Catalog
2 Rupien - Wilhelm II
| Issuer | Deutsch-Ostafrikanische Gesellschaft (German East Africa Company) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1893-1894 |
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| Shape | Round |
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| Obverse description | Left-facing uniformed bust of Kaiser Wilhelm II wearing a Pickelhaube (spiked helmet) surmounted by a spread eagle, with epaulettes and military decorations including a star-shaped order visible on his chest. The effigy is rendered in high relief with fine detail to the helmet fittings and uniform. A beaded border frames the design. The Latin legend GUILELMUS II IMPERATOR curves around the periphery. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Central cartouche-style shield featuring a palm tree with a rampant lion passant at its base, the date in an ornamental scroll beneath; the shield is flanked by acanthus scrollwork and decorative volutes. The denomination ZWEI RUPIEN appears in the lower legend between two five-pointed stars, while the issuer's name DEUTSCH-OSTAFRIKANISCHE GESELLSCHAFT curves around the upper periphery. The entire design is enclosed within a beaded border. |
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| Additional information |
The German East Africa Company issued these coins under its own authority before the German imperial government revoked the company's charter in 1891 — which makes the 1893–1894 dating anomalous at first glance. Production had been authorized prior to the charter's revocation, and striking continued into the early 1890s to fulfill outstanding contractual obligations for the territory's currency supply. By the time these pieces entered circulation in German East Africa, the colony was already transitioning toward direct imperial administration under the Kaiserliche Schutztruppe.
The .917 fineness is notably higher than contemporary German domestic silver coinage, a specification set deliberately to gain acceptance in East African trade networks where silver purity was tested by local merchants.