Catalog
2 Shillings
| Issuer | West African Currency Board |
|---|---|
| Year | 1916-1918 |
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| Reference(s) | P#2 |
| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | BRITISH WEST AFRICA WEST AFRICAN CURRENCY BOARD PROMISE TO PAY ON DEMAND THE SUM OF TWO SHILLINGS LAGOS MANAGERS OF WEST AFRICAN CURRENCY BOARD |
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| Variants | P#2a - 30.06.1916 uniface P#2b - 30.03.1918 Arabic script on back |
| Comments |
The West African Currency Board was established in 1912 to provide a unified currency across British West African territories — Nigeria, Gold Coast, Sierra Leone, and the Gambia — replacing a chaotic mix of local and trade currencies. This 2 Shillings note belongs to the first series the Board ever issued, authorized under wartime conditions when shipping silver coinage from Britain had become both expensive and hazardous. The fractional denominations were essentially pressed into existence by the difficulty of moving metal across U-boat-patrolled waters.
Waterlow & Sons handled the printing. The series was short-lived; once postwar coin supplies normalized, the Board wound down paper issues at the lower denominations.