Catalog
5 Shillings Independence
| Issuer | Zambia |
|---|---|
| Year | 1965 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | 3 mm |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Technique | Log in to see details |
| Orientation | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Log in to see details |
| Obverse description | The Zambian national coat of arms occupies the central field, depicting a shield charged with wavy vertical stripes and supported by a male figure to the left and a female figure to the right, both rendered in full figure. An African fish eagle with wings displayed surmounts the shield, and a scroll at the base bears the national motto ONE ZAMBIA ONE NATION. The country name ZAMBIA arcs along the upper periphery, while the denomination FIVE SHILLINGS reads vertically along the left and lower right of the field, flanked by decorative six-pointed star ornaments. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | ZAMBIA * FIVE SHILLINGS * |
| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Log in to see details |
| Mint | Log in to see details |
| Mintage | Log in to see details |
| Additional information |
Zambia gained independence from Britain on October 24, 1964, and this coin belongs to the first series issued under the new republic — a deliberate break from the Rhodesia and Nyasaland Federation coinage that had circulated across the region. The five shilling denomination was retained from the colonial system, an awkward transitional choice given that Zambia would decimalise entirely just two years later in 1968, replacing shillings with the kwacha and ngwee.
The nickel brass alloy was sourced domestically — copper was Zambia's dominant export and economic backbone, making the composition as much a political statement as a practical one.