1000 Francs Saint George, 3D

Rwanda's National Bank has issued a long-running series of coin-medals carrying no particular monetary function — the 1000-franc face value is nominal against a bullion cost many times higher. The Saint George type within this series draws on one of the oldest continuous motifs in Western coinage, traceable in its modern form directly to Benedetto Pistrucci's 1817 design for the British sovereign, though this Rwandan issue makes no design claim to that lineage.

The .999 fine silver substrate beneath the gold plating gives the piece its substantial heft. Rwanda's issuing authority functions here essentially as a licensing body, with production handled by a contracted European mint.