Zaire 1996 10000 nouveaux zaires
This specimen was lot 7384 in Stack's Bowers NYINC sale (New York, January 2017), where it sold for $540.50. The catalog description[1] noted, "ZAIRE. 10,000 Nouveaux Zaires, 1996. GEM BRILLIANT PROOF. Wildlife of Africa series featuring a fearsome male gorilla. Struck on a hefty 26+ ounce silver planchet. Housed in a square holder, presumably of issue and showing no signs of ever having been handled as well as some mild rim toning. From a mintage of 1,000 pieces." This NCLT was accompanied by silver 500 francs (KM 20, 21, 22, 23) and 5,000 francs (KM 25). President-for-life Mobotu was ousted soon after this issue and the Congo descended into civil war, anarchy, warlordism and resource looting.
Recorded mintage: 1,000.
Specification: 822.84 g, 0.999 fine silver, 26.25 troy oz ASW.
Catalog reference: KM-26.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1901-2000, 47th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- [1]Ponterio, Richard, The January 2017 NYINC Sale: Ancient Coins, World Coins & Paper Money, featuring the Richard Stuart Collection, Santa Ana, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2016.
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