250 Maloti - Moshoeshoe II

Issued during a period of considerable political instability in Lesotho, this coin commemorates the reign of Moshoeshoe II, who by 1988 had already been deposed once — in 1990 he would be forced to abdicate by General Justin Lekhanya, reinstated in 1995, then permanently replaced by his son Letsie III in 1996 following his death in circumstances that remain disputed. The 22-carat gold series to which this piece belongs was produced in limited quantities for export and collector markets, as Lesotho's monetary policy at the time relied heavily on its currency union with South Africa through the Common Monetary Area.