Catalog
2 Shillings - George VI
| Issuer | Cyprus |
|---|---|
| Year | 1949 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Obverse description | Left-facing crowned effigy of King George VI, modeled by Percy Metcalfe, whose initials P.M. appear in relief at the base of the truncation. The portrait is rendered in high relief with fine detail on the crown and facial features. A circular legend surrounds the effigy within a beaded border. |
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| Reverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
By 1949, Cyprus had been a British Crown Colony for over two decades, administered under terms that satisfied almost no one on the island. EOKA's armed campaign for enosis — union with Greece — was still six years away, but political pressure was already building visibly. The colonial administration pressed on with routine monetary housekeeping regardless, issuing this copper-nickel piece as part of a modest coinage update under George VI following the postwar metal shortages that had disrupted earlier issues.
The 1949 date makes this one of the final Cyprus issues before George VI's death in 1952.