The Alpine ibex (Capra ibex) was functionally extinct across most of the Alps by the early 19th century, hunted to near-oblivion partly because its body parts were falsely believed to hold medicinal properties. The entire global population descends from a remnant herd protected in the Gran Paradiso massif by the House of Savoy — effectively a royal hunting reserve that became Italy's first national park in 1922.
The rhodium surface treatment, here branded "Superium," is a proprietary finish from the Mayer Mint in Munich, applied over the gold flan to produce a hardened, tarnish-resistant surface with a distinct grey-white reflectivity.
The Alpine ibex (Capra ibex) was functionally extinct across most of the Alps by the early 19th century, hunted to near-oblivion partly because its body parts were falsely believed to hold medicinal properties. The entire global population descends from a remnant herd protected in the Gran Paradiso massif by the House of Savoy — effectively a royal hunting reserve that became Italy's first national park in 1922.
The rhodium surface treatment, here branded "Superium," is a proprietary finish from the Mayer Mint in Munich, applied over the gold flan to produce a hardened, tarnish-resistant surface with a distinct grey-white reflectivity.