Zimbabwe,
formerly known as Rhodesia
and
once one of the richest countries in
Africa, is undergoing a complete political and economic meltdown under
the misrule of Robert Mugabe. He has clung onto power despite losing
the election in March, 2008, thus worsening the political and economic
crises. Despite the government "outlawing inflation" (which is about as
effective as outlawing the tides from rising), prices continue to soar
out of control,
with inflation reaching 231 million percent per year due to a severe
shortage of even the most basic goods and the government printing ever
more currency. Rather than issuing regular banknotes, the
Reserve
Bank of Zimbabwe resorted to issuing bearer checks. In an unsuccessful
effort to control inflation by limiting the ever growing money supply.
the checks have an expiration date a few months into the
future.
A similar technique was tried, also unsuccessfully, during Germany’s
hyperinflation.
The expiration date on the money only encouraged people to spend the
notes faster, thus furthering inflation due to the higher velocity of
money in circulation.
On May 15 the government began to issue
"Special
Agro-Cheques" in even higher denominations. They were similar to
the bearer checks, however they were originally intended for use by
farmers.
Due to the spiraling inflation they soon entered
general circulation as ever
higher denominated notes were needed to conduct commerce. The $5
Billion Agro-cheque bill is dated 2 weeks after the $500 Million
bill. It too expires December 31, 2008. With the value of the
currency collapsing, people would buy whatever
goods they could find, in hopes of later trading the goods for
something they might need. This caused further shortages of
goods
and
continued the inflationary pressure. The government responded
by
printing even more money. On July 2 Zimbabwe issued a new $100 Billion
Agro-Cheque. It this
too
expires on December
31, 2008. In July,
2008, in an effort to exert pressure on President Mugabe to
step down, the European Union asked that European companies stop doing
business with the Zimbabwe government. This
restricted the
supply of paper needed to print the ever higher denomination banknotes,
and parts needed to maintain
the overworked currency printing presses. The
inability to
print more money however did not stop the government. On
August
1, Zimbabwe revalued their currency, removing 10 zeros from the
monetary value, thus 1 new Zimbabwe Dollar was worth 10,000,000,000 of
the previous Zimbabwe Dollars. The government had previously
prepared for a revaluation and had previously printed banknotes on
hand. The newly released Zimbabwe $5 note is dated 2007.
Pictured
on the front is the Chiremba balancing rock formation. The
reverse pictures the Kariba Dam and Reservoir and an
elephant. As
part of the August
1, 2008 revaluation Zimbabwe issued a 10 Dollar coin and a 25 Dollar
coin that had been minted in 2003, but had not been
released.
Both coins picture the ancient stone Zimbabwe bird on the obverse. The
$25 coin (replaces $250,000,000,000.00 of the old currency) pictures a
group of soldiers on the reverse. The $10 coin (worth
$100,000,000,000.00 of the old currency) pictures the head of
a
water buffalo. In addition, the previous low denomination
coins
of 10 cents and above, which had been out of circulation for years due
to their lack of
buying power, were reintroduced at their full face value.
Thus,
with the previous revaluation of the Zimbabwe Dollar in 2006, the face
value of the coins were effectively
increased by 10 trillion-fold!
Zimbabweans were diving into
fountains in an attempt
to recover the
previously worthless coins. Some even demanded that beggers
return they had previously thrown at them. The new coins and
bills however circulated only very briefly.
Inflation
continued to increase and within a a few weeks the coins and new $5
note ceased to circulate as they were replaced with higher
value notes.
We are pleased to offer you
the following
Zimbabwe notes and
coins: the
newly released 2007 5 Dollar note, the 2003 Zimbabwe $10 and $25 coins,
the Five Hundred Million Dollar bearer check banknote of May
2008, the 5 Billion Dollar Agro-Cheque of May 15, 2008,
the 100
Billion
Dollar Agro-Cheque dated July 1, 2008. We
also offer the set of previous (and recently revalued)
Zimbabwe
coins. The 8 coin set includes the 1, 5, 10, 20, 50
Cents 10 Cents, 20 Cents, 50 Cents, 1 Dollar, 2 Dollar and
bimetallic 5 Dollar
coins dating from 1997 and 2002. The bimetallic 5
Dollars showing a Rhino, the 2 Dollars
showing a Scaly Anteater, the 1 Dollar depicts the Great Zimbabwe Stone
Fort, the 50 Cents shows a sunrise, the 20
Cents pictures the Birchenough Bridge, the 10 Cents shows a baobab
tree, the 5 Cents pictures a rabbit, and the 1 Cent features the
denomination. The ancient stone Zimbabwe is bird on the obverse of each
coin. All items are Uncirculated.
NEW
HIGH DENOMINATION ZIMBABWE NOTES
TRILLION DOLLAR BANKNOTES FROM
ZIMBABWE
ZIMBABWE REVALUES ITS CURRENCY AGAIN!
PRE & POST GENOCIDE RWANDA
COIN SETS

