Catalog
10 Scellini / 10 Somali Shillings
| Issuer | Banca Nazionale Somala |
|---|---|
| Year | 1966-1971 |
| Type | Standard circulation banknote |
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| Obverse description | The obverse is dominated by a central guilloche underprint in green tones, with a bird vignette set within an oval medallion at left. The bank title 'BANCA NAZIONALE SOMALA' runs across the top, the large numeral '10' and denomination 'SCELLINI / SOMALI SHILLINGS' occupy the centre, and the imprint 'MOGADISCIO' with the issue year appears at the foot. Two signature lines for the President and the head of the Board of Auditors are printed below the central text, with corner numeral panels and serial number fields framing the design. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The reverse carries an intaglio vignette on the right half portraying a riverbank landscape with trees lining the water's edge, rendered in finely engraved linework in green. The left half is occupied by a large blank panel reserved for the watermark, framed by interlocking guilloche borders. The bank name in Arabic script appears at the top, with the denomination in Arabic numerals and Arabic script at the lower right. |
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| Comments |
The Banca Nazionale Somala was established in 1960 following the union of the former Trust Territory of Somalia and British Somaliland, and this series reflects the bilingual compromise baked into the new state — "Scellini" for the Italian-speaking south, "Shillings" for the north. Thomas De La Rue handled the printing throughout the series run, a common arrangement for newly independent African states that lacked domestic printing infrastructure and needed internationally trusted paper currency quickly.
Pick 6 spans a five-year issue window, meaning date variants exist and matter to collectors. The watermark is the sole mechanical security feature — no security thread in this series.