1000 Francs USS Constitution

The USS Constitution — "Old Ironsides" — earned its nickname during the War of 1812 when British cannonballs were observed bouncing off its thick white oak hull. Rwanda has issued a long-running series of large-format silver pieces centered on celebrated sailing vessels, and the Constitution appears here as part of that program. The ship itself remains commissioned in the US Navy, the oldest such vessel afloat, docked in Boston where it still makes an annual turnaround voyage to maintain its active status.