10 Pula Klipspringer

Botswana's 1978 silver issues were produced during a period of genuine optimism — diamond revenues from the Orapa and Letlhakane mines had begun transforming one of Africa's poorest nations into a functional middle-income economy within just a decade of independence. The klipspringer series was part of a broader wildlife coinage program intended partly for international collector markets, which explains the .925 fineness and the weight specification more consistent with a proof presentation piece than circulating currency.

KM#12a distinguishes the silver striking from the cupro-nickel business strike KM#12, with the "a" suffix variant documented in both Krause and Schön confirming its separate issue classification.