2014 - Austria 100 € Wild Boar - Proof

Gold coin - The Wild Boar

Not for nothing is the wild boar the world’s most widely extended species of cloven-hoofed animals. A predecessor of the domestic pig, it is a strong, adaptable and highly intelligent omnivore. The second in our handsome Wildlife in our Sights series, this brilliant gold coin may be a real eye catcher, but in real life the wild boar doesn’t like to draw so much attention to itself, sleeping in the day and foraging for food at night.

This is a wise strategy considering that wild boar have been hunted for centuries. When cornered or protecting their young they can be very dangerous adversaries, which is clear from the impressive male shown in profile, tusks clearly visible, on the coin’s obverse. The coin’s reverse shows a female, or sow, watching over her young offspring as they wallow playfully in mud. A badger looks on
in the woodland habitat both animals share, which, as shown on both sides of the coin, preferably contains oak trees since they provide acorns in abundance. The wild boar may be a flexitarian, but even omnivores have a favourite dish.