10 Kwacha

Zambia's 1992 coinage program coincided with the country's transition from Kenneth Kaunda's one-party UNIP rule to multiparty democracy following the October 1991 elections — the first competitive vote since 1968. Frederick Chiluba's new MMD government inherited an economy devastated by copper price collapses and debt, and these higher-denomination coins were introduced partly to keep pace with inflation that had been eroding purchasing power throughout the late 1980s.

The aluminium bronze composition was a practical choice for a denomination that needed durability without the cost of higher-grade alloys — copper mining was Zambia's primary industry, making the material both economical and locally relevant.