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1000 Nouveaux Zaïres Portuguese Caravel
| Issuer | Zaire (1971-1997) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1997 |
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| Diameter | 38.50 mm |
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| Obverse description | A relief map of the African continent occupies the central field, with a dotted line tracing a coastal exploration route along the eastern and southern shores. The national coat of arms of Zaire, featuring a leopard's head flanked by laurel branches and a scroll inscribed JUSTICE PAIX TRAVAIL, is positioned to the lower left. The curved legend REPUBLIQUE DU ZAIRE arcs along the upper periphery in bold raised lettering, while the date 1997 appears at the bottom of the field. The engraver's signature is incuse in the lower exergue. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
By 1997, the Zaïrian state was functionally over. Mobutu Sese Seko's government had lost control of the eastern provinces to Laurent-Désiré Kabila's advancing forces, and the treasury was issuing collector coins denominated in a currency — the nouveau zaïre — that had already collapsed into near-worthlessness through hyperinflation. This piece belongs to a wave of late-Mobutu-era silver issues sold entirely to foreign numismatic distributors, generating hard currency the regime could no longer extract through any legitimate means.
The country was renamed the Democratic Republic of the Congo within months of this coin's issue date.