View source for Botswana 1981 pula

[[Image:Botswana 1981 pula obv DSLR.jpg|300px|thumb|from the Mountain Groan Collection]]
[[Image:Botswana 1981 pula rev DSLR.jpg|300px|thumb]]

The republic of [[Botswana]], landlocked in Southern Africa, was the protectorate of Bechuanaland prior to independence from [[Great Britain]] in 1966. Lacking minerals valuable on the world market, Botswana has escaped the violence afflicting its neighbors [[Angola]], Zimbabwe and [[South Africa]]. It, unfortunately, has not escaped the ravages of AIDS. Coin denominations are thebe and pula. Pula translates as the word 'rain', a scarce commodity in this arid region. Shown is a copper-nickel pula, featuring a zebra on the reverse. The type was struck 1976-77, 1981, 1985-87. The superseding type ([[Botswana 1991 1 pula|KM 24]]) was only 8.7 g.

''Recorded mintage:'' unknown plus 10,000 proofs.

''Specification:'' 16.4 g, copper-nickel, 29.5 mm diameter.

''Catalog reference:'' KM 4.

''[[Bibliography|Source:]]''
* Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, ''Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1901-2000, 47th ed.,'' Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019. 

''Link to:''
* [[Botswana 1981 2 thebe|1981 2 thebe]]
* [[Botswana 1984 thebe|1984 thebe]]
* [[Botswana 1984 5 thebe|1984 5 thebe]]
* [[Botswana 1984 10 thebe|1984 10 thebe]]
* [[Botswana 1984 25 thebe|1984 25 thebe]]
* [[Botswana 1984 50 thebe|1984 50 thebe]]
* [[Botswana 1991 1 pula|1991 pula]]
* [[Coins and currency dated 1981]]

[[Category: Selections from the Mountain Groan Collection]]