Two
privately issued
Essai (pattern) coins were recently released for the African nation of
Niger. The gold 25,000 Francs contains .25 troy oz. of gold
and
has a mintage of only 85 pieces. It pictures a Caracal, also
known as a Desert Lynx and is part of a series of gold coins depicting
African Wildlife. The silver 2,500 Francs contains .25 troy
oz of
.999 fine silver and has a mintage of just 850 pieces. It
depicts
John Brown, a violent, militant American abolitionist whose
unsuccessful raid on the federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry, Virginia
made him a martyr of the anti-slavery movement. The coins are dated
2007 and arms of Niger is on the obverse. Both coins are 27mm in
diameter. They are one of the few coins issued for this
African
nation.

Two
privately issued Essai (pattern) coins were recently released for the
African nation of Senegal. The gold 25,000 Francs contains
.25
troy oz. of gold and has a mintage of only 85 pieces. It
pictures
a running Cheetah. The Cheetah is the fastest animal, able to reach
speeds of up to 120 kilometres per hour (75 mph) and has the ability to
accelerate from 0 to 110 kilometres per hour (68 mph) in three seconds,
which is better than most sports cars. The silver 2,500 Francs contains
.25 troy oz of .999 fine silver and has a mintage of just 850
pieces. It depicts François-Dominique Toussaint
Louverture, the Haitian leader who abolished slavery throughout
Hispaniola. The coins are dated 2007 and arms of Senegal is on the
obverse. Both coins are 27mm in diameter. They are one of the
few
coins issued for this African nation.

Two
privately issued Essai (pattern) coins were recently released for the
African nation of Mali. The
gold 25,000 Francs contains
.25 troy oz. of gold and has a mintage of only 85 pieces. It
pictures a lion and is part of a series of gold coins
depicting African Wildlife. The silver 2,500 Francs contains
.25
troy oz of
.999 fine silver and has a mintage of just 850 pieces. It
depicts
Frederick Douglas, who helped lead the movement to abolish slavery in
the United States. The coins are dated 2007 and
arms of Mali
is on the reverse. Both coins are 27mm in diameter. 

Two
privately issued Essai (pattern) coins were recently released for the
African nation of Ivory Coast (also known as Cote d'Ivorie).
The
gold 25,000 Francs contains
.25 troy oz. of gold and has a mintage of only 85 pieces. It
pictures an Olive Baboon and is part of a series of gold coins
depicting African Wildlife. The silver 2,500 Francs contains
.25
troy oz of
.999 fine silver and has a mintage of just 850 pieces. It
depicts
the seal of the Quaker-led Society for Effecting the Abolition of the
Slave Trade. This symbol developed in 1787. was used by abolitionist
groups on both sides of the Atlantic.. The coins are dated 2007 and
arms of Ivory Coast (Cote d'Ivorie)
is on the reverse. Both coins are 27mm in diameter. Considering the low
mintage and that and how
few coins Ivory Coast has issued. I expect that these
will be very popular.

