The Gambia's wildlife coin program has leaned heavily on exotic species to generate foreign collector revenue — essentially a licensing operation dressed as numismatics. These pieces are struck for the international novelty market, not domestic circulation, and the issuing authority retains little control over distribution or pricing once the wholesale contracts are signed.
Silver-plated steel rather than sterling or fine silver keeps production costs low enough to justify the small per-unit margins on high-volume novelty runs.
The Gambia's wildlife coin program has leaned heavily on exotic species to generate foreign collector revenue — essentially a licensing operation dressed as numismatics. These pieces are struck for the international novelty market, not domestic circulation, and the issuing authority retains little control over distribution or pricing once the wholesale contracts are signed.
Silver-plated steel rather than sterling or fine silver keeps production costs low enough to justify the small per-unit margins on high-volume novelty runs.