10 Cents - Sobhuza II FAO

Issued as part of the global FAO coinage initiative that saw dozens of nations mint agricultural-themed pieces throughout the 1970s, this Swazi example was struck during Sobhuza II's push to modernize the kingdom's rural economy following independence from Britain in 1968. Sobhuza, who would reign for over 82 years — the longest verified reign of any monarch in recorded history — was an active participant in FAO programs that encouraged food production self-sufficiency across sub-Saharan Africa.

Swaziland's FAO issues from this period saw limited international circulation, functioning primarily as domestic commemoratives.