Two
privately issued Essai (pattern) coins were recently released for the
African nation of Benin (formerly known as Dahomey). The gold
25,000 Francs contains
.25 troy oz. of gold and has a mintage of only 85 pieces. It
pictures a Bongo and is part of a series of gold coins
depicting African Wildlife. The silver 2,500 Francs contains
.25
troy
oz of
.999 fine silver and has a mintage of just 850 pieces. It
depicts
Olaudah Equiano (also known as Gustavus Vassa), a former slave whose
writings about the horrors of slavery helped further the
abolitionist cause in Great Britain. The coins are dated 2007
and
arms of Benin
is on the reverse. Both coins are 27mm in diameter.
They
are attractive, low mintage, precious
metal coins.

Two
privately issued Essai (pattern) coins were recently released for the
African nation of Burkina Faso. The gold 25,000 Francs
contains
.25 troy oz. of gold and has a mintage of only 85 pieces. It
pictures an Elephant and is the first in a series African Wildlife
protection coins. The silver 2,500 Francs contains .25 troy
oz of
.999 fine silver and has a mintage of just 850 pieces. It
depicts
William Wilburforce, the famed British abolitionist and is the first in
a series of coins commemorating the 200th anniversary of abolition of
Slavery by Great Britain. The coins are dated 2007 and arms of Burkina
Faso
is on the reverse. Both coins are 27mm in diameter.
Considering
the low mintage and that Burkina
Faso has issued only one other collectible coin, I expect that these
will be very popular.

The silver 2500 Franc coin from Togo pictures French abolitionist
Victor Schoelcher. Victor Schoelcher worked to end slavery on
the
sugar plantations in the French colonies in the Caribbean. He is
pictured on one side, while the arms of Togo are on the
other.
The
privately issued Essai (pattern) silver 2,500 Francs contains .25 troy
oz of
.999 fine silver and has a mintage of just 850 pieces. The coin is
dated 2007 and is Brilliant Uncirculated. The 2007 gold 25000
Francs pictures a Giant Pangolin, also known as a scaly anteater,
on the reverse and the Togo arms on
the obverse.The
privately issued Essai (pattern) coin is 27mm in diameter and
contains .25 oz. of .999 fine gold. It has a mintage of only
55
pieces in Brilliant Uncirculated and just 30 pieces in Proof.






These scarce
aluminum 1 and 2
Franc coins from the French colony of Togo were minted only a single
year, in 1948. The coins have the standard design that France
used for its African colonies after World War II. The figure
of
Marianne and some ships on the obverse and a Loder’s Gazelle and the
name of the “Territoire du Togo” on the reverse. The coins
appear
to have been buried as they are dirty, spotted and show signs of minor
corrosion. 

