Catalog
10 Thebe
| Issuer | Bank of Botswana |
|---|---|
| Year | 1998-2008 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | BOTSWANA IPELEGENG PULA 2008 |
| Reverse description | A sable antelope (Hippotragus niger) is depicted in full stride, leaping dynamically to the left across an open field, rendered with fine naturalistic detail. The denomination numeral '10' appears prominently in the upper central field in bold characters, with the currency unit 'THEBE' inscribed directly below in capital letters. The composition is uncluttered, with the antelope as the dominant design element against a plain field, conveying the wildlife heritage of Botswana. |
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| Additional information |
Botswana's thebe coinage was introduced in 1976 when the country replaced the South African rand with its own currency — a move made possible by the dramatic reversal in the country's fortunes following the Orapa diamond discovery in 1967. The nickel clad steel composition adopted for this denomination by the late 1990s reflects a cost-driven reformulation common across southern African currencies during that period, as rising nickel prices made earlier alloys increasingly impractical to mint.