Apex predators are the rare animals at the top of the food chain, those beasts that lack a natural enemy.

A new coin for Niue showcases the Apex Predators of Africa squaring off, the lion versus three hyenas.

The Proof 2022 .999 fine silver $10 coin is selectively gold plated.

The reverse of the coin shows an adult male lion fending off a trio of harassing hyenas, trying to rake them with his sharp claws while they nip at his flanks. The background features the gold plating and the animals are seen in silver.

The lion and the hyena both hunt in groups — lions in prides, hyenas in packs — and there never seems to be enough room for the two of them. The result is an ongoing turf war on the savannahs of East Africa, where coexistence is never an option.

A lone hyena is no match for a lion in a fight, but a whole pack of hyenas rarely misses the opportunity to take on a solo lion, which they are quite capable of killing. Similarly, a single lion will almost always dispatch a hyena caught out on its own.

The obverse of the coin carries the Ian Rank Broadley effigy of Queen Elizabeth II and this side is completely gold plated.

The coin weighs 157.6 grams and measures 65 millimeters in diameter.

It has a mintage limit of 500 pieces and retails for $399.95 each with quantity discounts available.

To order the coin, or for more information about it, visit the distributor’s website,
www.talismancoins.com.

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