Angola: Unrealised designs by Stuart Devlin

[eurocoin]

In 1976, Stuart Devlin made the following series of unrealised designs for Angola.

The designs were never used on minted coins, possibly because of prolonged political uncertainty.

[eurocoin]

Oil

[eurocoin]

Mining

[eurocoin]

Cotton

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Coffee

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Diamonds

[eurocoin]

Maize

[eurocoin]

Angola issued a new series of coins in 1977/1978. It was minted at the Birmingham Mint.

As can be seen above, the designs are very plain.

[milkshakespeare]

Angola issued a new series of coins in 1977/1978. It was minted at the Birmingham Mint. As can be seen above the designs are very plain.

As far as I know the coin series of 1977 was minted in Belgrad, Yugoslavia, not in Birmingham.

[eurocoin]

You are right indeed.

[<k>]

These designs are interesting but far too detailed for coins. It is also disappointing that they do not show any denominations. It is true of course that some coins of the world do not carry a denomination or any text on one side of the coin. See: Circulation coins where one side has neither text nor numerals.

On the Angolan designs, you see Mr Devlin sticking rigidly to his winning formula that he used for the Australian circulations coins: reflecting the circular nature of the coin and also filling up most of the flan. I would prefer these designs to have filled up less of the flan and not to have been so obsessive about reflecting its circular nature.

I would indeed have preferred a thematic set for Angola, rather than the very plain designs that were issued. However, the different themes of this set, from industrial infrastructure to diamonds to plants, do not fit well together. Technically each design is very good, but overall the set leaves a lot to be desired.

[Big_M]

As far as I know the coin series of 1977 was minted in Belgrad, Yugoslavia, not in Birmingham.

50 and 100 Kwanzas, which can be considered part of the series, were minted in Birmingham, but they were released much later, in 1991.

[<k>]

See also:  Ethiopia: Unrealised designs by Stuart Devlin.