Silver coin Cat Breeds - Bengal cat proof

The sixth silver coin of the Czech Mint from the series Cat Breeds features a Bengal cat.

The young breed, bred in the USA in the second half of the 20th century, was created by crossing domestic cats with Asian leopard cats. The aim of the breeding was to produce an animal that was fierce but mild tempered. The fact that leopard cats are resistant to feline leukaemia also played a role. The Bengal's slender but muscular body has long limbs. The small, wedge-shaped head is adorned with large, high-set ears, a long nose and distinctive lined eyes. The short, dense coat is characterised by a regular spotted pattern. The breed does not deny its first-class wild blood - it is not aggressive, but lively and confident. It loves activity, movement and has retained a strong hunting instinct. Hunting is the best game.

The Bengal appears twice on the reverse side of the coin, which was designed by the medal maker Štěpánka Doležalová. The first depiction is coloured, thus making the colourful fur stand out. The second, which is embossed, presents the cat playing with its claws outstretched. The Czech-English inscription BENGAL CAT completes the composition. On the obverse side, which is common to the whole series, you will find a silhouette of a cat and paw prints. As the coins of the Czech Mint are issued with the foreign licence of the island of Niue, the obverse side bears its national emblem, the  nominal value of 1 DOLLAR (NZD) and the year of issue 2025.

All twelve coins from the Cat Breeds series can be saved in a collector 's book which you can also find in the Czech Mint's offer.

Breeder of the cat depicted on the coin and source of the photo: Michael Šulc, Aryabengals cattery website