50 Cents - George VI

Issuer	East African Currency Board
Year	1937-1944
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Reference(s)	KM#27, Schön#30

Obverse description	Left-facing crowned effigy of King George VI occupies the central field, depicted as a bare-shouldered bust wearing the Imperial State Crown, engraved by Percy Metcalfe whose initials 'PM' appear small below the truncation. The portrait is rendered in high relief with fine detail on the crown's arches, crosses, and fleurs-de-lis. The surrounding legend reads GEORGIVS VI REX ET INDIAE IMPERATOR, arranged along the full circumference between two beaded borders. The inscription confirms the king's titles as Rex (King) and Indiae Imperator (Emperor of India), reflecting the pre-1948 royal style.
Obverse script	Latin
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Reverse description	A lion passant to the left is prominently depicted in the central field, set before a stylised landscape of mountain peaks rising against a plain background, all contained within a raised circular border. Below the lion, flanking scrollwork ornaments frame the large numeral '50' and the date, with the denomination legend FIFTY CENTS and HALF SHILLING arranged to the left and right respectively in the outer field. The inscription EAST AFRICA appears at the top of the coin between two dashes, and the mint mark is positioned within the design. The overall composition conveys the heraldic and naturalistic design tradition characteristic of British colonial coinage of the period.
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