10 Rufiyaa Cutty Sark

The Cutty Sark clipper was built in 1869 specifically to compete in the China tea trade, though by the time she launched, the Suez Canal had already opened and steam was rapidly making sail obsolete for that route. She found her purpose instead in the Australian wool trade, where she set speed records that cemented her reputation. The Maldives has issued numerous gold commemoratives tied to maritime subjects — an obvious fit for an island nation whose historical survival depended entirely on sea trade.

The ship suffered a serious fire in 2007 while undergoing restoration at Greenwich, which may have prompted renewed commemorative interest around this period.