SILVERBACK GORILLA 1 Kg Kilo Silver Coin 2000 Francs Djibouti 2018

The African Wildlife  

Silverback Gorilla
A silverback gorilla is the mature, experienced male leader of a group of mountain gorillas in the wild. Named for the silver saddles across his back, the silverback is responsible for the safety of his group. A group of gorillas, also called a “troop”, can contain from 5 to 30 gorillas. The silverback decides where the troop travels, where it forages for food, where it will rest and where it will sleep at night. Silverbacks are very large. When they stand upright, they are from 5.5 to 6 feet tall and weigh as much as 350 pounds. Females typically are no taller than 5 feet and weigh as much as 200 pounds. The silverback's ears look small for its head. Males have a large bony crest on the tops of their skulls and back, which helps support their jaw muscles and teeth. The bony crest gives their heads a conical shape. Females have the same crest as well, but it is not as pronounced as it is in males. Silverbacks also are very hairy; they are the hairiest of all gorilla species. Their hair is long and thick, and helps to insulate them at high elevations. Their arms are shorter than the arms of lowland gorillas, and their legs are short in comparison to their arms. Silverbacks get their silver saddle at around 12 years old. Younger males who don't yet have the silver saddle are called “blackbacks"

The reverse of the coin presents a beautiful high relief image of a Gorilla over a proof forest background. All around the reverse, the inscriptions: “THE AFRICAN SILVERBACK” – the name of the coin and “1 KILO PURE SILVER” – the weight of the coin and the fineness of the Silver. The obverse of the coin features the back view of the same scene and depicts the Coat of Arms of Djibouti. All around, the inscriptions: “2000 FRANCS” – the face value, “REPUBLIQUE DE DJIBOUTI” – the issuing country and “2018” – the year of issue.