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Coins of Biafra

Started by <k>, July 05, 2017, 01:23:03 AM

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<k>

Nigeria and Biafra.jpg

Biafra's location within Nigeria.


From Wikipedia:

In 1960 Nigeria became independent of the United Kingdom. The northern region of the country is made up of a Muslim majority, while the southern population is predominantly Christian. Following independence, Nigeria was divided primarily along ethnic lines with a Hausa and Fulani majority in the north, and a Yoruba and Igbo majority in the south-west and south-east respectively.

In January 1966 a military coup occurred, during which 30 political leaders including Nigeria's Prime Minister, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, and the Northern premier, Sir Ahmadu Bello, were killed. It was alleged to be an Igbo coup, because neither President Nnamdi Azikiwe, of Igbo extraction, nor the premier of the Igbo-dominated south-eastern part of the country, were killed. See: 1966 Nigerian coup d'état

In July 1966 northern officers and army units staged a counter-coup. Muslim officers named a General from central Nigeria, General Yakubu "Jack" Gowon, as the head of the Federal Military Government. The two coups deepened Nigeria's ethnic tensions. In September 1966 approximately 30,000 Igbo were killed in the north, and some Northerners were killed in backlashes in eastern cities.

In January 1967 the military leaders and senior police officials of each region met in Ghana, where they agreed on a loose confederation of regions. The Northerners were at odds with the Aburi Accord; Obafemi Awolowo, the leader of the Western Region warned that if the Eastern Region seceded, the Western Region would also, which persuaded the northerners.

After the federal and eastern governments failed to reconcile, on 26 May the Eastern region voted to secede from Nigeria. On 30 May, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, the South Eastern Region's military governor, announced the Republic of Biafra, citing the Easterners killed in the post-coup violence. The large amount of oil in the region created conflict, as oil was already becoming a major component of the Nigerian economy. The Eastern region was very ill-equipped for war, out-manned and out-gunned by the military of the remainder of Nigeria. Their advantages included fighting in their homeland and the support of most South Easterners.
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<k>

#1
Flag of Biafra.png

Flag of Biafra.


The design and colours of Biafra's flag were based on the Pan-African flag.

The eleven rays of the sun represented the eleven provinces of Biafra.
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See: The Royal Mint Museum.

<k>

#2
Biafran coat of arms.jpg

Coat of arms of Biafra.
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<k>

#3
Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu.jpg



Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu-.jpg

Biafran leader Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu.


The secession of the Biafran region was the primary cause of the Nigerian Civil War.

The war was also known as the Biafran War.
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<k>

#4
Igbo guerilla.jpg



Igbo soldiers Biafra April 1968.jpg

Igbo guerillas, who fought for Biafran independence.
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<k>

#5
Biafra 3d 1969.jpg

The Biafran 3 pence of 1969.


The war lasted two and a half years.

During that time the Biafrans issued some of their own coins and notes. See: Biafran pound.


The Biafran pound was the currency of the breakaway Republic of Biafra between 1968 and 1970.

The first notes denominated in 5 shillings and £1 were introduced on January 29, 1968.


A series of coins was issued in 1969.

These were the 3 pence, 6 pence, 1 shilling and 2½ shilling coins were minted, all made of aluminium.


The coinage was based on the British pre-decimal pound, shillings and pence system, which was inherited by Nigeria.

Above you see the lowest denomination of the Biafran coinage, the three pence coin.
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<k>

#6
Biafra 6d 1969.jpg

The Biafran 6 pence of 1969.
Visit the website of The Royal Mint Museum.

See: The Royal Mint Museum.

<k>

#7
Biafra 1 shilling 1969-.jpg

The Biafran shilling of 1969.
Visit the website of The Royal Mint Museum.

See: The Royal Mint Museum.

<k>

#8
Biafra 1 shilling 1969 aluminium~.jpg

The Biafran shilling of 1969 came in two varieties.
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<k>

#9
Biafra 2½ shillings 1969.jpg



Biafra 2½ shillings 1969-.jpg

The Biafran 2½ shillings of 1969.


There was no two shillings coin.

The 2½ shillings showed a leopard lying down.
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<k>

#10
Biafra 1 pound 1969-.jpg



Biafra 1 pound 1969.jpg

The Biafran 1 pound coin of 1969.


Various non-circulating coins were issued.
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<k>

#11
Biafra 25 pounds gold 1969.jpg



Biafra 25 pounds gold 1969-.jpg

The gold Biafran 25 pounds coin of 1969.
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<k>

#12
THE END OF THE REBELLION

During the war there were great shortages of food and medicine throughout Biafra, due largely to the Nigerian government's blockade of the region, as suggested in a number of arguments by leaders of the Nigerian Government. Anthony Enahoro stated that "there are various ways of fighting a war. You might starve your enemy into submission, or you might kill him on the battlefield." Obafemi Awolowo said, "All is fair in war, and starvation is one of the weapons of war, and I don't see why we should feed our enemies in order for them to fight harder."

Many volunteer bodies organised the Biafran airlift which provided blockade-breaking relief flights into Biafra, carrying food and medicines in, and later provided means of evacuation for refugee children. On 30 June 1969, the Nigerian government banned all Red Cross aid to Biafra; two weeks later it allowed medical supplies through the front lines, but restricted food supplies. Later in October 1969, Ojukwu appealed to the United Nations to mediate a cease-fire.

The federal government called for Biafra's surrender. In December, the Federal Military Government managed to cut Biafra in half, primarily by the efforts of 3 Marine Commando Division of the Nigerian Army, led by then-Colonel Benjamin Adekunle, popularly called "The Black Scorpion", and later by Olusegun Obasanjo.

Ojukwu fled to Ivory Coast, leaving his chief of staff, Philip Effiong, to act as the "officer administering the government". Effiong called for a ceasefire on 12 January and submitted to the FMG. By then, more than one million people had died in battle or from starvation. Biafra was reabsorbed into Nigeria on 15 January 1970.
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<k>

Apparently there was also a collector crown, portraying Ojukwu, but it is difficult to find a good image of that coin.

So, what else do our members know about these coins? Are the low denominations very expensive to buy?

Also, some of our members were schoolboys or older, when the war was taking place. Do you remember any details of it? It seems to have had rather complex causes.
Visit the website of The Royal Mint Museum.

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Figleaf

Biafran circulating coins are not hard to find, except the shilling with ONE spelled out (KM 3). While KM says the sixpence is expensive, I located it without a problem and at a modest price at the time. The pseudo coins are easy. They will be auctioned regularly by the usual hot air suspects. It's just a question of how deep your pockets are.

I have no doubt that the Biafran war, like any war, caused deep human suffering, saw shocking atrocities and caused severe economic disruption, including shortages of food and medicine. However, I once read the story of a US ad agency retained by the Biafrans to "sell" the suffering and blow it up. The authors of the story did a good job sourcing many "swollen belly" photos to this agency. There is no way to tell where these photos were taken. I am no longer sure if this ad agency was also responsible for at least some of the pseudo coins, but what's left of my memory says it was.

"The first casualty when war comes is truth"

Peter
An unidentified coin is a piece of metal. An identified coin is a piece of history.