The pula — meaning "rain" in Setswana — became Botswana's currency in 1976 when the country severed its monetary tie to the South African rand, a deliberate act of economic distancing from apartheid-era South Africa. Botswana had been among the world's poorest nations at independence in 1966; by the time this coin was struck, it had sustained one of the highest GDP growth rates on earth, driven almost entirely by diamond revenues from the Orapa and Jwaneng mines.
The brass-plated steel composition replaced the earlier nickel-brass solid alloy around this period as rising metal costs made the change economically practical.
The pula — meaning "rain" in Setswana — became Botswana's currency in 1976 when the country severed its monetary tie to the South African rand, a deliberate act of economic distancing from apartheid-era South Africa. Botswana had been among the world's poorest nations at independence in 1966; by the time this coin was struck, it had sustained one of the highest GDP growth rates on earth, driven almost entirely by diamond revenues from the Orapa and Jwaneng mines.
The brass-plated steel composition replaced the earlier nickel-brass solid alloy around this period as rising metal costs made the change economically practical.