Malawi 250 Kwacha 1978

History

250 Kwacha 1978, KM# 17, Malawi, Conservation, Antelope

Obverse. Photo © Heritage Auctions

Description

The term antelope refers to numerous extant or recently extinct species of the ruminant artiodactyl family Bovidae that are indigenous to most of Africa, India, the Middle East, Central Asia, and a small area of Eastern Europe. Antelopes do not form a monophyletic group, as some antelopes are more closely related to other bovid groups, like bovines, goats, and sheep, than to other antelopes.

A better definition, also known as the "true antelopes", includes only the genera Gazella, Nanger, Eudorcas, and Antilope. One North American mammal, the pronghorn or "pronghorn antelope", is colloquially referred to as the "American antelope", despite the fact that it belongs to a completely different family (Antilocapridae) than the true Old-World antelopes; pronghorn are the sole extant member of an extinct prehistoric lineage that once included many unique species.

Obverse	Person (politician, revolutionary, entrepreneur) Hastings Banda Depicts a portrait of Hastings Banda right, country name in Chichewa within a banner below. Hastings Kamuzu Banda (c. 1898 – 1997) was the leader of Malawi from 1964 to 1994, serving as Prime Minister and then its first president when the country became a republic in 1966. Educated abroad in fields like medicine and history, Banda returned to Malawi to advocate for independence from British colonial rule. He declared Malawi a one-party state under the Malawi Congress Party, and in 1971, became its President for Life. Despite modernizing infrastructure and education, Banda's rule was marked by severe repression, human rights abuses, and political killings. Under pressure, he agreed to end the one-party system in 1993 and lost the 1994 election. Engraver: Paul Vincze MALAŴI
Reverse	Animal (fish, bird, mammal etc.) Antelope Depicts a couple of nyala standing left, date above and denomination below. The lowland nyala or simply nyala (Tragelaphus angasii) is a spiral-horned artiodactyl antelope native to Southern Africa. The species is part of the family Bovidae and the genus Tragelaphus (formerly placed in the genus Nyala). It was first described in 1849 by George French Angas and exhibits the highest sexual dimorphism among the spiral-horned antelopes. It is not to be confused with the endangered mountain nyala living in the Bale region of Ethiopia. Engraver: Norman Sillman 1978 250 KWACHA
Edge	Reeded (milled)