The Rwandan Franc was introduced as the currency of Rwanda in 1964. Apart from its regular circulating coinage, the country has also authorised some foreign mints to issue coins under its jurisdiction, which come in a variety of sizes - including in the large three troy ounces (3 oz) of silver format, denominated usually as 1,000 Francs. These coins are Non-Circulating Legal Tender (NCLT) and not bullion, because they are issued at prices significantly above the intrinsic value of the precious metal they are made of.
This coin is part of the Rwandan Nautical Ounce series which features a new reverse design every year, and commemorates the USS Constitution sailing ship.
USS Constitution, also known as Old Ironsides, is a three-masted wooden-hulled heavy frigate of the United States Navy. She is the world's oldest ship still afloat. She was launched in 1797, one of six original frigates authorised for construction by the Naval Act of 1794 and the third constructed. Joshua Humphreys designed the frigates to be the young Navy's capital ships, and so Constitution and her sister ships were larger and more heavily armed and built than standard frigates of the period.
Constitution is most noted for her actions during the War of 1812 against the United Kingdom, when she captured numerous merchant ships and defeated five smaller British warships: HMS Guerriere, Java, Pictou, Cyane, and Levant. The battle with Guerriere earned her the nickname "Old Ironsides" and public adoration that has repeatedly saved her from scrapping. She continued to serve as flagship in the Mediterranean and African squadrons, and she circled the world in the 1840s. During the American Civil War, she served as a training ship for the United States Naval Academy. She carried American artwork and industrial displays to the Paris Exposition of 1878.
Constitution was retired from active service in 1881 and served as a receiving ship until being designated a museum ship in 1907. In 1934, she completed a three-year, 90-port tour of the nation. She sailed under her own power for her 200th birthday in 1997, and again in August 2012 to commemorate the 200th anniversary of her victory over Guerriere.
Constitution's stated mission today is to promote understanding of the Navy's role in war and peace through educational outreach, historical demonstration, and active participation in public events as part of the Naval History & Heritage Command. As she is a fully commissioned Navy ship, her crew of 75 officers and sailors participate in ceremonies, educational programs, and special events while keeping her open to visitors year round and providing free tours. The officers and crew are all active-duty Navy personnel, and the assignment is considered to be special duty. She is usually berthed at Pier 1 of the former Charlestown Navy Yard at one end of Boston's Freedom Trail. |
| Obverse | |
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Within a plain rim, the obverse of the coin features the Coat of Arms of Rwanda. At its centre is a traditional basket, surrounded by the central tribal devices: a stem of sorghum on the left, and a branch of a coffee tree on the right, surmounted on a cog wheel with the sun with its rays above. These are protected by two typical Rwandan shields, one on the right and one on the left. The design is encircled by a rope, tied below in a square knot.
On a ribbon above, REPUBULIKA Y'U RWANDA (Republic of Rwanda); on a ribbon below, the motto UBUMWE · UMURIMO · GUKUNDA IGIHUGU (Unity, Work, Patriotism in Kinyarwanda - the official Rwandan language).
Around above, the name of the issuing authority: BANKI NKURU Y'U RWANDA (National Bank of Rwanda; in French: Banque Nationale du Rwanda; abbreviated as BNR).
Around below, the face value AMAFARANGA 1000 IGIHUMBI (1,000 FRW - one thousand Rwandan Francs). |
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| Reverse | |
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The reverse design depicts the USS Constitution at full sail.
Above left, a compass rose (sometimes called a "wind rose") showing the main directions, with "rhumb lines" radiating from it into the background of the design. In an oval above the ship, encircled by a rope, navigational instruments of the time: spyglass, compass and sextant.
On the waves below, the name of the ship: USS Constitution.
Around left, the name of the coin series: NAUTICAL OUNCE.
Around above right, the date of issue 2022. Around below right, facing outward, the precious metal content: 3 oz FINE SILVER 999 (three troy ounces of 99.9% silver). |
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