Catalog
1 Dollar Meerkat
| Issuer | Sierra Leone |
|---|---|
| Year | 2023 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Technique | Milled |
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| Obverse description | The arms of Sierra Leone are depicted centrally, featuring a shield supported by two lions rampant, with two palm trees flanking the shield and a lion passant at the crest. A scroll below the shield bears the national motto in the legend: UNITY FREEDOM JUSTICE. The circular legend REPUBLIC OF SIERRA LEONE arcs across the upper field, while the date 2023 appears in the lower field beneath the arms. A fine beaded border runs around the coin's circumference. The Pobjoy Mint mark appears to the lower left of the arms. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | A frontal portrait of a meerkat rendered in high relief and stylised in the manner of a traditional African ceremonial mask occupies the central field, with boldly carved facial features including wide-set eyes, prominent whiskers, and a flattened muzzle. The design is framed by a decorative border of geometric African motifs incorporating triangular and dotted patterns. The legend MEERKAT arcs across the upper border within a raised banner, while the denomination 1 DOLLAR is inscribed on a raised ribbon-style scroll at the base of the design. |
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| Additional information |
Sierra Leone has issued coins denominated in dollars since 1987, though the leone remains the country's actual circulating currency — these dollar-denominated pieces are struck explicitly for the collector market and see no domestic circulation. Virenium, a copper-zinc-nickel alloy developed by the Pobjoy Mint, was specifically engineered for collector coinage to resist tarnishing better than standard cupro-nickel.