10 Dollars Yellow-Headed Amazon, Copper-Nickel

Belize gained independence from Britain in 1981, and this coin belongs to the first wave of commemorative issues the new Central Bank produced to establish a distinct national identity separate from the British Honduras coinage it replaced. The Yellow-Headed Amazon — endemic to the forests of northern Belize — had been designated the national bird, making it a deliberate political choice for a new nation defining itself on its own terms.

KM#69 was struck in both copper-nickel and silver; the copper-nickel version saw the larger mintage and genuine circulation, though the $10 face value made actual use unlikely.