4047) Timor-Leste (or East Timor) Centavo Coins introduced in 2003:
Timor-Leste, also known as East Timor, officially the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, is a country in Southeast Asia.
It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the coastal exclave of Oecusse in the island's northwest, and the outer islands of Atauro and Jaco.
Timor-Leste shares a land border with Indonesia to the west, and Australia is the country's southern neighbour, across the Timor Sea.
The country's size is 14,950 square kilometres (5,770 sq mi). Dili, on the north coast of Timor, is its capital and largest city.
Timor was settled over time by various Papuan and Austronesian peoples, which created a diverse mix of cultures and languages linked to both Southeast Asia and Melanesia.
East Timor came under Portuguese influence in the sixteenth century, remaining a Portuguese colony until 1975.
Internal conflict preceded a unilateral declaration of independence and an Indonesian invasion and annexation.
The subsequent Indonesian occupation was characterised by extreme abuses of human rights, including torture and massacres, a series of events named the East Timor genocide.
Resistance continued throughout Indonesian rule and in 1999, a United Nations–sponsored act of self-determination led to Indonesia relinquishing control of the territory.
On 20 May 2002, as Timor-Leste, it became the first new sovereign state of the 21st century.
That same year, relations with Indonesia were established and normalised, with Indonesia also supporting Timor-Leste's accession into ASEAN.
The national government is a semi-presidential system, with the popularly elected president sharing power with a prime minister appointed by the National Parliament.
Power is centralised under the national government, although many local leaders have informal influence.
The country maintains a policy of international cooperation and is a member of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries, an observer of the Pacific Islands Forum, and is in negotiations to join ASEAN by October 2025.
The country remains relatively poor, with an economy that relies heavily on natural resources, especially oil, and foreign aid.
The total population is over 1.34 million at the 2022 census, and is heavily skewed towards young people due to a high fertility rate.
Education has led to increasing literacy over the past half-century, especially in the two official languages of Portuguese and Tetum.
East Timor is the only sovereign country in Asia where Portuguese is an official language.
High ethnic and linguistic diversity is reflected by the 30 indigenous languages spoken in the country. The majority of the population is Catholic, which coexists alongside strong local traditions and beliefs, especially in rural areas.
"Timor" is derived from Timur, meaning 'East' in Malay, thus resulting in a tautological place name meaning 'East East'.
In Indonesian, this results in the name Timor Timur (the name of the former de facto Indonesian province; Timor Leste is used instead to refer to the country).
In Portuguese, the country is called Timor-Leste (Leste meaning 'east'). In Tetum, it is Timór Lorosa'e (Lorosa'e can be literally translated as 'where the sun rises').
The official names under its constitution are "Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste" in English, "República Democrática de Timor-Leste" in Portuguese, and "Repúblika Demokrátika Timór-Leste" in Tetum.
The evolution of the Timur-Leste currency:
Earlier currencies issued by Timor-Leste, were the Portuguese Timorese Escudo and Portuguese Timorese pataca.
Timor-Leste Centavo Coins:
Centavo de Timor-Leste (Portuguese)
Doit Timór-Leste nian (Tetum)
Coins issued in various denominations are:
- 1, 5, 10, 25, 50, 100 and 200 centavos which were introduced in Timor-Leste (East Timor) in 2003 for use alongside United States dollar banknotes and coins, which were introduced in 2000 to replace the Indonesian rupiah following the commencement of U.N. administration.
- The Centavos Coins feature images of local plants and animals.
- In 2013 a 100 centavos coin was introduced followed by a 200 centavos coin in 2017.
As of 2024, Timor-Leste does not yet issue its own banknotes.
The Centavo Coins:
The Centavo Coins are minted in Lisbon by the Imprensa Nacional-Casa da Moeda, the Portuguese national mint.
Unlike coins issued for the Panamanian balboa or the Ecuadorian centavo, the East Timorese coins are not identical in size to their U.S. cent counterparts.
Timor-Leste Centavo Coins:
The specifications of this coin are:
1 centavo 17 mm Nickel-coated steel 3.1 g Nautilus shell, state title, year of emission Value, word centavo or centavos, kaibauk representation below value, tais pattern along border.
This 5 Centavos Coin shows a Rice Plant. The Coin was was issued in 2011.
The specifications of this coin are:
5 centavos 18.75 mm 4.1 g Rice plant, state title, year of emission.
The 10 centavos coin shows a fighting rooster. This Coin was issued in 2011.
The specifications of this coin are:
10 centavos 20.75 mm 5.2 g Fighting rooster, state title, year of emission.
The 25 Centavos Coin shows a traditional fishing boat. This Coin was issued in 2017.
The specifications of this coin are:
25 centavos 21.25 mm Nickel-brass 5.85 g Traditional fishing boat (beiro), state title, year of emission
The 50 Centavos Coin depicts Coffee Beans. This Coin was issued in 2013.
The specifications of this coin are:
50 centavos 25 mm 6.5 g Coffee beans, state title, year of emission
The 100 Centavos Coin presents Boaventura de Manufahi, the Freedom Fighter against the Portuguese. This Coin was issued in 2012.
The specifications of this coin are:
100 centavos 23.75 mm Nickel-brass ring with a cupronickel center plug 7.25 g Boaventura de Manufahi; state title, year of emission
The 200 Centavos Coin presents a Swamp Buffalo in a Paddy Field. This Coin was issued in 2017.
The specifications of this Coin are:
200 centavos 25.5 mm Cupronickel ring with a brass center plug 8.46 g Swamp buffalo in rice paddy with Matebian background; state title, year of emission.
