10 Escudos Independence, Silver

Cape Verde's independence from Portugal in 1975 left the new government managing an economy almost entirely dependent on foreign aid — the islands had no significant agricultural export base and chronic drought had devastated what little existed. The 1985 silver issue was produced specifically for collector markets rather than circulation, a pragmatic revenue strategy that many newly independent African states adopted during this period when hard currency was scarce.

The .925 fineness matches British sterling standard — an unusual choice for a Lusophone issuer, and likely reflects the preferences of the European proof coin market the piece was aimed at.