The Eastern Caribbean Currency Authority — predecessor to the ECCB — had been issuing FAO-themed coinage since the early 1970s as part of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization's broader campaign to mint collector coins that funded agricultural development programs worldwide. By 1981, the ECCU was consolidating monetary institutions across the Leeward and Windward Islands ahead of the formal establishment of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank in 1983.
The .500 fine silver specification places this squarely in the budget proof category favored for FAO issues destined for mass distribution to numismatic subscribers rather than serious collectors.
The Eastern Caribbean Currency Authority — predecessor to the ECCB — had been issuing FAO-themed coinage since the early 1970s as part of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization's broader campaign to mint collector coins that funded agricultural development programs worldwide. By 1981, the ECCU was consolidating monetary institutions across the Leeward and Windward Islands ahead of the formal establishment of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank in 1983.
The .500 fine silver specification places this squarely in the budget proof category favored for FAO issues destined for mass distribution to numismatic subscribers rather than serious collectors.