1.5 euro Spain 2022 Endangered Species – Okapi

When the famous British explorer Stanley explored the banks of the Congo River, he was surprised that the local porters were not intimidated by the presence of European horses on the expedition. This was because they knew of a similar but smaller animal, which at the time was described as looking like a horse or donkey but with zebra stripes and a giraffe head. Its range is currently limited to the forests of the northern part of the Republic of the Congo, although in past decades it has also lived in other countries. An extremely elusive and shy animal, it has almost never been seen or studied, and many aspects are still unknown to zoologists. It is preferably a solitary herbivore, although it may live in pairs or with young. Okapi show sexual dimorphism between males and females. Males, like giraffes, have horn-like structures that females don’t. In the past, this characteristic of men has led them to be identified with the mythical unicorn. In addition to humans, only leopards pose a danger to okapi. Human migration, hunting and mining threaten to destroy the habitat of this elusive mammal, the national symbol of the Republic of the Congo.

The coins of Spain were issued in a special design with enameling on the obverse, which ensures greater realism of the image.

The obverse of the Spanish 1.5 euro coin depicts Okapi.

The reverse (common to all coins) depicts a floral ornament and animal tracks, the denomination and the inscription ANIMALES EN PELIGRO DE EXTINCIÓN (Endangered Animals).

Alloy: copper-nickel

Denomination: 1.5 euro

Weight: 15 grams

Diameter: 33mm

Quality: UNC

Circulation: 5000 pcs

The coin was released in Spain’s 2022 collection “Endangered Species”

The collection includes 16 coins:

African elephant

Giant otter

Iberian lynx

Giant lizard of La Gomera

Monk seal

Philippine eagle

Ring-tailed lemur

Bengal tiger

Blue iguana

Cantabrian brown bear

European mink

Gorilla

Irrawaddy Dolphin

Javan rhinoceros

Okapi

Orangutan