The FAO coin program, launched in the 1960s, commissioned member nations to mint issues whose designs and releases were tied directly to United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization campaigns. Barbados participated selectively. The .500 fine silver specification — half silver, half copper alloy — was a deliberate cost compromise adopted widely in the early 1980s as silver prices remained volatile in the wake of the Hunt Brothers' failed corner of the silver market in 1980.
The FAO coin program, launched in the 1960s, commissioned member nations to mint issues whose designs and releases were tied directly to United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization campaigns. Barbados participated selectively. The .500 fine silver specification — half silver, half copper alloy — was a deliberate cost compromise adopted widely in the early 1980s as silver prices remained volatile in the wake of the Hunt Brothers' failed corner of the silver market in 1980.