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1 Crown - Elizabeth II Cecil Rhodes
| Issuer | Southern Rhodesia (1932-1955) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1953 |
| Type | Commemorative circulation coin |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Facing bust of Cecil John Rhodes, colonial magnate and Prime Minister of the Cape Colony, depicted within a central circle. Below the portrait, three heraldic shields represent the territories he developed: Northern Rhodesia to the left, Southern Rhodesia at centre, and Nyasaland to the right. The shields are flanked on either side by ornamental laurel wreaths tied with ribbon banners. The denomination CROWN appears at the base, with commemorative dates 1853 and 1902 referencing Rhodes's birth and death years, and the issue year 1953 completing the inscription. |
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| Mintage | 1953 - - 123,500 1953 - Matte Proof - 1953 - Proof - 1,500 |
| Additional information |
Issued to mark the centenary of Cecil Rhodes's birth, this crown appeared the same year Southern Rhodesia joined the short-lived Central African Federation alongside Northern Rhodesia and Nyasaland — a political arrangement that would collapse within a decade under the weight of African nationalist opposition. Rhodes died in 1902 having never seen the territory named after him achieve even basic self-governance, yet the colonial administration was still invoking his name fifty years later as a legitimizing symbol.
The .500 fine silver content reflects postwar British Commonwealth minting economics, consistent with the reduced fineness adopted across sterling-area crowns from 1920 onward.