1000 Shillings Year of the Snake

Somaliland declared independence from Somalia in 1991 following the collapse of the Siad Barre regime, but remains unrecognized by any sovereign state or international body. The Bank of Somaliland has nevertheless operated a de facto monetary authority, issuing collector coinage largely destined for the numismatic export market rather than domestic circulation. This piece belongs to a Chinese lunar series produced under that arrangement.

The Snake year corresponds to 2013, the fourth in Somaliland's lunar sequence. Struck in .999 silver at 31.1 g, these were produced by a private mint on contract — not within Somaliland itself.