Catalog
1 Dalasi Opening of the Central Bank of The Gambia's Building
| Issuer | Central Bank of The Gambia |
|---|---|
| Year | 1978 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1 Dalasi (1 GMD) |
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| Obverse description | Executed in violet-purple intaglio, the obverse bears a portrait of Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara, First President of the Republic of The Gambia, at right, his title inscribed beneath. At left, a central vignette within an ornate guilloche frame presents a traditional sailing vessel on a river with palm trees and a low shoreline beyond. The bank title CENTRAL BANK OF THE GAMBIA arches across the top, while the denomination ONE DALASI and its Arabic equivalent appear in a central panel set against intricate lathe-work underprint. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | CENTRAL BANK OF THE GAMBIA PROMISE TO PAY ON DEMAND THE SUM OF ONE DALASI دالس كل بر دلس GENERAL MANAGER GOVERNOR SIR DAWDA KAIRABA JAWARA FIRST PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE GAMBIA |
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| Comments |
This note was issued specifically to commemorate the inauguration of the Central Bank of The Gambia's permanent headquarters — a building-opening note is an unusual enough occasion for a commemorative issue that it's worth pausing on. Most central banks mark institutional milestones with postage stamps or medals, not circulating currency. Bradbury Wilkinson, then still operating out of New Malden, handled the printing; they were the dominant British security printer for Commonwealth African issues throughout this period.
The two signatories — Palmer as Governor and Sisay as another senior officer — appear on what is a genuinely short-lived issue type. The Gambia's early dalasi series is thinly documented in specialist literature.