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1 Leone
| Issuer | Bank of Sierra Leone |
|---|---|
| Year | 1964-1970 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Size | 158 x 76 mm |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | BANK OF SIERRA LEONE PROMISE TO PAY ON DEMAND THE SUM OF ONE LEONE THOMAS DE LA RUE & COMPANY, LIMITED GOVERNOR DEPUTY GOVERNOR DIRECTORS |
| Reverse description | The central vignette illustrates an open-cast diamond mining scene, with numerous workers engaged in excavation and sorting operations within a large pit, rendered in fine intaglio engraving in green. The bank title 'BANK OF SIERRA LEONE' runs across the top, and the denomination 'ONE LEONE' is lettered at the bottom centre. Decorative lathe-work panels border both vertical margins, each incorporating a small circular medallion with the national arms. |
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| Comments |
The Bank of Sierra Leone was established by statute in 1963, and this note — P#1 — belongs to the inaugural series issued when the Leone replaced the British West African pound following independence. The Leone was introduced at a rate of two to the pound, a clean decimal break that simplified transactions but required a complete re-education of the public on valuation.
Thomas De La Rue handled the print run from their London works, the default choice for nearly every newly independent British African territory during this period. The watermark remains the sole security provision — modest even by early 1960s standards.