Coinage of Equatorial Guinea

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Map of Equatorial Guinea.

Gulf of Guinea.

From Wikipedia:

The Republic of Equatorial Guinea is located on the west coast of Central Africa, with an area of 28,000 square kilometres (11,000 sq miles). Formerly the colony of Spanish Guinea, its post-independence name evokes its location near both the Equator and the Gulf of Guinea. It is the only sovereign African state in which Spanish is an official language. As of 2015, the country had a population of 1,225,367.

Equatorial Guinea consists of two parts, an insular and a mainland region. The insular region consists of the islands of Bioko in the Gulf of Guinea and Annobón, a small volcanic island which is the only part of the country south of the equator. Bioko Island is the northernmost part of Equatorial Guinea and is the site of the country's capital, Malabo. The Portuguese-speaking island nation of São Tomé and Príncipe is located between Bioko and Annobón. The mainland region, Río Muni, is bordered by Cameroon on the north and Gabon on the south and east. It is the location of Bata, Equatorial Guinea's largest city, and Ciudad de la Paz, the country's planned future capital. Rio Muni also includes several small offshore islands, such as Corisco, Elobey Grande, and Elobey Chico. The country is a member of the African Union, Francophonie, OPEC and the CPLP (Community of Portuguese Language Countries).

Since the mid-1990s, Equatorial Guinea has become one of sub-Saharan Africa's largest oil producers. It has subsequently become the richest country per capita in Africa, and its gross domestic product (GDP) adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP) per capita ranks 43rd in the world. However, the wealth is distributed extremely unevenly, with few people benefiting from the oil riches. The country ranks 144th on the 2019 Human Development Index, with less than half the population having access to clean drinking water and 20% of children dying before the age of five.

Equatorial Guinea's government is authoritarian and has one of the worst human rights records in the world, consistently ranking among the "worst of the worst" in Freedom House's annual survey of political and civil rights. Reporters Without Borders ranks President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo among its "predators" of press freedom. Human trafficking is a significant problem; the 2012 U.S. Trafficking in Persons Report stated that Equatorial Guinea "is a source and destination for women and children subjected to forced labour and forced sex trafficking." The report rates Equatorial Guinea as a government that "does not fully comply with minimum standards and is not making significant efforts to do so."

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Coat of arms of Equatorial Guinea.

From Wikipedia:

The coat of arms shows a grey shield, which contains a tree. This tree is a silk cotton tree, or so-called "God tree". This is where the first treaty was signed between Portugal and the local ruler. Over the shield, there are six six-pointed stars. They symbolise the mainland and the five main islands. Underneath the shield is the national motto of Equatorial Guinea, Unidad, Paz, Justicia ("Unity, Peace, Justice"). The motto was adopted in 1968.

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From Wikipedia:

The first flag of Equatorial Guinea was a horizontal tricolor, with green, white and red stripes and a blue triangle at the hoist. Green symbolizes the natural resources, agriculture and jungles of the country. Blue symbolizes the sea, which connects the main country with the islands. White symbolizes peace. Red symbolizes the blood shed by the fighters for independence.

This version of the flag was used from 1968 to 1973.

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INDEPENDENCE



Saint Mary's Cathedral in Malabo, the capital city.

From Wikipedia:

Independence from Spain was gained on 12 October 1968 and the region became the Republic of Equatorial Guinea. The peseta (peseta guineana) was the currency of Equatorial Guinea from 1969 to 1975. It replaced the Spanish peseta at par. Four denominations of coins were issued, all dated 1969. These were an aluminum-bronze 1 peseta and copper nickel 5, 25 and 50 pesetas. The coins  were minted at the Madrid Mint in Spain.

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FIRST NATIONAL COINAGE

The obverse of the 1 peseta coin of 1969.

The design featured a pair of cross elephant tusks.

The same design appeared on the obverse of the 5 and 25 pesetas coins.


Africans have traditionally regarded ivory as valuable and desirable.

Note the year, split across the two stars: '19' and '69'.

This followed the traditional Spanish practice of the time.

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The reverse design of the 1 peseta coin featured the coat of arms.

The aluminium-bronze coin weighed 3.42 grams and had a diameter of 19.5 mm.

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The copper-nickel 5 pesetas coin was similar in design to the 1 peseta coin.

It weighed 5 grams and was 22 mm in diameter.

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The reverse design of the copper-nickel 25 pesetas coin.

The obverse design showed the standard elephant tusks.


The coin weighed 7 grams and had a diameter of 24 mm.

There was no 10 pesetas coin.

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The copper-nickel 50 pesetas coin weighed 9.95 grams and had a diameter of 29 mm.

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The obverse of the 50 pesetas coin of 1969.

It featured a portrait of President Francisco Macías Nguema.

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President Francisco Macías Nguema.

From Wikipedia:

In a plebiscite held on 29 July 1973, the 1968 Constitution was replaced with a new document that gave Macías Nguema absolute power and formally made his party the only one legally permitted in the country. According to official figures, 99 percent of voters approved the new document. Three months later, a fresh "presidential election" confirmed Macías Nguema as president for life.

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Under Nguema's rule, a new coat of arms was adopted.

It depicted several tools, a sword and a chicken.

This coat of arms was in use from 1973 to 1979.

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The President also changed the national flag.

It now also displayed the new coat of arms.

This flag was in use from 1973 to 1979.

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INTRODUCTION OF THE EKUELE

From Wikipedia:

The ekwele or ekuele was the currency of Equatorial Guinea between 1975 and 1985. The ekuele replaced the peseta guineana at par.

Although the ekuele was nominally divided into 100 céntimos, no subdivisions were issued. The name ekuele (plural the same) was used until 1979, whilst ekwele (plural bipkwele) was used thereafter. The renaming of the currency to "ekwele" from "peseta" was motivated largely by a sweeping Africanization program. This program was meant to rid the country of its colonial past by removing Spanish names and references from the public domain, including Spanish birth names.

The first ekuele coins were issued in 1975. All denominations depicted the first president Francisco Macías Nguema on the obverse and allegorical motifs on the reverse. These were the aluminum-bronze 1 ekuele and the copper nickel 5 and 10 ekuele denominations.

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The new ekuele coinage of 1975.

The new coinage was produced at the Royal Mint (UK).

It featured a portrait of the president as the common obverse design.


The brass 1 ekuele coin was 19 mm in diameter and weighed 2.4 grams.

The reverse design featured the tools from the coat of arms.


The copper-nickel 5 ekuele coin was 21 mm in diameter and weighed 3.4 grams.

The reverse design featured a man planting rice and a woman harvesting cocoa.


The copper-nickel 10 ekuele coin was 24 mm in diameter and weighed 5.2 grams.

The reverse design featured a cockerel within a shield.