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100 Dollars Wattled crane
| Issuer | Eritrea |
|---|---|
| Year | 1996 |
| Type | Non-circulating coin |
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| Obverse description | Central design features a stylized palm tree flanked by a camel and a traditional dhow sailing upon the sea, all enclosed within a beaded inner circle. A tripartite legend surrounds the central device along the toothed rim, rendered in three scripts: Tigrinya (Ge'ez), English, and Arabic, each separated by decorative star ornaments. The mint year and Pobjoy Mint privy mark appear within the legend band. The overall composition reflects a modernist allegorical style emblematic of Eritrean national identity. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Two wattled cranes (Grus carunculata) are depicted in dynamic pose with wings fully extended, rendered in fine relief against a plain field, with sparse ground vegetation indicated beneath their feet. The denomination '$100' appears in the lower field below the birds. The arc inscription 'PRESERVE PLANET EARTH' curves along the upper periphery, framing the central motif. The design forms part of the internationally recognized 'Preserve Planet Earth' conservation series. The engraving style is naturalistic, capturing the distinctive carunculated wattles and elongated neck feathers characteristic of the species. |
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| Additional information |
Eritrea gained formal independence in 1993 after a thirty-year armed struggle against Ethiopia, making this 1996 issue one of the earliest gold coins struck under its own sovereign authority. The country had virtually no numismatic infrastructure of its own; these pieces were produced by foreign mints for the international collector market rather than any domestic monetary purpose.
The wattled crane, critically endangered across its African range, was a recurring subject in the wildlife-themed issues Eritrea used to generate foreign currency during its cash-strapped early years. KM#36 is part of a broader suite of denominated gold and silver pieces from this period that share the same collector-export rationale.