Seychelles: trial coins of 1977 that featured ousted President Mancham

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Seychelles, 5 rupees, 1976.

In June 1976 the Seychelles gained its independence from the UK.

In that same year the newly independent country issued a special circulation coinage.

The common obverse design featured a portrait of the President James Mancham.

The reverse designs all included the word "INDEPENDENCE".

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Seychelles, 5 rupees, 1976.

In June 1977 President Mancham was deposed in a coup by Prime Minister France-Albert René, who had the support of Tanzanian-trained revolutionaries and Tanzanian-supplied weapons, whilst Mancham was attending the Commonwealth Heads of Government Conference in London. Mancham lived in exile in London until April 1992.

As a result, Mancham's portrait was removed from the coins dated 1977 and replaced by the coat of arms of the Seychelles.

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Seychelles trial coins of 1977.

In March 2022 the auction house Dix Noonan Webb included two Seychelles trial coins of 1977 in its auction #251.

Seychelles, Republic, Pattern or Trial Rupee and 50 Cents, both 1977, in nickel (?), head of James Mancham right, revs. conch shell and vanilla orchid, edges finely grained. These two coins, almost certainly struck by the Royal Mint in the early months of 1977, were to designs copying those of 1976. The new regime ordered that Mancham's head be removed from the coins forthwith and substituted by the islands' coat of arms.

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1976.






1977.

Above we see the actual reverse designs of the relevant issued coins of 1976 and 1977.

The relative image sizes do not correspond to the actual sizes of the coins.

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See also:  Wildlife of the Seychelles.