Catalog
10 Shillings
| Issuer | Bank of Biafra |
|---|---|
| Year | 1968-1969 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Pound (1967-1970) |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Size | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Printer | Log in to see details |
| Designer(s) | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Log in to see details |
| Obverse description | Central vignette of a palm tree with a rising sun in orange at its base, set against a light guilloche underprint within an ornate intaglio border of fine wavy lines and scrollwork in black and orange. The serial number appears twice, in the upper centre and lower left, flanking the promise-to-pay text and the large bold denomination TEN SHILLINGS. Two facsimile signatures below the denomination identify the Governor and the Director, with an elaborate engine-turned rosette medallion at right. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Signature(s) | Sylvester U. Ugoh and William Okefie Uzoaga |
| Protection type | Log in to see details |
| Protection description | Log in to see details |
| Variants | Log in to see details |
| Comments |
The Bank of Biafra was established in 1968 to support the secessionist republic's war economy, issuing its own currency as a deliberate assertion of independence from Nigeria. By that point, Biafra was already under severe blockade, and the notes had limited practical reach — internal distribution was complicated by military pressure on the enclave's shrinking territory throughout 1968 and 1969.
Sylvester Ugoh served as the bank's governor; Uzoaga was his deputy. The secession collapsed in January 1970, rendering the entire currency issue obsolete within roughly two years of printing.