Catalog
| Issuer | Marshall Islands |
|---|---|
| Year | 1986 |
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| Reference(s) | KM#1 |
| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Reverse description | A large, naturalistically rendered pandanus fruit (Pandanus tectorius) dominates the central field, depicted in high relief with its characteristic segmented, textured surface and radiating leaves curving around the fruit. A branch with elongated leaves extends across the upper portion of the design. The denomination HALF DOLLAR is inscribed along the upper rim, the commemorative legend COMPACT OF FREE ASSOCIATION arcs along the lower rim, and the date 1986 appears at the right, all in raised Latin lettering against a polished field. |
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| Additional information |
The Compact of Free Association, signed by the United States and the Republic of the Marshall Islands in 1982 and ratified by the U.S. Congress in 1985, formally ended the Trust Territory arrangement that had governed the islands since 1947 under UN mandate. This coin marks that transition — the Marshall Islands issuing its own coinage for the first time as a self-governing state. The arrangement preserved American defense responsibilities and financial assistance in exchange for continued U.S. military access, including the strategically critical Kwajalein Atoll.
KM#1 — a country's very first catalog number — struck in .999 silver from the outset.