5 Pounds Akhenaten and Family

Egypt's commemorative silver program of the 1990s drew heavily on Pharaonic subjects as the government sought to position the country as heir to its ancient civilization during a period of aggressive cultural tourism promotion. Akhenaten is a peculiar choice for state commemoration — his reign was systematically erased by successors who dismantled Amarna, chiseled out his name, and buried his memory for over three millennia.

The rediscovery of Akhenaten as a historical figure is largely a product of late 19th-century Egyptology, beginning with Flinders Petrie's excavations at Tell el-Amarna in 1891.