500 Tögrög Aporia Crataegi

The Black-veined White (Aporia crataegi) has undergone dramatic population collapses across much of Europe and Central Asia since the mid-twentieth century, attributed largely to pesticide use and the decline of traditional orchard farming — the hawthorn and blackthorn hedgerows that host its larvae having been systematically removed. Mongolia issued this coin under its long-running natural history series, which has consistently drawn collector interest for pairing .999 silver with insect and wildlife subjects underrepresented in Western numismatic programs.