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Analysis of Ghana's modern coinage

Started by <k>, August 23, 2023, 10:23:50 PM

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<k>

#15
GHANA'S FIRST BIMETALLIC COIN




Ghana, 100 cedis, 1991.


The 100 cedis coin, first issued in 1991, was Ghana's first bimetallic coin.

It was the only bimetallic coin of the second cedi.






A closer look at the reverse of the 100 cedis coin.
Visit the website of The Royal Mint Museum.

See: The Royal Mint Museum.

<k>

THE BRIEF RETURN OF THE BEAD CIRCLE

Ghana 500 cedis  1998.jpg

Ghana, 500 cedis, 1998.


In 1996 the highest circulating denomination ever was released.

It was a round nickel-brass 500 cedis coin.


This was the final coin type of the second cedi.

Curiously, both sides featured a bead circle.


These days bead circles look rather old-fashioned.

Originally they were used as a security feature on coins.


See:  Beads and dentillations on coins.
Visit the website of The Royal Mint Museum.

See: The Royal Mint Museum.

<k>

#17
DESIGNS AND DENOMINATIONS




Drums: 5, 50 and 500 cedis.





Cocoa pods: 10 and 100 cedis.





Cowrie shell: 20 and 200 cedis.



The 1 pesewa coin was first issued in 1967.

It showed the Star of Freedom on the reverse.

That coin was last minted in 1979.


After 1979, the coinage had a single common reverse.

It featured Ghana's national shield of arms.


The second cedi coinage featured only three different obverse designs.

These were thematic designs, namely cocoa pods, bush drums, and a cowrie shell.

The cowrie shell first appeared on the 1 cedi coin of 1979.


After 1979, no new thematic designs appeared on the obverse of the coinage.

New coins and denominations simply used one of the existing three designs.


The obverse designs of the 1990s may appear somewhat randomly chosen.

They all feature one of the three standard obverse designs.

However, there is method among the seeming chaos. See below!


OBVERSE DESIGNS OF THE 1990s

The bush drums appear on the 5, 50 and 500 cedis coins.

The cocoa pods appear on the 10 and 100 cedis coins.

The cowrie shell appears on the 20 and 200 cedis coins.


Did you notice the deliberate pattern?
Visit the website of The Royal Mint Museum.

See: The Royal Mint Museum.

<k>

THE SECOND CEDI:  VISUAL CORRELATIONS



Reverse of the coinage of 1967.


The coinage of 1967 made a correlation between the reverse design and the metal used.

These design differences helped to make a distinction between the coin tiers.


The half pesewa and 1 pesewa coins were made of bronze.

The constituted a tier by virtue of their shape and colour.


The higher denominations were made of copper-nickel.

They constituted a separate tier by virtue of their metal colour.


This technique correlates design and colour to a coin tier.

It aids the visual recognition of the different coins.





Cowrie shell: 20 and 200 cedis.

We saw a similar correlation between design and denomination.

This was illustrated in the prior post.

There are various way of making such correlations.


See also:  50 fish on 50 cents: Denomination reflected in design.
Visit the website of The Royal Mint Museum.

See: The Royal Mint Museum.

<k>

METALS USED IN THE 1990s



Ghana, 200 cedis, 1998.   A nickel-plated steel coin.


The 50 cedis coin of 1991 was made of copper-nickel.

It was a one-year type only.

It was Ghana's very last coin that was made of copper-nickel.


That coin was replaced by a nickel-plated steel coin in 1995.

The 10, 20 and 200 cedis coins of the 1990s were also made of nickel-plated steel.


Plated coins became much more common worldwide in the 1990s.

This was because of the continuing rise in metal prices.

Less expensive alloys were therefore sought.


Brass is not expensive as a metal.

The 5 cedis coin of 1991 was made of brass-plated steel.

The 500 cedis coin of 1996 and 1998 was made of nickel-brass.

The bimetallic 100 cedis, first issued in 1991, had a brass centre.


Ghana followed the worldwide trend by issuing coins in less expensive metals.
Visit the website of The Royal Mint Museum.

See: The Royal Mint Museum.

<k>

#20
THOUGHTS ON GHANA'S COINS OF 1958 TO 1999

Ghana's coins of this period exhibit continuity, variety and modernity.


Variety is seen in its three coinages from 1958 to 1967.

1958 saw the coinage of the predecimal pound.


The first decimal coinage was introduced in 1965.

