Catalog
10 Dollars - Elizabeth II Saltwater Crocodile
| Issuer | Central Bank of Solomon Islands |
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| Year | 1992 |
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| Currency | Dollar (1977-date) |
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| Obverse description | Right-facing effigy of Queen Elizabeth II wearing the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland tiara, as modelled by Raphael Maklouf. The queen is depicted with a draped neckline and pearl drop earring, her hair styled in characteristic curls. The legend 'ELIZABETH II' arcs along the left rim and 'SOLOMON ISLANDS' along the right rim, with the date '1992' positioned in the lower exergual area. The portrait is rendered in fine detail against a mirror-polished proof field. |
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| Reverse description | A highly detailed depiction of a saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) in full stride, shown in three-quarter perspective advancing toward the right with its jaws open, set against a naturalistic background featuring aquatic vegetation and marsh grasses. The design emphasises the reptile's scaly armoured skin, powerful limbs, and serrated teeth, underscoring the conservation theme. The curved legend 'ENDANGERED WILDLIFE' arcs along the upper rim, while the denomination '10 DOLLARS' is inscribed along the lower rim in raised letters. The overall composition reflects the coin's place within the Endangered Wildlife commemorative series. |
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| Additional information |
The Solomon Islands issued a run of wildlife-themed commemoratives in the early 1990s targeting the collector market rather than circulation, and this piece sits squarely in that program. The saltwater crocodile — Crocodylus porosus — is native to the Solomons and was by 1992 the subject of managed farming operations on the islands, a conservation response to decades of hide hunting that had severely reduced wild populations across the Indo-Pacific.