Malawi: adopted and unadopted designs of 1971

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Malawi decimal coinage of 1971.

In 1964 Royal Mint artist Paul Vincze designed a set of coins for Malawi after it achieved independence. Mr. Vincze (pronounced VINT-SEH) was born in Hungary but emigrated to England. In 1971 Malawi adopted a decimal coinage, and Mr. Vincze again provided the designs. The reverse designs of the 1, 10 and 20 tambala coins were adopted from some of the predecimal coins, and only the reverse designs for the 2 and 5 tambala coins were new.

See: Coinage of Malawi.

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Malawi, ½ tambala.

Image © Royal Mint (UK).

Paul Vincze's artwork for the reverse design of a half tambala coin, showing two pineapples.

The lowest denomination of the series was ultimately the 1 tambala coin.

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Malawi, 1 tambala.

Image © Royal Mint (UK).

A preliminary design of cotton plants for the 1 tambala coin.

Malawi, ½ tambala.

Image © Royal Mint (UK).

Unadopted 1 tambala design showing cotton plants.  Image © Royal Mint (UK).

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Malawi, 1 tambala.

Image © Royal Mint (UK).

Paul Vincze's alternative design of the cockerel.

I do like this rather cute, stouter version of the bird.

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Malawi, 1 tambala.

Image © Royal Mint (UK).

Paul Vincze's initial artwork for the issued 1 tambala design.

The issued design was similar but reversed.

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Malawi, 2 tambala.

Image © Royal Mint (UK).

Paul Vincze's artwork for the issued 2 tambala design.

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Malawi, 5 tambala.

Image © Royal Mint (UK).

Paul Vincze's artwork for the issued 5 tambala design.

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Malawi, 10 tambala.

Image © Royal Mint (UK).

Paul Vincze's artwork for the issued 10 tambala design.

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Malawi, ½ tambala.

Image © Royal Mint (UK).

Paul Vincze's artwork for the issued 20 tambala design.

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Individually, all nice designs, but together, they don't work for me and they are too Western-influenced. I think the Gallic coq as well as the symmetric pineapples and maize look too heraldic for an independent African country.

The set looks inconsistent to me: three birdies, three wild animals, two farm plants, one farm animal. Come on, Malawi, make up your mind. Either distribute the subjects better or stick to one subject, two at most: one for copper, one for cu-ni. Example of a mixed set:

1 tambala: un-symmetricised pineapples (farm plant)
2 tambala: as is (wild animal, air)
5 tambala: significant wild plant, a tree perhaps?
10 tambala: significant farmed fish
20 tambala: as is (wild animal, land)

Message: we got plenty of nature for tourists and farmers.

Peter

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I think the Gallic coq as well as the symmetric pineapples and maize look too heraldic for an independent African country.

From Wikipedia: "The cockerel was the symbol of President Banda's political party."

Also from Wikipedia:

Genetic studies have pointed to multiple maternal origins in South Asia, Southeast Asia, and East Asia, but the clade found in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Africa originated from the Indian subcontinent. From ancient India, the chicken spread to Lydia in western Asia Minor, and to Greece by the 5th century BC. Fowl have been known in Egypt since the mid-15th century BC, with the "bird that gives birth every day" having come from the land between Syria and Shinar, Babylonia, according to the annals of Thutmose III.

So I am afraid the French cannot claim to have invented and patented the cockerel.

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Individually, all nice designs, but together, they don't work for me and they are too Western-influenced. I think the ... the symmetric pineapples and maize look too heraldic for an independent African country.

Message: we got plenty of nature for tourists and farmers.

I agree that asymmetrical is more lifelike and interesting than symmetric.

As for having plenty of nature, well, Malawi was and is largely an agricultural country, so why not?

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The issued coinage.

Sketches of prototype designs.

The original ideas for the positioning of the year and denomination numerals.