Toad-headed Agama

Obverse

a relief image of the National Coat of Arms of the Russian Federation, above it along the rim the inscription in a semicircle ‘РОССИЙСКАЯ ФЕДЕРАЦИЯ’ (RUSSIAN FEDERATION) framed with paired diamonds on both sides, under the coat of arms on the left the chemical symbol and fineness of the metal and on the right the fine metal content and the mint mark, at the bottom centre in three lines the inscription ‘БАНК РОССИИ’ (BANK OF RUSSIA), the coin denomination ‘2 РУБЛЯ’ (2 RUBLES), and the year of issue ‘2026 г.’ (2026).

Reverse

a relief coloured image of a toad-headed agama against the background of the image of sand, laser treated for matte finishing, and the inscription ‘УШАСТАЯ КРУГЛОГОЛОВКА’ (TOAD-HEADED AGAMA) around the upper circumference on the right.

Authors

Designers: E.V. Kramskaya (obverse), F.S. Andronov (reverse).
Sculptors: A.A. Dolgopolova (obverse), F.S. Andronov (reverse).
Mint: Saint Petersburg Mint (СПМД).
Edge: 195 corrugations.

Discover more

The toad-headed agama (Phrynocephalus mystaceus) is a vulnerable lizard species (family Agamidae) whose numbers are declining. It exists as several isolated populations confined entirely to shifting sand areas within desert and semi-desert zones. In Russia, they can be found in the southern Astrakhan Region, eastern Kalmykia, and Eastern Ciscaucasia. The toad-headed agama lives on barchan sands with sparse shrubs and grasses. As habitats degrade due to sand binding by vegetation, construction quarrying, and, to a certain extent, economic development of the lands, its natural range is becoming increasingly fragmented. With drift sands stabilized, these diverse desert and semi-desert landscapes are turning into a monotonous sandy steppe. Such fragmentation is also exacerbated by increased precipitation. While micropopulations isolated on barchan remnants often reach high densities, they are vulnerable and face extinction.

Source: https://www.mnr.gov.ru.