Catalog
50 Francs Great Eastern
| Issuer | Banki Nkuru y'u Rwanda (National Bank of Rwanda) |
|---|---|
| Year | 2023 |
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| Currency | Franc (1964-date) |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse description | A detailed high-relief depiction of the SS Great Eastern, the famous Victorian-era iron steamship designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, shown under sail and steam power navigating to the left. To the right, a large navigational compass rose is prominently featured, while nautical instruments including a sextant and charts appear at the upper centre of the field. The inscriptions identify the subject and certify the coin's precious metal content. |
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| Reverse lettering | NAUTICAL OUNCE 2023 1oz FINE SILVER 999 Great Eastern |
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| Additional information |
Rwanda has issued collector silver under its own authority since the early 2000s, frequently licensing maritime and transportation themes that have no direct connection to the landlocked nation — a common arrangement among small sovereign mints seeking international collector markets. The SS Great Eastern fits that pattern precisely. Brunel's iron steamship, launched in 1858, was the largest vessel afloat for over four decades and laid the first durable transatlantic telegraph cable in 1866.
The cable-laying voyages are the engineering achievement most numismatic issues in this theme highlight, rather than the ship's troubled commercial passenger career.