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25 Shillings Pope Reading
| Issuer | Central Bank of Somalia |
|---|---|
| Year | 2004 |
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| Reference(s) | KM# 153 |
| Obverse description | The obverse features the national coat of arms of Somalia as the central device, depicting a quartered shield charged with a five-pointed star, supported by two leopards rampant on either side. A crossed spear and palm branch appear beneath the shield, with a ribbon below. The legend SOMALI REPUBLIC arcs along the upper periphery, while the denomination 25 SHILLINGS is inscribed along the lower rim. The design is rendered in high relief against a flat field, with a beaded border encircling the entire obverse. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
Somalia's 2004 novelty coinage series was produced during a period when the country had no functioning central government — the Central Bank of Somalia existed largely on paper, and these pieces were struck by private mints for export and collector sales rather than any genuine domestic circulation. The "Pope Reading" subject almost certainly references John Paul II, who died in April 2005, making this part of a wave of anticipatory or memorial issues flooding the market from nominal African issuers in the early 2000s.
KM# 153 belongs to a loose family of Somali collector pieces that drew repeated scrutiny from the hobby press over licensing and authorization questions.