Swaziland/Eswatini – 1974 – 20 Emalangeni – Sobhuza II – NGC PF66 Ultra Cameo

This is the 20 Emalangeni Sobhuza II gold coin from Swaziland/Eswatini from 1974 to celebrate the King’s 75th birthday.

What makes this specimen very special is that it has been certified by NGC with a grade of PF66 UCAM (Ultra Cameo) – only 4 coins have ever been graded higher by the NGC: Certificate Exam

Moreover, the coin is not round as usual, but this one has an unusual 10-cornered shape.

On one side of the coin is stamped the face value of the coin “20 Emalangeni” and the year “1974”. In addition, the logo and the lettering of UNICEF and a child are depicted here. At the top of the border it says “H.M. 75th Anniversary.”

On the other side of the coin you can find the portrait of Sobhuza II, the name as writing, and the inscription “Kingdom of Swaziland”.

From this coin were produced 25000 issues.

A few details:
Year: 1974
Issuing country: Swaziland/Eswatini
Production: JM (Johnson Matthey)
Weight: 22.23g gross
Fine weight: 20g
Fineness: .900
Mintage: 25000
Feature: NGC PF66 UCAM

The Name Change from Swaziland to Eswatini: A Historical Overview

Agreements between the governments of the United Kingdom and the South African Republic in 1881 and 1884 established Swaziland’s independence. In 1890 a provisional government was formed involving British, Transvaal and Swazi representatives. In the period from 1902 to 1907 the country was ruled by a British special commissioner. Since the founding of the Union of South Africa in 1910, there has been a High Commissioner who administered Basutoland, the Bechuanaland Protectorate, Southern Rhodesia and Swaziland. Under the umbrella term “High Commission Territories”, the country was administered together with other British colonial territories, using the name Swaziland. From 1930 to 1963, the administration of the area was the responsibility of the High Commissioner for Basutoland, the Bechuanaland Protectorate and Swaziland.

After Swaziland gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1968, the country was officially called the Kingdom of Swaziland until 2018. On the occasion of his 50th birthday on April 19, 2018 and during the celebrations of the 50th anniversary of independence, King Mswati III announced. in a speech that the English state name should now be “Kingdom of Eswatini” in order to remove a relic from the colonial era. This change was also intended to prevent confusion between the countries Swaziland and Switzerland. Mswati III and other officials have used this term before. The name change was ordered by an official decree, “Legal Notice No.80 of 2018”. On September 6, 2018, the country celebrated its 50th anniversary of independence from the United Kingdom. Criticism was expressed from the opposition that the name change should have been determined through a constitutional amendment. However, the government stated that the king had “only reintroduced the official name of the state.”