Wildlife of the Seychelles

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The location of the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean.

Seychelles, which has a population of around 84,000, is a 115-island country spanning an archipelago in the Indian Ocean, some 1,500 kilometres (932 miles) east of mainland Africa, northeast of the island of Madagascar. It used to be a dependency of Mauritius, a British colony, until 1903, when it was made a separate crown colony in its own right. Seychelles gained independence from Britain in 1976.

The map above shows Madagascar in approximately the correct proportions, but the Seychelles and the other islands have been enlarged slightly to show their shape.

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In the 1970s the Seychelles started to issue coin designs that depicted its lush wildlife.

This has caused it to be called metaphorically the Garden of Eden.


The 5 rupees of 1972 shows an Aldabra giant tortoise. 

The Aldabra group of islands is part of the outer islands of the Seychelles.


The coin was among the first to adopt a heptagonal shape, after the UK issued its heptagonal 50 pence in 1969.

The reverse design was the work of British artist and sculptor Norman Sillman.

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An Aldabra giant tortoise.

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In 1974 the Seychelles issued a 10 rupees collector coin showing the green turtle.

See: Seychelles 10 rupees 1974: unadopted variations.

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Seychelles issued a full standard circulation coinage in 1976.

The common obverse showed President James Mancham.

The reverses of the coinage were devoted to the country's exotic wildlife.

The aluminium 1 cent coin shows Abudefduf sexfasciatus, commonly known as a scissortail sergeant, also known as a striped-tailed damselfish.  Some proof sets also give the common name as a "boueteur" fish.

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The reverse of the aluminium 5 cents coin depicts the emperor red snapper, Lutjanus sebae.

It is also known as the bourgeois red snapper or bourgeois fish.

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The sailfish, Istiophorus platyperus, graces the reverse of the brass 10 cents coin.

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The Seychelles Black Parrot, Coracopsis nigra barklyi, is a sombre-coloured, medium-sized parrot endemic to the Seychelles. It is shown on the reverse of the 25 cents coin of 1976.

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The 50 cents coin features the vanilla orchid, Vanilla planifolia.

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Obverse of the 1976 1 rupee, featuring the portrait of President James Mancham.






A Triton conch shell graces the reverse of the 1 rupee coin.

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The Coco de Mer (Lodoicea maldivica), the sole member of the genus Lodoicea.

This palm tree is endemic to the islands of Praslin and Curieuse in the Seychelles.

The 5 rupees coin featured a design of a coco de mer tree on its reverse.

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The green turtle appears once more on the reverse of the 10 rupees coin.

This, and all the other reverse designs of 1976, was the work of Suzanne Danielli.

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Seychelles, 5 rupees.  The word "INDEPENDENCE" was removed from the reverse of all coins dated 1977.
In June 1977 President Mancham was deposed in a coup by Prime Minister France-Albert René, who had the support of Tanzanian-trained revolutionaries and Tanzanian-supplied weapons, whilst Mancham was attending the Commonwealth Heads of Government Conference in London. Mancham lived in exile in London until April 1992.

As a result, Mancham's portrait was removed from the coins dated 1977 and replaced by the coat of arms of the Seychelles.

See: Seychelles: trial coins of 1977 that featured ousted President Mancham.

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Seychelles, 10 cents, 1977.  Three of the coins now carried a FAO slogan, in place of the word "INDEPENDENCE".

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Seychelles, 5 cents, 1977.  Obverse.



Seychelles, 5 cents, 1977, with FAO slogan.