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250 Shillings The Treasures of Tutankhamun - The Udjat Eye
| Issuer | Somalia |
|---|---|
| Year | 2008 |
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| Currency | Shilling (1962-date) |
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| Obverse description | Central cartouche-shaped raised panel bearing the Somali Republic coat of arms, featuring a shield supported by two leopards with a crown above, enclosed within a rounded rectangular border inscribed SOMALI REPUBLIC. The denomination 250 SHILLINGS appears in a scrolled cartouche at the base of the central panel, and the date 2008 is struck below. The surrounding field is decorated with Egyptian-themed relief motifs including stylized figures and hieroglyphic-inspired imagery. The circular outer border carries the legend THE TREASURES OF TUTANKHAMUN reading around the periphery, with a beaded rim. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Central raised rectangular panel displaying a polychrome enameled depiction of the Udjat Eye (Eye of Horus), rendered in deep blue and white enamel with fine gold detailing, set beneath a raised crescent lunette element. The legend THE UDJAT EYE is inscribed in two lines above the eye motif within the central panel. The flanking fields are decorated with Egyptian-style relief imagery including standing figures in the manner of ancient tomb art. A beaded border frames the entire design. |
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| Additional information |
Somalia's coinage authority has issued prolifically for the collector market since the 1990s, with little connection to the country's actual monetary system — these pieces were never intended to circulate and were produced entirely for foreign sale. The "Treasures of Tutankhamun" series rode the sustained commercial wave following the 1976–1979 touring exhibition, which drew over eight million visitors across the United States alone and permanently embedded Tutankhamun's burial goods into Western popular culture.
The Udjat, or Eye of Horus, was among the most prevalent amulets found within the king's wrappings — 1971 excavation documentation counted 143 individually catalogued amulets on the mummy itself.