz Gold Elephant Coin lands back on this page when stock returns.
Product Reviews
Login to ReviewThere are no reviews yet.