10 Francs Cutty Sark

The Cutty Sark was launched at Dumbarton in 1869, built specifically to compete in the China tea trade — a race where days at sea translated directly into profit. She was famously beaten on her maiden voyage by the composite clipper Thermopylae, a rivalry that defined both ships' reputations. By the time this coin was issued, the DRC had been through two devastating wars in four years, and commemorative silver programs denominated in francs were one of the few reliable revenue streams the central bank could exploit without domestic infrastructure.