Issued as part of the WWF-affiliated conservation series that Indonesia produced through the mid-1970s, this coin was struck at a moment when the Javan tiger's extinction was already a near-certainty. By 1974 the population was estimated at fewer than seven individuals, all confined to the Meru Betiri reserve in East Java. The last confirmed sighting came in 1976.
The .500 fineness reflects a deliberate cost compromise — pure or sterling silver was avoided to keep the series accessible as a collector issue rather than a bullion proposition.
Issued as part of the WWF-affiliated conservation series that Indonesia produced through the mid-1970s, this coin was struck at a moment when the Javan tiger's extinction was already a near-certainty. By 1974 the population was estimated at fewer than seven individuals, all confined to the Meru Betiri reserve in East Java. The last confirmed sighting came in 1976.
The .500 fineness reflects a deliberate cost compromise — pure or sterling silver was avoided to keep the series accessible as a collector issue rather than a bullion proposition.