5 Pounds Nefertiti

Nefertiti's image had been a flashpoint in Egyptian-German relations for decades before this coin was struck. The famous painted limestone bust, excavated by a German team in 1912 and removed to Berlin under circumstances Egypt has long disputed, was the subject of active repatriation demands throughout the late 20th century. Egypt's decision to place her likeness on a commemorative silver issue in 1994 was partly a reassertion of cultural ownership over an artifact it did not physically possess.