Catalog
| Issuer | Bank of Eritrea |
|---|---|
| Year | 1993 |
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| Value | Log in to see details |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | 3.4 mm |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Arabic, Ge'ez, Latin |
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| Reverse description | Central device features a stylized plant motif enclosed within a laurel wreath, the entire composition further surrounded by a raised inner circle. A trilingual legend encircles the design along the toothed outer rim, inscribed in Tigrinya (Ge'ez script), English, and Arabic, each section separated by decorative bullet points. The reverse legend commemorates Eritrea's Independence Day of 24th May 1993 and records the coin's silver fineness and denomination in the lower arc. The design is clean and emblematic, befitting a national commemorative issue. |
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| Additional information |
Eritrea declared independence from Ethiopia in May 1993 following a UN-supervised referendum in which over 99% voted for separation — the culmination of a thirty-year armed struggle, one of the longest independence wars in African history. The Bank of Eritrea was established almost simultaneously, and this silver issue was among the first coins struck under its authority, making it less a circulating piece than an institutional declaration.
Struck to .9999 fineness rather than the more common .999, a specification worth noting in the context of this series.