KM#18a marks the transition from the solid nickel-brass 10 cents to a cheaper brass-plated steel core, a change driven by rising metal costs that Kenya, like many African nations, addressed during the early 1990s as post-Cold War economic pressures tightened government budgets. The plating on circulated examples frequently separates or corrodes at the edge, making problem-free survivors harder to find than the mintage figures would suggest.
KM#18a marks the transition from the solid nickel-brass 10 cents to a cheaper brass-plated steel core, a change driven by rising metal costs that Kenya, like many African nations, addressed during the early 1990s as post-Cold War economic pressures tightened government budgets. The plating on circulated examples frequently separates or corrodes at the edge, making problem-free survivors harder to find than the mintage figures would suggest.