Catalog
1 Penny - Elizabeth II
| Issuer | Rhodesia and Nyasaland |
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| Year | 1955-1963 |
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| Technique | Milled |
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| Obverse description | Central round hole flanked by two rearing elephants facing each other in mirror image, their raised forelegs nearly touching above the hole. The design is rendered in bold relief with strong naturalistic detail. The circular legend QUEEN ELIZABETH THE SECOND runs around the periphery of the coin in raised Latin lettering. |
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| Reverse description | Central round hole around which the denomination ONE PENNY curves in raised lettering. Flanking sprigs of foliage extend symmetrically around the central hole, with the country name RHODESIA AND NYASALAND arching around the upper periphery. The date appears at the bottom of the coin, separated by raised dots serving as dividers, all in Latin script. |
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| Additional information |
The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland existed for just ten years before dissolving under the pressure of African nationalist movements and British decolonization policy. These pennies were struck throughout nearly the entire life of the federation, which was wound up on 31 December 1963 — making later-dated examples coins of a state that ceased to exist within months of their minting. The federation itself was an uneasy political construct from the start, opposed by African leaders in Nyasaland and Northern Rhodesia who correctly read it as an instrument of white minority entrenchment.