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Mauritania’s tri-metallic 20 Ouguiya coin (KM-15) was named the “Best Circulating Coin” at the 2019 Krause Coin of the Year Awards (COTY). The coin, dated 2017, gave Mauritania’s its first COTY award to date.  

Struck by the Monnaie de Paris (French Mint), the standard circulation coin is part of a series issued by the Central Bank of Mauritania in connection with the redenomination of its currency at a rate of 1:10. According to the Central Bank, the removal of old banknotes and coins is designed to protect the national currency “against forgery and replace it with stronger, safer, more durable and more innovative series.”

Mauritania’s winning coin is trimetallic, making it one of three countries in the world with a circulating trimetallic coin. It features a steel core, steel middle ring and steel outer ring (bronze plated / nickel plated / brass plated).

The obverse of the coin features Mauritania’s National Seal, which is comprised of a green circle with a grayish border. A gold star and crescent are featured inside the circle, as well as a palm tree. The green represents Islam, the country’s dominant religion, and the gold references the sands of the Sahara desert. It contains the following inscriptions, which set forth the country’s name, the coin’s monetary value and the date of issue:

الجمهورية الإسلامية الموريتانية

٢٠ أوقية‎

١٤٣٩

The reverse features two camels, one small and one large. It also includes the following inscriptions: البنك المركزي الموريتاني (translation: The Central Bank of Mauritania) and 2017 20 OUGUIYA.

The coin weighs 7.63 grams and measures 26 mm in diameter. The face value of the coin, 20 Ouguiya, is equivalent to 0.54 USD. It is a circulating coin from one mint and has not been made available in proof.