Ghana's "Phoenix" opal series was part of a broader wave of novelty bullion issues produced for the collector market in the late 2010s, minted under contract by a European third-party manufacturer rather than at Ghana's own facilities. The cedis denomination is nominal — these never entered circulation and were sold directly to distributors at a significant premium over melt.
The three fire opal inserts are sourced from Mexican deposits, the dominant commercial source for gem-quality fire opal since the 19th century.
Ghana's "Phoenix" opal series was part of a broader wave of novelty bullion issues produced for the collector market in the late 2010s, minted under contract by a European third-party manufacturer rather than at Ghana's own facilities. The cedis denomination is nominal — these never entered circulation and were sold directly to distributors at a significant premium over melt.
The three fire opal inserts are sourced from Mexican deposits, the dominant commercial source for gem-quality fire opal since the 19th century.