500 Maloti - Moshoeshoe II Moshoeshoe I

Issued to mark the centenary of the death of Moshoeshoe I, the founder of the Basotho nation, who died in March 1870 after successfully negotiating British protectorate status to shield his people from Boer encroachment — a calculated diplomatic move that preserved what became Lesotho when surrounding territories were absorbed into South Africa. The coin pairs his descendant and then-reigning monarch Moshoeshoe II, who was twice deposed during the military turbulence of the following decade.

Struck at .917 fineness — the traditional crown gold standard — at a mintage low enough to make this one of the scarcer modern African gold issues in the KM series.