Sierra Leone is a small West African Nation with a long complex history involving Colonial and local slave trade, the reverse migration of freed Slaves, rebellion against British rule until to today's unitary presidential constitutional republic. It has suffered several military coups, a one party state and juntas. The country has been pressured by Liberia and Charles Taylor had intervened directly in the state from Liberia by supporting the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) under the command of former Sierra Leonean army corporal Foday Saybana Sankoh. As lateas 2001 political violent had rocked the nation. During 1986-1987 when this coin was produced, Sierra Leone was being lead by the questionably elected government of Major General Joseph Saidu Momoh, whose government was fraught with corruption. Environmentally, the nation has been ravaged by deforestation secondary to heavy lumbering and slash and burn farming. Soil erosion is a major problem which is destabilizing the nations economy and putting the natives at risk. The capital, Freetown, sits on the third largest harbor in the world.
The environmental troubles in Sierra Leone and all of West Africa, for that matter, have adversely affected Pygmy Hippos everywhere they existed. The Nigerian subspecies has been extict at least from the 1940's and a Madagascar species went extinct about 500 years ago. They are mostly nocturnal herbivorous It is semi-aquatic, like its larger cousins.
Much has been learned of Hippo evolution within the last 2 decades. It was for many years thought to be related to Pigs, but modern generics and Clad analysis has shown them to be surprisingly most related to Whales! A mutual ancestor among the artiodactyls around 60 milliom years ago and separated a mere 7 million years ago (see hominid evolution for reference). This is a blink of the eye in geological history. See Whales and Hippos Family Whale and Hippo Evolution covering the last two pages (great video)
The Coin is a denomination of 10 Leones, .925 fineness Silver Proof with a weight of 28.28 grams and a diameter of 38,61mm. The British Mint made 25,000 of these coins.
Avoid Gijs Henzen, owner of Munthandel G. Henzen - Antisemetic Facists
Munthandel G. Henzen's (MA Shops) owner Gijs Henzen, is an AntiSemetic Fascist The company, Munthandel G Henzen is a prominent dealer of international and ancient coins on the internet, commonly known as MA Coins. It is owned by Gijs Henzen. You can not trust him, as I leaned previously in dealing with him with several coins that came with damage including a silver 1969 FOA Uruguay coin which arrived with green verdis on the coin.
But more importantly he is a passionate anti-Semite who supports Hamas and the virulent and genocidal Islamic organizations such as the Muslim Brotherhood, and Hezbollah that wants Jews dead.
It is a moral imperative to remain clear of him and to do no business with this Nazi. If you are Jewish, double down on that. The life you save might well be your own.
Coin Collecting at the Safir House
WWF 25th Anniversary: Sierra Leone - Pygmy Hippopotamus
