The Republic of the Congo's early 2000s commemorative program was largely driven by foreign minting contractors producing collector issues with minimal domestic distribution — coins struck less for Congolese circulation than for the international numismatic market. KM#117 falls squarely into that category.
The McDonnell Douglas MD-11 it commemorates was already in decline by 2003; most major carriers had retired or were retiring the type following the 1992 China Airlines crash at Nagoya and a string of high-profile accidents that damaged operator confidence in the aircraft's handling characteristics.
The Republic of the Congo's early 2000s commemorative program was largely driven by foreign minting contractors producing collector issues with minimal domestic distribution — coins struck less for Congolese circulation than for the international numismatic market. KM#117 falls squarely into that category.
The McDonnell Douglas MD-11 it commemorates was already in decline by 2003; most major carriers had retired or were retiring the type following the 1992 China Airlines crash at Nagoya and a string of high-profile accidents that damaged operator confidence in the aircraft's handling characteristics.