Mauritius 1975 50 rupees
This specimen was part of lot 34446 in Heritage sale 3082 (New York, January 2020), where it sold for $1,740. The catalog description[1] noted, "Mauritius: British Colony. Elizabeth II 3-Piece gold & silver "Conservation" Proof Set 1975, 1) silver "Butterfly" 25 Rupees - Proof; 2) silver "Mauritius Kestrel" 50 Rupees - Proof; 3) gold "Mauritius Flycatcher" 1000 Rupees - PR69 Ultra Cameo NGC. cf. KM-PS3 (for 2-piece silver set). A technically flawless set, the 1000 Rupees seeing only 716 Proofs struck." This NCLT accompanied a silver 25 rupees (KM 40) and gold thousand rupees (KM 42) to promote wildlife conservation. The uncirculated issue was in billon (KM 40) and the proofs were struck in sterling silver (KM 40a). The Mauritius kestrel, Falco punctatus, was once the world's rarest bird (fewer than ten individuals) but captive breeding has restored the population to about 400 birds.
Recorded mintage: unknown number struck in billon plus 9,513 in proof.
Specification: KM 41: 32.15 g, 0.500 fine silver; KM 41a: 35 g, 0.925 fine silver, 42 mm diameter.
Catalog reference: KM 41 or KM 41a.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1901-2000, 47th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- [1]Bierrenbach, Cristiano, Warren Tucker and Sam Spiegel, Heritage World and Ancient Coins Online Auction 3082, featuring the Caranett Collection, Dallas, TX: Heritage Auction Galleries, 2019.
Link to:
- Mauritius 1975 25 rupees, butterfly
- Mauritius 1975 1000 rupees, Mauritius flycatcher
- Coins and currency dated 1975