These
two
2004 dated 750 Franc coins from the Cameroons are a bit unusual. Both
coins have the same design; however one is bi-metallic while the other
struck in blue cobalt plated iron., giving it a slight blueish
tinge. They honor the Pygmies and feature a small
standing
pygmy on one side. The other side features an elephant’s head
on
a map of Africa. The coins are 20mm in diameter.
Only 2500
of the blue cobalt plated iron coins were struck and 2005 of the
bimetallic coins were struck, making them rather scarce.
Nigeria recently issued
three new
coins: a 50 Kobo, a bimetallic 1 Naira and a bimetallic 2
Naira
dated 2006. Taira pictures the national assembly
building.
The 1 Naira portrays Herbert Maculay, one of the leaders of the
Nigerian independence movement. Ears of corn are on the 50
Kobo. The coins are Uncirculated, however there may be a few
minor spots.
Madagascar
is a large
island nation located off the east coast of Africa. Its coins
The
seven coins in The two lowest denominations are denominated in both the
traditional Francs, while the higher denominations denominated in
Ariary a new monetary unit worth 5 Francs. The 1
and 5
Francs/1 Ariary picture a cow's head on one side and a
poinsettia
on the other. The 2 Ariary coins both feature a cow's head on
one
side and a vanilla plant on the other. The copper-plated
steel 5
Ariary features a rice plant. The seven-sided 10 Ariary shows
a
farmer cutting peat. The nickel plated steel 20 Ariary shows
a
farmer plowing his field, while the 50 Ariary shows a pair of baobab
trees. The coins date from 1996 to 2005 and are Brilliant
Uncirculated.
After
Germany invaded France in
World War II, the French administrators in Africa declared their
colonies to be under the control of Free France, rather than submit to
German rule. They arranged to have coins struck for the
colonies
at the South African mint. The coins, dated 1943 include
a number of patriotic French symbols in order to emphasize their
independence
from the Germans. The obverse features a rooster, the
national
symbol
of France, a shield with the letters “RF” for “Republique Francaise”,
and
the name of the colony. The reverse shows a Patriarchal Cross
and
the
French mottos “Liberte Egalite, Fraternite” and “Honneur,
Patrie”. We offer both the 50 centimes and 1 Franc of
Cameroons,
located on the coast of West Africa, and the 50 Centimes of
Madagascar. The Madagascar issue was one of the
first coins
ever issued for the country. The coin still retains much of
its
original luster, though has a few spots.
The
Seychelles are a
group of 85 small islands in the Indian Ocean 600 miles ( 965km.)
north-east of Madagascar.
This six
coin set features flora and fauna of the islands. A mud crab is on the
1 Cent. A tapioca plant is on the 5 Cents. The 10
Cents
pictures a yellowfin tuna. A black parrot is on the 25
Cents. A triton conch shell is on the 1 Rupee. The 5 Rupees
shows
a fruit tree. The national arms supported by two sailfish, is
on
the reverse of each coins. The coins date from 1997 to 2004
and
are Uncirculated.
Namibia is one of Africa's
newest independent
countries.
Originally
German South-West Africa, South Africa took over the
administration
under the League of Nations after Germany's defeat in World
War
I.
After over 40 years of disputes between South Africa and the United
Nations,
Namibia finally gained its independence in 1990. The country is mostly
desert, however it contains rich diamond mines and mineral
deposits.
Its first coins were issued in 1993. This set includes all
five
of Namibia's regular issue coins. The 5, 10, 50 Cents struck in
nickel-plated
steel and the brass 1 and 5 Dollar coins. The 1 Dollar
features a
hawk while the 5 Dollar shows an eagle in flight.
The three
lower denominations feature native trees. The coins date
from 1993 to 2006 and are Uncirculated.
Item NA-SET5 NAMIBIA
5 COIN SET 5 CENTS - 5 DOLLARS, UNC $11.00




This
1975 aluminum 1 Centimo is one of the first coins minted by Mozambique
after gaining independence from Portugal. Because of severe inflation
caused by a civil war, the coin was never released into circulation and
most of the mintage was melted. Only a very small number of
pieces are
thought to have survived. The coin catalogs $120.00. Our
price is
less
than half of that!

