Catalog
5 Pula Pope's Visit
| Issuer | Bank of Botswana |
|---|---|
| Year | 1988 |
| Type | Non-circulating coin |
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|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Reverse description | A finely detailed left-facing bust of Pope John Paul II fills the central field, depicted wearing his distinctive papal zucchetto and clerical collar, rendered in high relief against a deeply mirrored proof background. A small engraver's initial is visible at the lower truncation of the bust. The circumferential legend reads JOHN PAUL II - 5 PULA - SEPT. 1988, distributed around the full periphery of the coin, commemorating the papal visit to Botswana in September 1988. |
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| Additional information |
John Paul II visited Botswana in September 1988 as part of a six-nation southern African tour, one of the most logistically ambitious papal trips of his pontificate. Botswana's Catholic population was — and remains — a small minority, making the visit more a diplomatic gesture toward the region than a pastoral one.
The .925 silver version was issued alongside a cupro-nickel circulation strike; KM#20 and #20a are distinguished by composition alone, sharing the same dies.