Catalog
5 Emalangeni - Sobhuza II 75th Anniversary of the King
| Issuer | Central Bank of Swaziland |
|---|---|
| Year | 1974 |
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| Currency | Lilangeni (1974-date) |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | KINGDOM OF SWAZILAND SOBHUZA II |
| Reverse description | Central design features a detailed rendering of the United Nations Headquarters building in New York, depicted in perspective view with its distinctive rectangular secretariat tower and low-rise general assembly structure. To the upper right, the United Nations emblem — a world map within a wreath — appears alongside the circular legend ONE WORLD FOR ALL. The commemorative inscriptions H.M. 75th ANNIVERSARY and the date 1974 arc across the upper field, while the denomination 5 EMALANGENI is boldly lettered in the lower field. Hallmarks for silver fineness (.925) and the Royal Mint are visible in small cartouches above the denomination. |
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| Additional information |
Sobhuza II holds a record no other monarch in documented history can claim: by the time of his death in 1982, he had reigned for over 82 years, having ascended to the Swazi throne in 1899 as an infant. This 1974 issue marked his 75th birthday, still eight years before the end of a reign that outlasted every crowned head in recorded history. Swaziland's Central Bank produced the piece during a period when the young nation — independent only since 1968 — was actively using commemorative silver coinage to assert its institutional identity on the international stage.