Ghana's modern coinage

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FIRST DECIMAL COINAGE
In 1965 Ghana decided to leave the British colonial monetary system.

It dropped the Ghanaian pound and adopted a decimal currency instead.


The cedi (1965-1967) was introduced in July 1965.

It was equivalent to eight shillings and four pence or one hundred old pence.

1 pesewa was now equal to 1 penny.


The word cedi is the Akan word for cowry shell.

The shells were formerly used as currency in what is now Ghana.

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Ghana, 5 pesewas, 1965.

The common obverse of the coins featured an updated portrait of President Nkrumah by Cecil Thomas.

The common reverse design once more featured the African star of freedom.

The lowest denomination of the first cedi series was the 5 pesewas coin.  Diameter: 22 mm.

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Reverse of the 10 pesewas coin.

The 10 pesewas coin had a diameter of 20 mm.

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Reverse of the 25 pesewas coin.

The 25 pesewas coin had a diameter of 27.4 mm.

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Reverse of the 50 pesewas coin.

The 50 pesewas coin had a diameter of 32 mm.

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Obverse of the 50 pesewas coin.

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Kwame Nkrumah.

President Nkrumah considered himself a socialist. He was orienting Ghana towards the Soviet Union and other communist countries.

From Wikipedia:

In February 1966, while Nkrumah was on a state visit to North Vietnam and China, his government was overthrown in a violent coup d'état led by the national military and police forces, with backing from the civil service. The conspirators, led by Joseph Arthur Ankrah, named themselves the National Liberation Council and ruled as a military government for three years. The military government now began to reorient Ghana and its economy towards the West.

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SECOND DECIMAL COINAGE

From Wikipedia:

The first cedi was replaced in 1967 by a "new cedi" which was worth 1.2 first cedis. This allowed a decimal conversion with the pound, namely 2 second cedis = 1 pound. The change also provided an opportunity to remove Kwame Nkrumah's image from coins and notes.

The second cedi was initially pegged to the British pound at a rate of 2 cedi = 1 pound. However, within months, the second cedi was devalued to a rate of 2.45 second cedi = 1 pound, less than the value of the first cedi. This rate was equivalent to 1 cedi = 0.98 U.S. dollars and the rate to the dollar was maintained when the British pound was devalued in November 1967.

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Bush drums design.

The obverse of the bronze half pesewa and 1 pesewa coins featured bush drums.

This design was prepared by Royal Mint artist Cecil Thomas.

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Reverse of the half pesewa coin.

The half pesewa was 20.2 mm in diameter.

The reverse designs of the half pesewa and 1 pesewa coins featured the familiar African star of freedom.

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Reverse of the 1 pesewa coin.

The 1 pesewa coin was 25.5 mm in diameter.

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The 2½ pesewas coin of 1967.

The 2½ pesewas coin was made of copper-nickel.  Diameter: 19.5 mm.


This coin and the higher denominations had similar designs.

The obverse featured cocoa pods. The reverse featured Ghana's coat of arms.


Both obverse and reverse were designed by Royal Mint artist Michael Rizzello.

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The 5 pesewas coin of 1967.

The coin was 19 mm in diameter.

Notice how small cocoa pods are placed close to the coin's rim on the reverse.

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Reverse of the 10 pesewas coin of 1967.

The coin was 23.5 mm in diameter.

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The 20 pesewas coin of 1967.

The coin was 28 mm in diameter:

This coin remained the highest denomination until 1979.