Jordan's shift to bronze-plated steel for this denomination in the 1990s was a straightforward cost-reduction measure, following a pattern seen across the region as base metal prices made solid bronze coins increasingly uneconomical to strike. The plating on circulated examples tends to wear unevenly at the high points, exposing the steel core — a known characteristic of this type rather than a flaw specific to any individual piece.
Jordan's shift to bronze-plated steel for this denomination in the 1990s was a straightforward cost-reduction measure, following a pattern seen across the region as base metal prices made solid bronze coins increasingly uneconomical to strike. The plating on circulated examples tends to wear unevenly at the high points, exposing the steel core — a known characteristic of this type rather than a flaw specific to any individual piece.