Obverse. Photo © GR RESERVE
  • 200 Francs 2022, KM# 118, Djibouti, 100th Anniversary of the Discovery of Tutankhamun's Tomb
  • 200 Francs 2022, KM# 118, Djibouti, 100th Anniversary of the Discovery of Tutankhamun's Tomb
Description

The tomb of Tutankhamun was discovered in the Valley of the Kings in 1922 by excavators led by the Egyptologist Howard Carter. Whereas the tombs of most pharaohs were plundered in ancient times, Tutankhamun's tomb was hidden by debris for most of its existence and therefore not extensively robbed. It thus became the first known largely intact royal burial from ancient Egypt.

The tomb was uncovered beginning on 4 November 1922 during an excavation by Carter and his patron, George Herbert, 5th Earl of Carnarvon. The unexpectedly rich burial consisted of more than 5,000 objects, many of which were in a highly fragile state.

Tutankhamun, Egyptological pronunciation Tutankhamen (c. 1342 – c. 1325 BC), commonly referred to as King Tut, was an ancient Egyptian pharaoh who was the last of his royal family to rule during the end of the 18th Dynasty (ruled c. 1334 – 1325 BC in the conventional chronology) during the New Kingdom of Egyptian history.

Tutankhamun took the throne at eight or nine years of age under the unprecedented viziership of his eventual successor, Ay, to whom he may have been related. He married his half-sister Ankhesenamun. Tutankhamun restored the Ancient Egyptian religion after its dissolution by his father, enriched and endowed the priestly orders of two important cults and began restoring old monuments damaged during the previous Amarna period. He moved his father's remains to the Valley of the Kings as well as moving the capital from Akhetaten to Thebes. Tutankhamun was physically disabled with a deformity of his left foot along with bone necrosis that required the use of a cane, several of which were found in his tomb. He had other health issues including scoliosis and had contracted several strains of malaria.

Obverse

Depicts the national emblem surrounded by a wreath, with the country's name inscribed in French above it. In the foreground, an air machete of the detailed rendering of the excavation site during
the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb, inscription above and date below.

Djibouti adopted its national emblem upon gaining independence from France on June 27, 1977. The emblem features laurel branches on the sides and encloses a vertical spear with a shield in front. Below the shield, two hands holding large machetes represent the nation's main ethnic groups, the Afar and the Issa. At the top of the spear is a red star, symbolizing unity between the Issa and Afar peoples.

100TH ANNIVERSARY
TUTANKHAMUN
TREASURY
1922
REPUBLIQUE DE DJIBOUTI
Ag. 999 . 200 FRANCS .3 oz
2022

Reverse

Depicts the death mask of Tutankhamun (1332–1323 BC) with an antique finish, crafted with authentic 3D minting.

The face represents the pharaoh's standard image, and the same image was found by excavators elsewhere in the tomb, in particular in the guardian statues. He wears a nemes headcloth, topped by the royal insignia of a cobra (Wadjet) and vulture (Nekhbet), symbolising Tutankhamun's rule of both Lower Egypt and Upper Egypt respectively. The ears are pierced to hold earrings, a feature that appears to have been reserved for queens and children in almost all surviving ancient Egyptian works of art.

The mask of Tutankhamun is one of the best-known works of art in the world. It is 54 centimetres (1.8 ft) tall, weighs over 10 kilograms (22 lb) or 321.5 Troy Ounces, and is decorated with semi-precious stones. An ancient spell from the Book of the Dead is inscribed in hieroglyphs on the mask's shoulders.

Edge
Characteristics
Type Commemorative Issue (Non-circulating)
Material Silver
Fineness 0.999
Weight 92.5 g
Diameter -
Width 40 mm
Height 60 mm
Thickness -
Shape oval
Alignment Medal
Mint
MDM

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