Catalog
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| Issuer | Bank of Sierra Leone |
|---|---|
| Year | 1997 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | 2.62 mm |
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| Obverse description | The obverse features the national coat of arms of Sierra Leone in high relief at centre, comprising a shield charged with three torches above a wavy base, supported by two rampant lions, each flanked by a palm tree, and surmounted by a lion passant. Below the shield, a scroll bears the national motto UNITY FREEDOM JUSTICE. The legend REPUBLIC OF SIERRA LEONE arcs along the upper periphery, with the date 1997 positioned in the lower field. A fine beaded border encircles the entire design, and the Pobjoy Mint mark PM appears in the lower field beneath the coat of arms. |
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| Obverse lettering | REPUBLIC OF SIERRA LEONE 1997 PM |
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| Additional information |
Sierra Leone's 1997 coinage was produced against the backdrop of one of the most violent periods in the country's history — the AFRC military coup of May 1997 ousted the elected Kabbah government just weeks after this issue's release window, plunging the country into a civil war phase that would not resolve until 2002. Collector-issue silver from the Bank of Sierra Leone during this period was effectively a hard-currency revenue mechanism, the domestic economy having been gutted by a decade of RUF insurgency.