Catalog
5 Heller - Wilhelm II
| Issuer | German East Africa |
|---|---|
| Year | 1908-1909 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 20 g |
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| Obverse description | The Imperial German crown is displayed prominently at center, rendered in fine detail with arched bands, orb, and cross surmount, flanked by ermine-trimmed mantle lappets falling to either side. The legend DEUTSCH OSTAFRIKA curves along the upper periphery in bold serif capital letters. The date, flanked on each side by a small quatrefoil ornament, appears in large numerals along the lower field below the crown. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
German East Africa's heller coinage was struck at the Berlin mint under authority of the Deutsch-Ostafrikanische Gesellschaft, the chartered company that administered the territory before the Imperial German government assumed direct colonial control. The 5 Heller of 1908–1909 arrived during a period of consolidation following the brutal suppression of the Maji Maji Rebellion, which had devastated the colony's population and economy between 1905 and 1907.
The unusually heavy specification for a low-denomination coin was a deliberate response to local exchange customs, where value was often judged by weight rather than face.