Edward VIII reigned for less
than a year in 1936, before he renounced
the throne in order that he could marry Mrs. Wallace Simpson, an
American
divorcee. The British colonies of East Africa was one of the
few
places
that managed to issue a coin in his name before Edward renounced the
throne
for love. We offer the bronze East African 5 Cents and 10 Cents from
Edward VIII's short reign. Both coins have the same design.
One
side of the coin
shows four elephant tusks. The other shows the imperial crown
and
the name of the monarch. The coin has a center hole to make
it
easy
for natives without pockets to carry the coin on a string and to make
the coins easy to distinguish from the British half penny and penny
which were approximately the same size.
British
East Africa is now the independent nations of Uganda,
Kenya, Tanzania and Somaliland.
UNUSUAL
NEW GUINEA PENNY OF EDWARD VIII
COIN
SET FROM TINY LESOTHO
Lesotho
is a small kingdom, completely surrounded by South
Africa.
This seven coin set includes all seven coins issued for
circulation. The designs feature the nation's culture and
heritage.
All seven coins feature the national arms on one side. The 5
Licente
features native huts next to a tall tree. The 10 Lisente
shows an
angora goat. Mohair is one of Lesotho's chief
exports.
Plants
are on the 20 Lisente. A man on horseback is on the 50
Lisente.
One of its early kings, Moshoeshoe I is shown seated in native garb on
the 1 Loti. Maize and wheat are on the 2 and 5 Maloti. Both
are
important crops for this poor nation. The coins date from 1996 to 1998
and make an
interesting set from this
small African
nation.
Swaziland is a small, peaceful and relatively prosperous
kingdom tucked between South Africa and Mozambique. Its young king,
Msawati III, wearing a traditional Swazi crown, is on the front of the
coins. The reverses of the coins reflect Swazi
heritage.
The 5 Cents shows an Arum Lily, the 10 Cents shows sugar cane, an
important crop for the nation. An Elephant head is shown on
the
20 Cents. The Swazi arms supported by a lion and an elephant
are
on the 50 cent. The 1 Lilangeni shows the king's mother, who
wields significant power in this tradition based nation. The
2
Emalageni shows a lilly. The 1999 5 Emalageni commemorates
the
25th Anniversary of the Central Bank of Swaziland. I suspect
there are very few Swazi citizens who really care about the Central
Bank's anniversary. The three lowest
denominations have scalloped edges and the 50 cent is
multi-sided. The 1 Lilangeni is round, though rather thick. 

