Catalog
25 Pounds
| Issuer | Biafra |
|---|---|
| Year | 1969 |
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| Currency | Pound (1967-1970) |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | A heraldic eagle displayed at center, clutching a scroll representing the Declaration of Independence. The motto THE FIGHT FOR SURVIVAL arcs along the upper legend, flanked by decorative elements, with SPES (meaning HOPE) incorporated into the field. Two ornamental branches frame the central device, and the denomination TWENTYFIVE / 25 POUNDS appears prominently in the lower portion of the field. |
| Reverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
Biafra's gold coinage of 1969 was struck in the final, desperate months of the secessionist state's existence. The Republic of Biafra had declared independence from Nigeria in May 1967, triggering a civil war that killed an estimated one to three million people, largely through deliberate famine. By the time these pieces were minted, Biafran-held territory had been reduced to a fraction of its original size, and the government fell in January 1970.
These gold issues were almost certainly produced for foreign exchange and diplomatic purposes rather than domestic circulation — the population was starving. Struck in London by the Royal Mint on contract.