One Penny, CuproNickel, Coin Type from British West Africa - detailed information

One Penny, CuproNickel, Coin Type from British West Africa (issued 1907 - 1951)
Coin TypeOne Penny, CuproNickel

The British West African Pound was the currency of British West Africa, a group of British colonies, protectorates and mandate territories - Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Ghana (originally Gold Coast) and Gambia. From 1907 till 1911 the reverse of the coins showed the legend NIGERIA - BRITISH WEST AFRICA, then from 1912 the word NIGERIA was discontinued.

The British West African Pound was equal to the (pre-decimal) Pound Sterling and was similarly subdivided into 20 shillings, each of 12 pence. In other words, the penny was thus equal to 1/12th of a shilling or 1/240th of a pound (i.e., 240 of these coins made one pound).

Unlike its Imperial counterpart - the British Penny - the British West African Penny had a central hole which made the two coins incompatible; this was done to make sure that colonial money does not get exported to Great Britain to be used there, leaving the colonies with no cash.

For most of the history of the denomination, the coins were made of CuproNickel (copper-nickel); this changed to bronze in 1952.

After decolonisation, the coins were replaced by the various new countries as they introduced their own independent currencies:
- Nigeria introduced the Nigerian Pound in 1958
- Ghana introduced in Ghanaian Pound in 1958
- British Cameroon (on unification with Cameroon) adopted the Central African CFA Franc in 1961
- Sierra Leone introduced the Leone in 1964
- Gambia introduced the Gambian Pound in 1965

In some places, British West African coins circulated in parallel with the new coinage until 1968.

Obverse
British West Africa / One Penny, CuproNickel - obverse photo

An imperial crown above a central circular hole with a scroll ornament to right and left; below the crown and around the hole, the value and denomination ONE PENNY.

Around, outside the scroll ornaments, the legend of the ruling British monarch.

Below the hole, the denomination in Arabic: وَاحِد پَنّي.

The mint mark (if any) is between the central hole and the Arabic text.

Obverse Inscription Legend of the ruling British monarch ONE PENNY وَاحِد پَنّي
Reverse
British West Africa / One Penny, CuproNickel - reverse photo

Around a circular central hole, Solomon's seal (a six-pointed "Star of David"), consisting of two equilateral triangles interlaced.

Around, interrupted by the star, the legend BRITISH WEST AFRICA; around below, the star divides the date: · [year] ·.

Reverse Inscription BRITISH WEST AFRICA · [year] ·
EdgePlainEdge InscriptionNone
Notes

Note: the reverse legend reads NIGERIA - BRITISH WEST AFRICA between 1907 and 1911.

References to additional information:

[Book] Remick, Jerome. 1971. The Guide Book and Catalogue of British Commonwealth Coins, pp 87-95.
[Book] Vice, David. 1983. The Coinage of British West Africa & St. Helena 1684 - 1958.

