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5 Bipkwele
| Issuer | Equatorial Guinea |
|---|---|
| Year | 1980 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Ekwele (1975-1985) |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Reverse description | The national coat of arms of Equatorial Guinea is displayed to the right of center, featuring a shield bearing a silk-cotton tree (Ceiba pentandra) on a silver field, surmounted by an arc of six five-pointed stars representing the country's mainland and island territories. Below the shield, a ribbon carries the national motto 'UNIDAD, PAZ, JUSTICIA' (Unity, Peace, Justice). To the left of the arms, the large numeral '5' dominates the field, with the denomination legend 'BIPKWELE' inscribed in bold capitals along the lower periphery. |
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| Additional information |
Equatorial Guinea adopted the ekwele as its currency in 1975 after breaking from the CFA franc zone — a rare move for a sub-Saharan state, driven largely by the isolationist policies of Francisco Macías Nguema, whose regime had by then collapsed most of the country's formal economy. The bipkwele plural denomination came into use following a 1979 currency reform enacted after Macías Nguema was overthrown and executed by his own nephew, Teodoro Obiang, in August of that year. This 1980 issue is among the first coinage struck under the new government.