1500 Francs CFA Ceratotherium Simum

The white rhinoceros depicted on this issue belongs to a species that came within a handful of animals of total extinction in the late 19th century — the southern subspecies was reduced to roughly 50–100 individuals in a single South African reserve by 1900. Recovery efforts since have brought numbers back above 20,000, making it one of conservation's genuine success stories.

Ivory Coast's issuance of wildlife-themed fractional gold has often been handled through external minting arrangements, with these small-format pieces targeting the European collector bullion market rather than any domestic circulation.