Catalog
20 Pesos FAO
| Issuer | Banco Nacional da Guiné-Bissau |
|---|---|
| Year | 1977 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Round |
| Technique | Log in to see details |
| Orientation | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Log in to see details |
| Obverse description | The national arms of Guinea-Bissau occupy the central field, consisting of a stylized scallop shell at the base flanked by two crossed rifles, surmounted by an olive wreath enclosing a five-pointed star at the apex. Two ribbon banners bearing the national motto are inscribed across the wreath. The circular legend 'REPÚBLICA DA GUINÉ-BISSAU' runs along the upper periphery in Latin characters, while the date '1977' appears in the lower field, flanked by two small five-pointed stars. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
| Reverse script | Latin |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Log in to see details |
| Mint | Log in to see details |
| Mintage | Log in to see details |
| Additional information |
Issued the year after Guinea-Bissau's formal admission to the United Nations, this piece was part of a broader FAO coinage program that the Food and Agriculture Organization coordinated with newly independent nations throughout the 1970s as a low-cost vehicle for promoting agricultural development messaging. Guinea-Bissau had only achieved independence from Portugal in 1974, following the protracted PAIGC liberation war, and the Banco Nacional was itself barely operational when this coin was struck.
The FAO series produced for dozens of countries in this period was minted largely by contract facilities in Europe rather than by issuing nations themselves.