10 Escudos Independence, Gold

Issued to mark the tenth anniversary of Cape Verdean independence from Portugal, which came in July 1975 following the PAIGC's long guerrilla campaign fought primarily on the mainland of Guinea-Bissau. The two territories were initially intended to unify under a single state — that plan collapsed after a 1980 coup in Bissau, leaving Cape Verde to chart its course alone under the PAICV.

The .750 fineness is slightly below the conventional .900 or .916 gold standards common to most commemorative issues of the period, a choice likely dictated by cost and the young nation's limited hard currency reserves.