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20 Shillings Elephant
| Issuer | Central Bank of Somalia |
|---|---|
| Year | 2017 |
| Type | Non-circulating coin |
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| Obverse description | Central device features the Somali national coat of arms, depicting a quartered shield charged with a five-pointed star, supported on either side by a leopard rampant, all above a crossed palm frond and olive branch with a ribbon in the base. The legend SOMALI REPUBLIC arcs along the upper periphery, with the date split 20 | 17 flanking the shield at mid-field, and the denomination 20 SHILLINGS inscribed along the lower periphery. The design is executed in high relief against a mirror-polished field, framed by a fine inner bead border. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Central design portrays a full-bodied African elephant striding to the left in a naturalistic savanna landscape, with tall grasses in the foreground, a thatched hut and a palm tree rendered in the left mid-ground, and a large sun disc rising on the horizon behind the animal. The legend AFRICAN WILDLIFE arcs along the upper periphery, with ELEPHANT inscribed along the lower left and the fineness and weight specification 0.5 g Au 999.9 along the lower right, all separated by raised dot stops. The scene is engraved with fine detail against a lightly frosted field, lending a cameo effect characteristic of bullion proof issues. |
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| Additional information |
Somalia's wildlife bullion series has operated largely outside conventional sovereign mint infrastructure — these pieces are produced by the Bavarian State Mint in Munich under contract, which explains the consistency of quality across annual issues despite Somalia's institutional limitations. The elephant motif changes each year, making annual issues distinct collectibles rather than a continuous type.
At half a gram of four-nines gold, the practical function is purely numismatic. The series draws comparison to the Somalian Elephant's older relative, the South African Krugerrand program, though the Somali issues target fractional collectors more aggressively.