One Shilling, Silver, Coin Type from British West Africa (showing photos)

One Shilling, Silver, Coin Type from British West Africa (issued 1913 - 1920)

Coin Type	One Shilling, Silver

The One Shilling coin was a circulating denomination of the British West African Pound. As with its British counterpart, one shilling was equal to 12 pence, and 20 shillings made one pound.

In the 19th century, the (pre-decimal) pound sterling became the currency of the British West African territories and standard issue United Kingdom coinage circulated for a while. The West African territories in question were Nigeria, the Gold Coast (now Ghana), Sierra Leone and The Gambia.

In 1912, the authorities in London set up the West African Currency Board and issued a distinctive set of sterling coinage for use in British West Africa. The circumstance prompting this move was a tendency for existing UK coins used in the West African territories to leave the region and return to the UK, hence causing a local dearth of coinage. A unique British West African variety of the sterling coinage would not be accepted in the shops of Britain and so would remain in circulation locally.

Consequently, the British West African shilling coins were made very different from their Imperial counterparts. Apart from changing to base metals earlier than the Imperial coinage, two visible differences were the local reverse and the fact that the monarch's effigy on the obverse was crowned - to signify the status of the coinage as being colonial. The monarch's legend though was the same as on standard British coinage (in Latin).

There were four types issued:
- silver coins - 1913 - 1920, for King George V
- tin brass coins - 1920 - 1936, for King George V
- nickel brass coins - 1938 - 1947, for King George VI
- smaller tin brass coins - 1949 - 1952, for King George VI

No shilling coins were issued for King Edward VIII or Queen Elizabeth II in British West Africa.

After decolonisation, the coins were demonetised by the various countries as they introduced their own independent currencies:
- Nigeria introduced the Nigerian Pound in 1958
- Ghana introduced in Ghanaian Pound in 1958
- British Cameroon adopted the 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

Crowned and draped bust of King George V facing left (crowned effigy by Sir Bertram Mackennal); the King is wearing the Imperial Crown and the ermine Robe of State, the Collar of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, and the Badge of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath. The artist's initials BM are on the bust truncation.

Around, the monarch's legend · GEORGIVS V D. G. BRITT: OMN: REX F. D. IND: IMP:. Translated from Latin: George the Fifth, by the Grace of God, King of all the Britains, Defender of the Faith, Emperor of India.

Obverse Inscription	· GEORGIVS V D. G. BRITT: OMN: REX F. D. IND: IMP:

Reverse

At centre, dividing the date [year], is a palm tree.

Around above, outside a circle broken by decorative extensions adjacent to the date, the legend BRITISH WEST AFRICA; around below, the value and denomination ONE SHILLING.

Reverse Inscription	BRITISH WEST AFRICA ONE SHILLING [year]

Edge	Milled	Edge Inscription	None

Notes

In 1912 a West African Currency Board was established to arrange for the production and supply of coins (small denomination coins had already been issued starting 1907).

The first issue of silver, in the denominations 3 pence, 6 pence, shilling and 2 shillings, was struck at the Royal Mint, London in 1913, and made legal tender in Nigeria, Gold Coast, Sierra Leone and Gambia by a local Currency Act dated 26 June 1913.

1913 was also a year when a large crop of cocoa valued at almost 2 1/2 million pounds saw a great demand for silver coins. In addition to 889,000 pounds of West African silver (all the Royal Mint could strike) an additional 539,700 pounds of Imperial silver coin was needed. Such fluctuation in demand made the provision of a silver coinage very difficult.

During World War I 530,000 pound of silver coin was returned to Britain for sale as bullion to raise internationally accepted forms of money.

Interest in the production of a silver coinage led to the request for the provision of proof and specimen sets for official commemorative gifts. Sets containing two coins of each denomination were struck in proof quality while single coin sets were made out of selected uncirculated specimens.

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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Royal Mint

Coin Type: One Shilling, Silver - (8) Coins

Coin Name	Reverse	Obverse	Details
One Shilling 1913			Material: 0.925 Silver Mints: - Royal Mint: 8,800,000 - Birmingham Mint: 3,540,000 Total Mintage: 12,340,000
One Shilling 1914			Material: 0.925 Silver Mints: - Birmingham Mint: 11,292,000 - Royal Mint: 3,000,000 Total Mintage: 14,292,000
One Shilling 1915			Material: 0.925 Silver Mint: Birmingham Mint Mintage: 254,000
One Shilling 1916			Material: 0.925 Silver Mint: Birmingham Mint Mintage: 11,837,732
One Shilling 1917			Material: 0.925 Silver Mint: Birmingham Mint Mintage: 15,018,000
One Shilling 1918			Material: 0.925 Silver Mint: Birmingham Mint Mintage: 9,486,000
One Shilling 1919			Material: 0.925 Silver Mints: - Royal Mint: 2,000,000 - Birmingham Mint: 992,045 Total Mintage: 2,992,045
One Shilling 1920 (Silver)			Material: 0.925 Silver Mint: Royal Mint Mintage: 828,000

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The Definitive Guide to Australian Silver Coins

One Shilling, Silver: Details

Country	British West Africa
Currency	British West African Pound
Sub-type of	One Shilling
From	1913
To	1920
Face Value	1 (x Shilling)
Current	No (demonetised 1968)
Material	0.925 Silver
Designer
Technology	Milled (machine-made)
Shape	Round
Orientation	Medal Alignment (Axis 0)
Size	23.0000 mm
Mass	5.6600 g

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Coins of England and the United Kingdom 2024 Pre-decimal Issues

One Shilling, Silver: Photos

Image	Details
	British West Africa 1913 Shilling Copyright: smarty_marty24 Notes: Royal Mint (no mint mark). Source
	British West Africa 1913 Shilling Copyright: smarty_marty24 Source

One Shilling, Silver, Coin Type from British West Africa - detailed information