To mark the arrival of the two giant pandas to Singapore – Kai Kai and Jia Jia, a new silver coin has recently been presented by the Monetary Authority of Singapore. The release tends to emphasize the threat of extinction suffered by giant pandas today and the importance of wildlife conservation.

   The obverse of this oval-shaped coin represents the National Coat of Arms of Singapore surrounded by the inscriptions indicating the name of the country in its four official languages (Chinese, Malay, Tamil and English). There is also the legend denoting the year of mintage.

   The reverse of the silver Singapore coin features two giant pandas in their natural habitat. The giant panda is recorded as endangered in the World Conservation Union's Red List of Threatened Species. Unfortunately, there are about 1,600 giant pandas left in the wild. The names of the Singapore pandas are engraved in Chinese characters on the coins. There is also the inscription indicating the face value of the giant panda coin. This lovely Singapore release is an excellent birthday or holiday gift idea as well as a great addition to collections of those interested in wildlife-themed coins.