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Coin Type: One Penny, CuproNickel - (34) Coins
Coin NameMintageLegend
One Penny 1907 862,848 EDWARD VII KING & EMPEROR ONE PENNY وَاحِد پَنّي
One Penny 1908 3,217,152 EDWARD VII KING & EMPEROR ONE PENNY وَاحِد پَنّي
One Penny 1909 960,000 EDWARD VII KING & EMPEROR ONE PENNY وَاحِد پَنّي
One Penny 1910 2,520,000 EDWARD VII KING & EMPEROR ONE PENNY وَاحِد پَنّي
One Penny 1911 1,920,000 GEORGIVS V REX ET IND: IMP: ONE PENNY وَاحِد پَنّي
One Penny 1912 1,560,000 GEORGIVS V REX ET IND: IMP: ONE PENNY وَاحِد پَنّي
One Penny 1913 1,824,000 GEORGIVS V REX ET IND: IMP: ONE PENNY وَاحِد پَنّي
One Penny 1914 3,014,000 GEORGIVS V REX ET IND: IMP: ONE PENNY وَاحِد پَنّي
One Penny 1915 3,295,200 GEORGIVS V REX ET IND: IMP: ONE PENNY وَاحِد پَنّي
One Penny 1916 3,460,800 GEORGIVS V REX ET IND: IMP: ONE PENNY وَاحِد پَنّي
One Penny 1917 444,000 GEORGIVS V REX ET IND: IMP: ONE PENNY وَاحِد پَنّي
One Penny 1918 993,600 GEORGIVS V REX ET IND: IMP: ONE PENNY وَاحِد پَنّي
One Penny 1919 22,128,300 GEORGIVS V REX ET IND: IMP: ONE PENNY وَاحِد پَنّي
One Penny 1920 58,554,600 GEORGIVS V REX ET IND: IMP: ONE PENNY وَاحِد پَنّي
One Penny 1922 3,970,560 GEORGIVS V REX ET IND: IMP: ONE PENNY وَاحِد پَنّي
One Penny 1926 8,040,000 GEORGIVS V REX ET IND: IMP: ONE PENNY وَاحِد پَنّي
One Penny 1927 792,000 GEORGIVS V REX ET IND: IMP: ONE PENNY وَاحِد پَنّي
One Penny 1928 6,672,000 GEORGIVS V REX ET IND: IMP: ONE PENNY وَاحِد پَنّي
One Penny 1929 636,000 GEORGIVS V REX ET IND: IMP: ONE PENNY وَاحِد پَنّي
One Penny 1933 2,805,600 GEORGIVS V REX ET IND: IMP: ONE PENNY وَاحِد پَنّي
One Penny 1934 2,640,000 GEORGIVS V REX ET IND: IMP: ONE PENNY وَاحِد پَنّي
One Penny 1935 8,551,200 GEORGIVS V REX ET IND: IMP: ONE PENNY وَاحِد پَنّي
One Penny 1936 George V 7,368,000 GEORGIVS V REX ET IND: IMP: ONE PENNY وَاحِد پَنّي
One Penny 1936 Edward VIII 33,104,000 EDWARDVS VIII REX ET IND: IMP: ONE PENNY وَاحِد پَنّي
One Penny 1937 18,111,400 GEORGIVS VI REX ET IND: IMP: ONE PENNY وَاحِد پَنّي
One Penny 1940 8,640,000 GEORGIVS VI REX ET IND: IMP: ONE PENNY وَاحِد پَنّي
One Penny 1941 6,960,000 GEORGIVS VI REX ET IND: IMP: ONE PENNY وَاحِد پَنّي
One Penny 1942 18,840,000 GEORGIVS VI REX ET IND: IMP: ONE PENNY وَاحِد پَنّي
One Penny 1943 36,120,000 GEORGIVS VI REX ET IND: IMP: ONE PENNY وَاحِد پَنّي
One Penny 1944 19,440,000 GEORGIVS VI REX ET IND: IMP: ONE PENNY وَاحِد پَنّي
One Penny 1945 24,628,800 GEORGIVS VI REX ET IND: IMP: ONE PENNY وَاحِد پَنّي
One Penny 1946 23,442,000 GEORGIVS VI REX ET IND: IMP: ONE PENNY وَاحِد پَنّي
One Penny 1947 81,252,020 GEORGIVS VI REX ET IND: IMP: ONE PENNY وَاحِد پَنّي
One Penny 1951 3,949,900 GEORGIVS SEXTVS REX ONE PENNY وَاحِد پَنّي
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One Penny, CuproNickel: Details
CountryBritish West Africa
CurrencyBritish West African Pound
Sub-type ofOne Penny
From1907
To1951
Face Value1 (x Penny)
CurrentNo (demonetised 1968)
MaterialCuproNickel
Designer
TechnologyMilled (machine-made)
ShapeRound
OrientationMedal Alignment (Axis 0)
Size30.5000 mm
Mass9.3700 g
One Penny, CuproNickel: Photos
ImageDetails
One Penny, CuproNickel: Photo Coin - 1 Penny, British West Africa, 1908 Coin - 1 Penny, British West Africa, 1908
Copyright: Museums Victoria / CC BY
Author:
Notes: King Edward VII (1907 - 1910).
Source
One Penny, CuproNickel: Photo Coin - 1 Penny, British West Africa, 1913 Coin - 1 Penny, British West Africa, 1913
Copyright: Museums Victoria / CC BY
Author:
Notes: King George V (1911 - 1936).
Source
One Penny, CuproNickel: Photo Coin - 1 Penny, British West Africa, 1936 Coin - 1 Penny, British West Africa, 1936
Copyright: Museums Victoria / CC BY
Author:
Notes: King Edward VIII (1936).
Source
One Penny, CuproNickel: Photo Coin - 1 Penny, British West Africa, 1947 Coin - 1 Penny, British West Africa, 1947
Copyright: Museums Victoria / CC BY
Author:
Notes: King George VI, Emperor of India (1937 - 1947).
Source
One Penny, CuproNickel: Photo Coin - 1 Penny, British West Africa, 1908 Coin - 1 Penny, British West Africa, 1908
Copyright: Museums Victoria / CC BY
Author:
Notes: NIGERIA - BRITISH WEST AFRICA (1907 - 1911).
Source
One Penny, CuproNickel: Photo Coin - 1 Penny, British West Africa, 1913 Coin - 1 Penny, British West Africa, 1913
Copyright: Museums Victoria / CC BY
Author:
Notes: BRITISH WEST AFRICA (1912 - 1951).
Source