ModernCoinMart (MCM) will be releasing the second coin in their exclusive series, Florida Natives, at the Florida United Numismatists (FUN) Convention on January 8, 2015. The second coin represents the Florida Panther, the official state animal and one of the most endangered mammals on Earth.
The Florida Natives Series began in 2014 when MCM’s own Marketing Director, Chuck Daughtrey, designed the first coin—an American Alligator (Alligator mississipiensis). The series commemorates Florida Native Wildlife and is struck by the Perth Mint on behalf of MCM. The first coin was also released at the 2014 FUN Convention.
“The underlying reason why I wanted to issue this particular series of coins is to outline the fact that Florida’s wildlife is so different from the rest of the country. I’ve lived in many places in this country and Florida is so unique, so diverse and so different from everywhere else,” Daughtrey said.
Florida Panthers (Puma concolor) once prowled and flourished in woodlands and swamps around the Southeast, but when European settlers arrived in the 1600s, the building and other human activities that destroy habitat began. Fear and misconceptions then led to panther persecution.
Panthers historically ranged across the southeastern United States including Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida and parts of Tennessee and South Carolina. Today, the breeding population of Florida panthers (100-180 adults and subadults) is found only in the southern tip of Florida.
MCM will be offering a $10 discount to those who purchase the coin at the FUN Convention. Immediately after the convention concludes, remaining coins will be available online at http://www.moderncoinmart.com.
