Tanzania's shift to brass-plated steel for this denomination in the mid-1990s was a direct response to the economic pressures that plagued the shilling through the late 1980s and early 1990s, when base metal values were making older cupronickel issues worth more as scrap than as currency. The plated steel solution was practical but introduced long-term problems: humid coastal conditions around Dar es Salaam accelerated delamination of the plating, and circulated examples from the earlier part of the run frequently show pitting and surface separation that is specific to this issue rather than ordinary wear.
Tanzania's shift to brass-plated steel for this denomination in the mid-1990s was a direct response to the economic pressures that plagued the shilling through the late 1980s and early 1990s, when base metal values were making older cupronickel issues worth more as scrap than as currency. The plated steel solution was practical but introduced long-term problems: humid coastal conditions around Dar es Salaam accelerated delamination of the plating, and circulated examples from the earlier part of the run frequently show pitting and surface separation that is specific to this issue rather than ordinary wear.