2 Meticais

Introduced as part of Mozambique's 2006 redenomination, which replaced the old metical at a rate of 1,000 to 1 — a direct consequence of sustained inflation that had eroded the original currency over the two decades following independence. The redenomination was a stabilization measure, not a devaluation, and the new family of coins was designed to actually circulate in a functioning economy rather than serve as notional units.

Nickel-plated steel was chosen partly on cost grounds, a practical concession for a country where the 2 meticais represented real purchasing power at introduction.