South Africa’s Cape Floral Kingdom, a landscape forged by fire, has been struck in metal by France’s historic mint.

Monnaie de Paris, France’s official mint, selected the site for its 2026 UNESCO World Heritage Series, an annual commemorative coin collection.

The brand-new collectable 10-euro coin features Table Mountain and the Cape Floral Region Protected Areas, highlighting one of the world’s most botanically significant landscapes on a global platform.

Despite being the smallest of the world’s six recognised floral kingdoms, the Cape Floral Region is extraordinarily rich in plant diversity. Covering less than 0,5% of the African continent, it contains nearly 20% of Africa’s flora. Around 9 000 plant species occur within the region, with approximately 69% endemic to the area. The UNESCO World Heritage Site comprises 13 protected-area clusters covering more than one million hectares.

At the heart of this botanical kingdom is fynbos, the distinctive vegetation shaped by nutrient-poor soils, winter rainfall, dry summers and periodic fire. While proteas are the most famous representatives, the region’s diversity extends far beyond them. The landscape includes ericas, restios, buchus, bulbs, pelargoniums, and orchids like the Red Disa. Many species have evolved remarkable adaptations to fire, with some regenerating from underground structures and others relying on fire-related cues for seed release and germination.

Joaquin Jimenez, Chief Engraver and Director of Artistic Creation at Monnaie de Paris, was particularly captivated by the King Protea and its relationship with fire.

“Its bold, crown-like structure translates beautifully into relief on metal,” says Jimenez. “But beyond its physical shape, I was fascinated by its relationship with fire—how it needs the heat of bushfires to release its seeds and regenerate. Capturing that extraordinary resilience in a few millimetres of engraved metal was a wonderful challenge.”

The design places Table Mountain at the centre, surrounded by imagery evoking the region’s rich plant life and protected landscapes.

“I hope this coin tells a story of stewardship and enduring wonder,” says Jimenez. “Decades or even centuries from now, I hope whoever holds this coin remembers that art and nature are deeply intertwined, and that the natural treasures of the Cape Floral Region are worth preserving for generations to come.”

The 2026 UNESCO World Heritage Series: Table Mountain & Cape Floral Region is available in South Africa exclusively through The Scoin Shop: https://scoinshop.com/