
After
Belgian Congo gained its independence in 1960, Belgium issued a coin
for what was left of its African territories: Rwanda and
Burundi. Only a single coin was issued for the joint
territory of
Rwanda-Burundi: a brass 1 Franc coin picturing a lion. The
1960
issue is rare due to its low mintage and few were saved from
circulation. We are pleased to offer this hard-to-find coin
at
almost half off of its $17.50 catalog value. The 1961 issue
is
much more widely available, so it costs less. In 1962, Rwanda and
Burundi were each granted independence.
British West Africa was a currency
union for Britain’s colonies in western Africa, including Nigeria,
Gambia, Gold Coast (now Ghana) and Sierra Leone. This 1938
copper-nickel 1/10 Penny was struck at privately owned Heaton Mint in
Birmingham, England. A small "H" mintmark appears just below the center
hole. It is one of the scarcest coins in the
series. Our price is less than half of its $40.00 catalog
value.
COINS FROM
BRITISH EAST AFRICA
Southern
Rhodesia, now known as Zimbabwe, issued this
silver 1 Crown in 1953 to celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the birth
of its founder, Cecil Rhodes. Rhodes is also noted for the
creation of DeBeers Mining and the Rhodes Scholarship. The
obverse pictures Queen Elizabeth. The reverse pictures
Rhodes,
along with the arms of Southern Rhodesia, Northern Rhodesia and
Nyasaland three British colonies that he helped found and were later
joined to form the short-lived Federation
of
Rhodesia & Nyasaland. The coin bears the lettered
edge “1853
OUT OF VISION CAME REALITY 1953”. The 39.5mm coin is struck
in
.500 fine silver and grades XF or better. It is the largest
and
highest denomination coin struck by Southern Rhodesia.
The
Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland was formed in 1953 by
combining Britain's colonies in central Africa. This attractive bronze
penny pictures a pair of elephants that are standing on their hind legs
and appear to be dancing! The coin was struck with a hole to
make
it easy to distinguish from other denominations and to allow natives
without pockets to easily carry the coins in strings. The coin is dated
1962 and is Brilliant Uncirculated. Tensions between the former
colonies mounted over the governance of the Federation. The short-lived
Federation was dissolved in 1964, becoming the independent nations of Zambia, Malawi,
and Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe).
French West
Africa was
an administrative and monetary union created by France to provide a
common currency for its
territories and colonies in Western Africa including what are now the
independent nations of Benin (Dahomey),
Burkina Faso (Upper Volta), Ivory Coast, Mali (French Sudan),
Mauratania, Niger and Senegal. These aluminum 1 and 2 Franc coins dated
1948 are some of the few coins issued for French West Africa.
Both coins feature the standard design that France used for it's
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 territory on the
reverse. After the constituent members gained independence,
the
union evolved into what is now the West
African States.
Portugal
struck
this aluminum 10 Centavos in 1973 for its
colony of Portuguese Guinea. Portugal’s costly wars, in an
effort
to keep control of her African colonies, resulted in a military coup in
Portugal in April 1974. The new government quickly granted independence
to most of Portugal’s overseas colonies. In
September 1974,
Portuguese Guinea was granted independence and became the nation of
Guinea-Bisseau. The coin has a mintage of only 100,000
pieces, of
which only a few thousand were released. We are pleased to
offer
this scarce coin at less than a third of its catalog price of $40.00!
The British Caribbean Territories - Eastern Group, was a
monetary
union
created in 1950 to provide a common currency for a number of Britain’s
colonies
in the Caribbean. Included were British Guiana (now Guyana),
British
Virgin Islands, Anguilla, Antigua, St. Kitts, Nevis, Grenada, St.
Lucia,
St. Vincent and Dominica. The British Carribbean Territories was
replaced
by the East Caribbean States
when the
territories
gained independence from Great Britain in the 1960's and
1970's.
This
bronze 1955 half cent was one of the first coins issued for the
Territories.
Pictured on the coin is Queen Elizabeth. The coin has a
catalog
value
of $2.50, however our price is much less.
New Guinea
is one of
the least explored areas left on earth. Cannibalism is
reported
to be practiced in some remote areas. The native dress does
not include pockets, so the coins of New Guinea included a hole to
allow the
coins could be worn on a string. Because New Guinea
was a
British
Colony at the time, one side of the coin shows the imperial crown and
two
secpters. The other side shows traditional native
designs.
The
coin is struck in sterling silver and was issued intermittently between
1935
and 1945.
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. One of the
few
British colonies to issue a coin in his name was New Guinea, perhaps
one
of the wildest and remotest places on earth. This bronze one penny coin
has a center hole, to allow easy stringing by the natives.
Below
the hole is the King's monogram. Native designs are shown on both sides
of the coin. It is quite an unusual coin from an unusual location of a
short-reigning monarch.
EDWARD
VIII COIN FROM EAST AFRICA
UNUSUAL
SARAWAK RUBBER EXPORT COUPON
Trengganu,
now part of Malaysia,
was once an
independent sultanate. They
issued this 1 Pitis, or Keping coin during the 19th century.
The
crude, uniface coins is undated. Because the coin is made out
of
tin, a soft medal that corrodes easily, few coins have
survived. We are pleased to offer this
scarce coin
for far less than its $50 catalog value.
Malacca is located on the West
Coast of Malaysia.
During the 15th
Century it was the preeminent
commercial center in Southeast Asia. Its fine harbor helped
make
it the wealthiest and most powerful nation in the region, with traders
coming from India, Persia, Arabia and China. Almost all of
the
coins of the Sultanate were struck in Tin. This undated 15th
century tin Pitis is struck in the same in the name of Al Sultan Al
Adil, which translates as "The Just Sultan" The coins tend to
be
crude. Most were either melted or deteriorated in the tropical climate
making them very difficult for collectors to locate today.
In
1511 the
Portuguese conquered Malacca and ruled
it for the next 130 years. This tin Bastardo (they
had colorful
names for their coins in those days) was issued by Portuguese King Joao
III, who ruled from 1521
to 1557. The coin is approximately 28mm in diameter and was
struck at the Lisbon Mint for use in
Malacca. One side shows the Portuguese arms, while the other shows an
Armillary
sphere, which was a navigation instrument. The coin would grade Fine or
Very
Fine for wear, however it has a rough, pimply surface as is often found
on
old tin coins. It is a scarce and rarely offered coin.
Tibet is a fabled and
isolated country located high in the
Himalayas that is now controlled by China. This Tibetan
copper 1
Sho was issued from 1932 to 1942. It pictures a stylized and
the sun on
one side and had Tibetan legends on the other. The coins grade Fine to
Very Fine..
BRITISH EAST
AFRICAN COINS FROM THE SHORT
REIGN OF EDWARD VIII
TINY GOLD
COIN FROM DUTCH INDIA
DOUDOU OF
FRENCH INDIA
SCARCE
PORTUGUESE INDIA COIN SETS
NETHERLANDS
INDIES 1945 LIBERATION COINS MADE IN THE U.S.A.
ONLY COIN
OF TONKIN
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