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.
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.