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500 Meticais Moorish Idol Fish
| Issuer | Banco de Moçambique |
|---|---|
| Year | 1989 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 500 Meticais (500 MZM) |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Two Moorish Idol fish (Zanclus cornutus) are depicted facing each other in mirror-image composition, rendered in highly detailed relief against a deeply mirrored proof field, with stylized aquatic vegetation beneath them. The year '1989' appears in small numerals to the right in the mid-field. The arc legend 'DEFESA DA NATUREZA' curves along the upper periphery in spaced Latin lettering, while 'PEZ RUM' is inscribed along the lower margin, identifying the species in the local vernacular. |
| Reverse script | Latin |
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| Edge | Log in to see details |
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| Additional information |
Mozambique's 1989 wildlife series was issued partly as a hard-currency earner during a period when the country was still deep in civil war — the RENAMO conflict had devastated the domestic economy, and commemorative silver issues exported abroad were among the few reliable sources of foreign exchange. The Moorish idol, native to Indo-Pacific reefs including those off the Mozambican coast, was a deliberate choice to signal the country's marine resources to an international audience.