10 Dalasis

The Gambia's large-denomination coinage of the early 1990s was issued against a backdrop of chronic fiscal strain — the country had undergone a structural adjustment program under IMF pressure through much of the 1980s, compressing public spending and destabilizing the dalasi's purchasing power. A 10-dalasi coin was a significant sum in domestic terms, which likely limited its practical circulation.

Two years after this issue, a military coup led by Yahya Jammeh in July 1994 overthrew the government of Sir Dawda Jawara, ending 24 years of civilian rule and triggering a freeze on foreign aid that further disrupted the currency.