10 Cents - Sobhuza II Independence

Swaziland achieved independence from Britain on September 6, 1968, one of the last African protectorates to do so, with Sobhuza II — who had held the Swazi throne since 1921 — becoming head of state. He would go on to reign until 1982, making him the longest-reigning monarch in recorded history at the time of his death. This coin is from the inaugural independence coinage, the first issued under Swazi sovereign authority.

The .800 silver composition mirrors choices made by several newly independent African nations in the late 1960s before rising silver prices pushed most toward cupro-nickel within a decade.