Niger's wildlife coin program, launched in the early 2010s, was produced under contract by the Monnaie de Paris and targeted almost exclusively at the European collector market — virtually none of these pieces entered circulation within Niger itself. The Barbary sheep (Ammotragus lervia) was once widespread across the Saharan massifs of northern Niger, particularly the Aïr Mountains, but hunting pressure and habitat encroachment had already reduced populations significantly by the time this coin was issued.
Niger's wildlife coin program, launched in the early 2010s, was produced under contract by the Monnaie de Paris and targeted almost exclusively at the European collector market — virtually none of these pieces entered circulation within Niger itself. The Barbary sheep (Ammotragus lervia) was once widespread across the Saharan massifs of northern Niger, particularly the Aïr Mountains, but hunting pressure and habitat encroachment had already reduced populations significantly by the time this coin was issued.