20 Dollars Independence

Issued to mark Bahamian independence on July 10, 1973, when the islands separated from British colonial administration after more than 250 years. The .585 fineness — 14 karat — was an unusual choice for a commemorative gold issue of this period, when most sovereign mints were producing at .900 or .916. It kept the piece affordable for a newly independent nation with limited foreign reserves building a prestige coinage program essentially from scratch.