Obverse. Photo © Coinsberg.com
  • 10 Kwacha 2004, Malawi, Famous Places of the World, Monte San Giorgio
  • 10 Kwacha 2004, Malawi, Famous Places of the World, Monte San Giorgio
Description

Monte San Giorgio is a mountain in the Lugano Prealps, near the Switzerland-Italy border, rising to 1,097 m (3,600 ft) above sea level and overlooking Lake Lugano in the Swiss canton of Ticino. Recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003 for its cultural, biological, and paleontological significance, it contains one of the best fossil records of marine life from the Middle Triassic period. The Italian side was added to the site in 2010. The mountain has been inhabited for around 6,000 years, with archaeological remains from Roman and medieval times, and once-active limestone quarries.

Obverse

Depicts the coat of arms of Malawi dividing the date, country name above and denomination below.

Malawi's coat of arms is based on Nyasaland's earlier heraldic arms. It features a shield supported by a lion and a leopard, standing on a representation of Mount Mulanje. The shield is divided into three parts: wavy lines symbolizing water, a central stripe with a lion representing strength, and a rising sun, symbolizing hope and new beginnings. Above the shield is a fish eagle in front of a rising sun, symbolizing freedom. The scroll below the shield bears the national motto, "Unity and Freedom," reflecting Malawi's goals of harmony and independence.

REPUBLIC OF MALAWI
20 04
UNITY AND FREEDOM
10 KWACHA

Reverse

Depicts a Swiss post stamp showing UNESCO World Heritage, Monte San Giorgio, circa 2004 with a fossil of Ceresiosaurus (a kind of large reptile), surrounded by the series title "Famous Places of the World" above and place name below.

Monte San Giorgio, a pyramid-shaped, forested mountain near Lake Lugano, holds the world's best fossil record of marine life from the Triassic Period (245–230 million years ago). It captures life in a tropical lagoon, sheltered by an offshore reef, where diverse marine species like reptiles, fish, bivalves, ammonites, echinoderms, and crustaceans thrived. The proximity to land also contributed land-based fossils, including reptiles, insects, and plants, making it an exceptionally rich fossil site.

FAMOUS PLACES OF THE WORLD
Monte San Giorgio
UNISCO
100
HELVETIA
• MONTE SAN GIORGIO •

Edge

10 Kwacha

Republic
KM#
Characteristics
Type Commemorative Issue (Non-circulating)
Material Silver
Fineness 0.925
Weight 29 g
Diameter 38.7 mm
Thickness -
Shape round
Alignment Medal

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