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20 Lisente - Letsie III
| Issuer | Lesotho |
|---|---|
| Year | 1998-2018 |
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| Reference(s) | KM#64 |
| Obverse description | The arms of the Kingdom of Lesotho depicted centrally, featuring a shield charged with a crocodile passant, supported on either side by rearing equine supporters. Above the shield rises a traditional Basotho hat (mokorotlo) flanked by crossed assegais. A scroll beneath the shield bears the national motto KHOTSO PULA NALA. The legend KINGDOM OF LESOTHO arcs along the upper periphery, with the date positioned in the lower field, all within a beaded border. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | A large, naturalistically rendered Spiral aloe (Aloe polyphylla), the national plant of Lesotho, occupies the central and right portion of the field, accompanied by additional indigenous flora to the left. The numeral 20 appears prominently in the upper left field, with the denomination legend LISENTE inscribed along the lower periphery. The design is enclosed within a beaded border. |
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| Additional information |
Lesotho's coinage has always occupied an awkward economic position — the country is entirely surrounded by South Africa and uses the South African rand interchangeably with its own loti at a fixed 1:1 peg, meaning domestic coins compete daily with a foreign currency for pocket space. The 20 lisente has remained in production across two decades largely by institutional inertia rather than strong demand.
Letsie III was deposed briefly in 1990 in favor of his father Moshoeshoe II, then restored in 1995 following his father's controversial death — making him the issuing authority on coins spanning a period of genuine constitutional turbulence.