1000 Francs Aquarius

Rwanda's 2009 collector series leaned heavily on European novelty minting conventions — large-format silver with gold plating, zodiac themes, and oversized flans were all hallmarks of the secondary-market commemorative trade centered in Austria and Poland during this period. The Banque Nationale du Rwanda authorized numerous such issues in the late 2000s with virtually no domestic circulation intended; the coins were produced wholesale for the international collector market, with Rwanda lending its sovereign issuing authority in exchange for a licensing arrangement.

KM#56 is one of twelve zodiac pieces in the series. Aquarius was the eleventh struck in sequence.