The Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus) was once widespread across the Mediterranean basin; by the time this coin was struck, the global population had collapsed to fewer than 500 individuals, making it one of the most endangered marine mammals on earth. Cyprus sits near the eastern edge of the species' remaining range, with small numbers still recorded along the Karpaz Peninsula coastline.
KM#76a is the silver proof variant of a base-metal circulation issue released the same year, a pairing common to Central Bank of Cyprus collector programs of the mid-2000s.
The Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus) was once widespread across the Mediterranean basin; by the time this coin was struck, the global population had collapsed to fewer than 500 individuals, making it one of the most endangered marine mammals on earth. Cyprus sits near the eastern edge of the species' remaining range, with small numbers still recorded along the Karpaz Peninsula coastline.
KM#76a is the silver proof variant of a base-metal circulation issue released the same year, a pairing common to Central Bank of Cyprus collector programs of the mid-2000s.