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10 000 New Zaïres Gorilla
| Issuer | Zaire (1971-1997) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1996 |
| Type | Non-circulating coin |
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| Obverse description | At center, a high-relief map of the African continent occupies the field, with incised lines suggesting river courses and borders. The national arms of Zaire — featuring a leopard's head facing, crossed torches, and an olive branch, with the motto scroll below — appear to the lower left of the map. The date 1996 is inscribed in the lower field. The legend REPUBLIQUE DU ZAIRE curves along the upper periphery in raised Latin lettering against a deeply mirrored proof field. |
|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | REPUBLIQUE DU ZAIRE 1996 |
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| Additional information |
By 1996, Mobutu Sese Seko's government was in terminal collapse — the country's currency had been redenominated twice in the previous four years precisely because inflation had rendered earlier issues functionally worthless. The New Zaïre itself, introduced in 1993 at a rate of 3,000,000 old Zaïres to one, was already depreciating faster than it could be printed. A kilogram silver piece denominated in that currency was never a monetary instrument in any practical sense.
Zaire's wildlife bullion and collector series were issued largely to generate hard foreign currency, with the gorilla pieces among the more recognizable in that program. Laurent-Désiré Kabila's forces would take Kinshasa the following May, ending both Mobutu's 32-year rule and the issuing authority for this denomination entirely.