1 Cent

The Bahamas gained full independence from Britain on July 10, 1973, and the first domestically issued coinage followed in 1974 — this cent among them. The Central Bank had been established only in 1974 itself, making these early issues the first struck entirely under Bahamian monetary authority rather than as a colonial or transitional series.

The nickel brass alloy chosen here was a deliberate cost-conscious decision common among newly independent Caribbean states in the 1970s, balancing durability against the expense of a pure copper or bronze composition.