10 Cents

Kiribati issued its first national coinage in 1979, the same year it gained independence from Britain on July 12th. The Franklin Mint struck the inaugural series, which means collector-quality pieces from this date are relatively easy to find — the Mint's practice of producing proof and specimen sets for emerging nations ensured wide distribution to numismatic buyers well beyond the islands themselves.

The Gilbert Islands, as the territory was previously known, had used Australian coinage during the colonial period.