Catalog
25 Thebe
| Issuer | Bank of Botswana |
|---|---|
| Year | 1998-2009 |
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| Engraver(s) | Michael Hibbit |
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| Obverse description | The national coat of arms of Botswana occupies the central field, featuring a quartered shield bearing cogwheels in the chief and a bull's head in base, separated by a wavy horizontal band representing water. Two zebras serve as supporters flanking the shield, each rearing on its hind legs; the dexter supporter holds a tusk and the sinister a stalk of sorghum. A scroll below bears the national motto 'PULA' in incuse lettering. The legend 'BOTSWANA' arcs along the upper periphery, and the date appears in large numerals at the base of the coin. |
|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | BOTSWANA PULA 1999 |
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| Additional information |
Botswana's thebe coinage was introduced in 1976 when the country abandoned the South African rand — a currency it had used since independence in 1966 — in favour of the new pula system. The switch was a deliberate assertion of economic separation from Pretoria at a time when southern African politics made such gestures consequential. The nickel clad steel composition adopted for this later series replaced an earlier nickel-brass version, reflecting the global shift toward cheaper coinage materials as metal costs rose through the 1990s.