Catalog
500 Shillings African Dhow
| Issuer | Bank of Tanzania |
|---|---|
| Year | 2001 |
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| Reference(s) | KM#56 |
| Obverse description | The Tanzanian coat of arms occupies the central field, depicted in high relief and featuring an oval shield supported by two standing human figures — a man to the left and a woman to the right — each grasping an elephant tusk. The shield is quartered with motifs representing the nation's natural resources, surmounted by a flaming torch. A scroll at the base bears the legend UHURU NA UMOJA in raised Latin lettering. The country name TANZANIA arcs along the upper periphery, and the date 2001 appears in the lower field below the supporters. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
Tanzania's dhow commemorative series drew heavily on the Swahili Coast's centuries-long role in Indian Ocean trade, a network that moved ivory, slaves, and gold between East Africa, Arabia, and India long before European contact. The 2001 date places this issue in a run of silver coins the Bank of Tanzania produced through foreign minting arrangements — almost certainly struck in Europe rather than Dar es Salaam, which has never operated a mint of its own.
KM#56 is a collector piece with no circulation history.