Coins of Somaliland

[NewHikaru089]

This thread highlights all of the coins issued by the Republic of Somaliland, with images from World Coin Gallery and Wikipedia, and abridged text from Wikipedia.

(Image courtesy of Wikipedia)

Somaliland, officially the Republic of Somaliland, is an unrecognized country in the Horn of Africa, internationally recognized de jure as part of Somalia. It is located in the in the southern coast of the Gulf of Aden, and bordered by Djibouti to the northwest, Ethiopia to the south and west, and Somalia to the east. Its claimed territory has an area of 68,000 square miles (176,120 square kilometers), with approximately 5.7 million residents as of 2021. Its capital and largest city is Hargesia. The Government of Somaliland regards itself as the successor state to British Somaliland, which, as the briefly independent State of Somaliland, united from 1961 to 1991 with the Trust Territory of Somaliland (the former Italian Somaliland) to form the Somali Republic.

Since 1991, the territory has been governed by democratically-elected governments that seek international recognition of the Republic of Somaliland. The central government maintains informal ties with some foreign governments, who have sent representatives to Hargesia; Somaliland hosts representative offices from several nations, including Ethiopia and Taiwan. However, Somaliland's self-proclaimed independence is not recognized by any United Nations member state or international organizations. It is the largest unrecognized state in the world by de facto controlled land area. It is a member of the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization, an advocacy group whose members consist of indigenous peoples, minorities and unrecognized or occupied territories.

[NewHikaru089]

(Image courtesy of Wikipedia)

The Flag of Somaliland is a tricolor consisting of green, white and red, with a black star in its center. On the green stripe is a rendering of the Shahada in white calligraphic script.

(Image courtesy of Wikipedia)

The National emblem of Somaliland consists of an equally balancing scales symbolizing justice between the people of Somaliland, the coffee-colored Eagle of Saladin holds the scales as a sign of democracy, two hands shaking both symbolizing and representing the equality and freedom between the people of Somaliland, an olive branch symbolizing peace amongst the people of Somaliland and a yellow background representing the bright, beautiful people and culture of Somaliland. The Islamic calligraphy above the scales reads the Bismillah, which when translated to English reads In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. This is to symbolize that Islam is the official religion professed and practiced in Somaliland.

[NewHikaru089]

The Somaliland shilling was introduced into circulation on October 18, 1994, at a rate of 1 Somaliland shilling to 100 Somali shillings and pegged at 50 Somaliland shillings per United States dollar. The Somali shilling ceased to be legal tender in Somaliland on January 31, 1995. The first coin was introduced into circulation in Somaliland in 1994, for 1 Somaliland shilling.

[NewHikaru089]

(KM#1, images courtesy of World Coin Gallery)

The first coin issued into circulation in 1994 in Somaliland was the 1 Somaliland shilling coin. Produced by the Pobjoy Mint, the obverse side presented a Somali piegion and the reverse side presented the coin's denomination.

[NewHikaru089]

No coins were issued after the 1 Somaliland shilling coin was issued in 1994. In 2002, a new set of coins were issued into circulation in Somaliland in denominations of 5, 10 and 20 Somaliland shillings.

[NewHikaru089]

(KM#4, images courtesy of World Coin Gallery)

Issued in 2002 was the 5 Somaliland shillings coin. The obverse side featured a portrait of explorer Sir Richard Francis Burton and the reverse side featured the coin's denomination.

[NewHikaru089]

(KM#5, images courtesy of World Coin Gallery)

Issued in 2002 was a second type of the 5 Somaliland shillings coin. The obverse side displayed a rooster and the reverse side displayed the coin's denomination.

[NewHikaru089]

(KM#3, images courtesy of World Coin Gallery)

Issued in 2002 was the 10 Somaliland shillings coin. The obverse side featured a monkey and the reverse side featured the coin's denomination.

[NewHikaru089]

(KM#6, images courtesy of World Coin Gallery)

Issued in 2002 was the 20 Somaliland shillings coin. The obverse side presented a Greyhound dog and the reverse side presented the coin's denomination.

[NewHikaru089]

In 2005, Somaliland issued a new version of its 5 Somaliland shillings coin, to complement those already issued in circulation in Somaliland.

[NewHikaru089]

(KM#19, images courtesy of World Coin Gallery)

Issued in 2005 was a new type of the 5 Somaliland shillings coin. The obverse side depicted an elephant and its calf and the reverse side depicted the coin's denomination.

[NewHikaru089]

Somaliland today carries out monetary transactions through the use of mobile payments, with physical Somaliland shillings a hassle to use, due in part to the currency undergoing bouts of hyperinflation, forcing consumers to carry large bundles of banknotes to carry out medium to very large transactions to purchase goods and services, leaving mobile payments and foreign currencies like the United States dollar being the most popular and the most useful. Coins of the Somaliand shilling these days are rarely seen in circulation.

[NewHikaru089]

This brings this thread as comprehensive and to date. Special thanks to World of Coins user <k> for giving me the drive to write this thread.

[<k>]

These Somaliland issues always perplex me somewhat. Numista does list them as standard circulation coins. However, they look to me more like cheap collector-only coins. The mixture of animals shown is rather weird: elephants, a cockerel, then a greyhound of all things, and a portrait of a colonial Englishman too.

The shilling stroke on the coins is intriguing. It reminds me of my school days in England during the time of pounds, shillings and pence.

[<k>]

Maldives, 10 rufiyaa, 1979.   FAO-themed collector coin.

I have also seen this stroke on Maldivian collector coins.

It divides the units and subunits.

However, the Maldives use the rufiyaa, not the shilling.

See:  Coins that show the shilling "stroke".