SOMALIA
12 COIN CHINESE ZODIAC SET FEATURES ANIMALS
MULTI-COLORED
MOTORCYCLE COINS FROM
THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF
SOMALIA
GUITAR
COINS FROM THE SOMALI REPUBLIC
AFRICAN
WILDLIFE ON COINS OF SOMALIA
WARLORD
NOTE OF SOMALIA
After the collapse of the
government of Somalia in the 1990's, the northern portion of the
country, once known as British Somaliland, declared independence.
Despite the lack of international recognition, it has one of the better
functioning
governments in Africa. This set contains
five
coins
of Somaliland. Sir Richard R. Burton, the 19th century
explorer
and
writer who explored the area, is portrayed on the 2002 5 Shilling coin.
Another
2002-dated 5 Shilling coin pictures a chicken. A mother and
baby
Elephant is ont he 2005-dated 5 Shilling.. A monkey is on
the2002-dated 10
Shilling coin, while a greyhound dog is on the 2002-dated 20 Shilling
coin. It is an interesting and attractive set.
SIGNS OF
THE WESTERN ZODIAC ON COINS OF SOMALILAND
African dictator Mobuto Sese Seko renamed his country, formerly known
as Congo Democratic Republic, to Zaire. He
also
called the monetary unit of his country Zaire. Zaire is a local name
for
the Congo River. This three coin set includes the
1, 5 and
10
Zaires, dated 1987 and 1988. As might be expected, Mobuto is
pictured
on his coins. After years of mismanagement he was finally
overthrown
in 1997, and the country was again renamed the Congo
Democratic
Republic. Each of the coins was struck only a single year,
the 1
and
5 Zaires are dated 1987 while the 10 Zaires is dated 1988. All three
coins
are Uncirculated. Together they have a catalog value of
$13.50.
Our price is much less.
ELEPHANTS
FROM THE BELGIAN CONGO
The
West African States is a monetary union consisting of Benin,
Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Mali, Niger, Senegal and Togo. The
Monetary Union issues coins and currency for use in all the member
nations, thus the member nations issue few coins in their own
names. The Monetary Union recently released two new
bimetallic coins, a 200 Franc and a 500 Franc, both dated
2003.
The coins portray a native mask on one side, and
native crops on the other.
The West African States is a monetary union made up of former
French
colonies in Western Africa. They all use a common currency
and
the same coins in all the countries. Until now, the member
nations have issued few, if any coins under their own name.
In
2003 coins were issued for all seven members of the West African States
through the West African Development Bank.
Benin issued a nickel-plated steel 1500 Franc coin that
features
a buffalo and a bird. Burkina Faso, formerly known as Upper Volta,
released its first coin ever. It is a bi-metallic
(aluminum-bronze/copper-nickel) 6000 Franc coin that features birds and
a Rhinoceros. From Ivory Coast (Cote d'Ivoire) comes its first coin
since 1966. It is a nickel-plated steel 1500 Franc coin that
features a pair of elephants embracing each other with their trunks.
The nickel-plated steel 1500 Franc coin of Mali features a
Gazelle under a tree. Niger issued its first coin since 1968, and its
first ever non-precious metal coin. It is a brass-colored 3000 Francs
that features
a lion. Senegal issued its first ever non-precious metal
coin. It
is
an aluminum-bronze 3000 Franc coin that features a Galago, a small
primate that is commonly called a Bush Baby. Togo issued three
bi-metallic 6000
Franc coins. The first features a pair of embracing elephants. Another
features
a bare-breasted Guin woman. The third features Gnassingbe
Eyadema,
who has served as President of that nation continuously since 1967,
making
him the longest ruling leader in Africa. The coin lists the
dates
of
his Presidency as 1967 - 2003, as he had previously had announced he
would
retire in 2003. Like so many African rulars, he decided not
to
retire
after all. (suprise, suprise!).
The coins have a mintage of only 1200 pieces each.
As might
be expected, most of the coins were grabbed by government and bank
officials upon their release. Because these nations have
issued
so few coins, they are avidly sought after by one-coin-from-a-country
collectors, as well as animal collectors. We sold out of most
issues the first time we
offered these, however were lucky enough to find a new supply.
Benin
recently released a coin denominated in three different
currencies! The coin is denominated in the local currency:
1500
CFA Francs, a common currency
used by a number of African nations that were once French
colonies. More unusual is that the coin is also denominated
as
2.30 Euros and 3.45 Swiss
Francs. The 2005 coin was issued to honor (and sell at) the
2005
coin
fairs in Basel, Switzerland and Piacenza, Italy. The coin features a
map
of Europe highlighting the 25 members of the European Union plus
Switzerland. The coin has a mintage of only 2005 pieces.
COW
& CALF ON UGANDAN COMMEMORATIVE 1968 5 SHILLINGS
COIN
The Gambia occupies a long
(295
miles, 475km.), narrow (7 to 35 miles, 11 to 48km.) strip of land along
the banks of the Gambia river in Western Africa. The British purchased
it in 1588 making it the first possession in what was to become
Britain's vast African empire! It was granted independence in
1970. In 1998, its newly elected government
introduced this
series of six new coins featuring the nations coat-of-arms on one side.
The other side featured
important native plants and animals. The bronze 1 Butut features the
nations
chief export: peanuts. A native sailboat is on the 5 Bututs. The 10
Bututs
shows a native partridge. An oil palm is on the 25 Bututs. An ox is on
the
50 Bututs. The seven-sided 1 Dalasi features a native crocodile. The
set
is quite popular. We have completely sold out each time we
have
offered
these attractive coins.
The Saharawi Arab Democratic
Republic used to be known as The Spanish Sahara or Western
Sahara. After the Spanish left, Morocco invaded, taking the
territory for themselves. Since then there has been a low
level guerilla war and repeated promises for a vote to resolve who
controls the territory, but little progress towards a peaceful
settlement. This three coin set includes the copper-nickel 1, 2 and 5
Peseta dated 1992. All three feature a man leading his camel.
AFRICAN BI-METALLICS CELEBRATE VISITS BY
POPE JOHN PAUL II
ELEPHANTS
ON OLD LIBERIA
HALF CENTS
HIPPO ON MALI’S FIRST COIN
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