Mongolia's long-eared hedgehog (Hemiechinus auritus) is native to the country's arid steppe and desert zones, and appears on this iron-core piece as part of a wildlife conservation series the Bank of Mongolia began issuing in the early 2010s. The magnetic silver-plated iron composition — rather than sterling or fine silver — kept production costs low enough to circulate these as nominal legal tender while still attracting collector interest abroad.
Mongolia's long-eared hedgehog (Hemiechinus auritus) is native to the country's arid steppe and desert zones, and appears on this iron-core piece as part of a wildlife conservation series the Bank of Mongolia began issuing in the early 2010s. The magnetic silver-plated iron composition — rather than sterling or fine silver — kept production costs low enough to circulate these as nominal legal tender while still attracting collector interest abroad.