500 Francs Year of the Monkey, vitality, 3D

Rwanda's lunar series occupies an odd corner of the commemorative market — issued under legitimate central bank authority but produced almost exclusively for export to collector markets in Europe and Asia, with no meaningful domestic circulation ever intended. The 2016 monkey issue appeared during a particularly crowded year for such pieces, as mints worldwide raced to produce lunar-themed silver with gold plating ahead of Chinese New Year buying cycles. The "3D" designation refers to a domed or sculpted relief treatment, a technique that became commercially fashionable among third-party mint producers around 2013 and was licensed to numerous small issuing nations simultaneously.