  Forward single $\pi^0$ production by coherent neutral-current interactions,
$\nu \mathcal{A} \to \nu \mathcal{A} \pi^0$, is investigated using a 2.8$\times
10^{20}$ protons-on-target exposure of the MINOS Near Detector. For
single-shower topologies, the event distribution in production angle exhibits a
clear excess above the estimated background at very forward angles for visible
energy in the range~1-8 GeV. Cross sections are obtained for the detector
medium comprised of 80% iron and 20% carbon nuclei with $\langle \mathcal{A}
\rangle = 48$, the highest-$\langle \mathcal{A} \rangle$ target used to date in
the study of this coherent reaction. The total cross section for coherent
neutral-current single-$\pi^0$ production initiated by the $\nu_\mu$ flux of
the NuMI low-energy beam with mean (mode) $E_{\nu}$ of 4.9 GeV (3.0 GeV), is
$77.6\pm5.0\,(\text{stat})
^{+15.0}_{-16.8}\,(\text{syst})\times10^{-40}\,\text{cm}^2~\text{per nucleus}$.
The results are in good agreement with predictions of the Berger-Sehgal model.
