Catalog
10 Shillings Silver Commemorative Issue
| Issuer | Baanka Somaliland |
|---|---|
| Year | 1996 |
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| Currency | Shilling (1994-date) |
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|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | BANKAA SOMALILAND LABAATAN SL SHILIN SOMALILAND 10 SHILLINGS ٢٠شن Sanad Gurada 5ee Gobanjmadda 18 May 1996 (Translation: Bank of Somaliland Ten Somaliland Shillings. 5th Anniversary of Independence 18 May 1996) |
| Reverse description | Central vignette of a camel caravan composed of two nomadic figures and three camels traversing an arid landscape, set against the distinctive twin Naasa Hablood hills — locally known as 'Girl's Breast' hills — rising on the outskirts of Hargeisa. Denomination and issuer legends border the composition. |
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| Comments |
Somaliland declared independence from Somalia in 1991, but no UN member state has ever formally recognized it. That unresolved status created an unusual problem: the new administration needed functioning currency but had no access to international banking infrastructure or recognized printing contracts. The 1996 shilling series, of which this is a part, was produced under those constraints — a self-issued currency for a self-declared state, circulating within a territory whose legal existence remains disputed to this day.
The "Silver Commemorative" designation is notable given the paper composition — no silver content, no precious metal component of any kind. The term appears to be purely titular, referencing the anniversary context rather than any metallurgical distinction.