Sierra Leone 1980 5 golde
This specimen was lot 24692 in Heritage sale 3020 (Long Beach, September 2012), where it sold for $822.50. The catalog description[1] noted, "Republic gold 5 Golde 1980, PF67 Ultra Cameo NGC, OAU Summit Conference. Scarce low-mintage type." Wikipedia comments, "Siaka Probyn Stevens (24 August 1905 – 29 May 1988) was the leader of Sierra Leone from 1967 to 1985, serving as Prime Minister from 1967 to 1971 and as President from 1971 to 1985. Stevens' leadership was often characterized by patrimonial rule and self-indulgence, consolidating power by means of corruption and exploitation." On the currency, Wikipedia comments, "The leone was introduced on 4 August 1964. It replaced the British West African pound at a rate of 1 pound = 2 leones (i.e., 1 leone = 10 shillings). When it was introduced, one leone was worth precisely half a pound sterling or US$1.40. The leone was worth more than the U.S. dollar until the 1980s, when the currency started to devalue rapidly. Years of high inflation have caused the value of leone to plummet, and a U.S. dollar became worth thousands of leones starting in the 2000s."
Recorded mintage: 457 plus 325 proofs.
Specification: 15.98 g, 0.917 fine gold, .471 troy oz AGW (same weight and fineness as a British gold two pounds).
Catalog reference: KM 37.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1901-2000, 47th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- [1]Tucker, Warren, and Cris Bierrenbach, Heritage Signature Auction 3020: World Coins, Dallas, TX: Heritage Auction Galleries, 2012.
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