10 Emalangeni - Sobhuza II

Issued the year Swaziland formally adopted its own currency system with the lilangeni replacing the rand at par, this piece honors Sobhuza II at a moment when he had already ruled longer than virtually any other monarch alive. By 1975 he had been king since 1921 — over five decades — and would go on to reign until his death in 1982, making his total reign of approximately 61 years one of the longest documented in modern history.

The .925 silver content places this firmly in the commemorative rather than circulating category. KM#25 is not a scarce issue by mintage standards, but surviving examples in original proof-like condition are frequently found with hairlines from improper early storage.