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20 Francs Dunkleosteus
| Issuer | Democratic Republic of the Congo (1997-date) |
|---|---|
| Year | 2023 |
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| Diameter | 38.6 mm |
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| Obverse lettering | 1 oz Ag 999.9 20 FRANCS JUSTICE PAIX REPUBLIQUE DEMOCRATIQUE DU CONGO TRAVAIL |
| Reverse description | The reverse presents a highly detailed high-relief depiction of Dunkleosteus, the prehistoric armoured fish of the Devonian period, shown in left-facing lateral profile with its distinctive articulated bony head shield, open jaws revealing blade-like dental plates, and scaled body set against a dark mirror-polished field evoking an underwater environment with scattered bubble-like details. The inscription DUNKLEOSTEUS · 380-360 MIO YEARS BC arcs across the upper inner field, with the date 2023 below it in large numerals. The border ring carries geological period references: DEVONIAN 416-360 MIO. YEARS BC and CARBONIFEROUS 360-298 MIO. YEARS BC at the bottom, PERMIAN 298-250 MIO. YEARS BC at the right, and the series title PREHISTORIC LIFE prominently arched at the top of the border. |
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| Additional information |
The Democratic Republic of the Congo has issued commemorative silver under its own authority since the post-Mobutu reorganization of 1997, and by the 2020s had built one of the more prolific novelty bullion programs among African sovereign mints — with virtually no domestic circulation component. These coins are struck entirely for the international collector market, typically through European minting contractors.
Dunkleosteus terrelli, the armored placoderm this coin commemorates, patrolled Late Devonian seas roughly 360–380 million years ago and reached estimated lengths of six meters. It had no true teeth — its jaws were formed from self-sharpening bladed bone plates capable of generating bite forces estimated by researchers at over 4,500 newtons.