That was the first cedi.


The second cedi was issued in 1967.

It was a rejigged decimal coinage.


The first two coinages had a common obverse and a common reverse.

Variety was seen in the two different portraits of Kwame Nkrumah.


Continuity was seen in the Star of Freedom.

It provided the common reverse of the first two coinages.

It also provided the reverse design for two coins of the second cedi.


The first three coinages each included a scalloped coin.

Collectors enjoy this sort of variety.


Modernity was seen when the last scalloped coin was issued dated 1967.

Such coins were no longer seen as popular or modern.


Ghana introduced a heptagonal coin in 1979.

Heptagonal coins were still relatively new back then.

Another two heptagons were issued in the 1990s.


A bimetallic coin was added in the 1990s.

Here too Ghana was following modern trends.


The coinage was reduced in size in the 1980s.

Less expensive metals were used in the 1990s.

Once more, Ghana was following modern worldwide trends.


The coinage from 1967 to 1999 did not have a common obverse and reverse.

In this, it differed from the first two coinages.

Instead, it started with two common reverse designs.


After 1979, there was only one common reverse design.

The 1 pesewa was no longer minted.

It had carried the only remaining star design on its reverse.

Now only the shield of arms remained, as the common reverse.


The coinage of 1967 had started with two common obverse designs.

These were the bush drums and the cocoa pods.

The cowrie shell was added in 1979.


I contend that the thematic designs on the obverse looked too much like reverse designs.

Meanwhile, the national symbols on the reverse resembled obverse designs.

Yet they were shown alongside the denominations.

This made the reverse designs look like a mixture of obverse and reverse elements.


After 1979, all new denominations received old obverse designs.

The designs looked stagnant and old-fashioned.

The mismatch between obverse and reverse designs also did not help.


In terms of design alone, the coinage lacked variety and modernity.

In all other respects it showed both variety and modernity.


The last second cedi coins were dated 1999.

The second cedi itself ended in July 2007.

Inflation had killed it.

A redenomination was needed.
Visit the website of The Royal Mint Museum.

See: The Royal Mint Museum.

<k>

THE THIRD CEDI AND A NEW DESIGN SERIES

By the 21st century, years of high inflation had eroded the cedi's value.

The government therefore decided to redenominate the currency.


On 2 July 2007 a new currency and coinage were introduced.

This was the Third Cedi.
Visit the website of The Royal Mint Museum.

See: The Royal Mint Museum.

<k>

#22


Obverse of the 1 cedi coin of 2007.


The new design series was issued in 2007.

It was now a set of classic thematic designs.


The common obverse was the greater coat of arms.

It featured two splendid tawny eagles as supporters.


See:  Coats of arms with ANIMAL supporters.
Visit the website of The Royal Mint Museum.

See: The Royal Mint Museum.

<k>



All the reverse designs.  The coin sizes are not to scale.


The coin reverses featured attractive thematic designs.

The coins and their designs were produced by the Royal Canadian Mint.


Now Ghana's coinage was modern in every sense.

The previous series had suffered from poor design and design structure.

That major weakness had now been rectified.
Visit the website of The Royal Mint Museum.

See: The Royal Mint Museum.

<k>



Obverse of the 2 cedis coin of 2019.





Reverse of the 2 cedis coin of 2019.


Ghana issued its first bimetallic polygonal coin in 2019.

This was another modern touch.


However, the 2 cedis coin does not make its denomination prominent enough.

The denomination is shown as latent images on the obverse.

On the reverse it is shown in micro-text.
Visit the website of The Royal Mint Museum.

See: The Royal Mint Museum.

<k>

#25




Ghana 1 pesewa 2007.jpg

Ghana's coinage now includes two fine architectural themes.

Visit the website of The Royal Mint Museum.

See: The Royal Mint Museum.

<k>





Ghana 10 cedis 1991.jpg





The shield of arms on coins of the Second Cedi.














The coat of arms on coins of the Third Cedi.
Visit the website of The Royal Mint Museum.

See: The Royal Mint Museum.

<k>

THEMATIC  DESIGN  CONTINUITY

Ghana 100 cedis 1991.jpg













Cocoa pods.


Cocoa pods also appear in the outer circle of the coin.

Wherever the shield of arms appears, small cocoa pod devices encircle it.
Visit the website of The Royal Mint Museum.

See: The Royal Mint Museum.

<k>

THE AFRICAN STAR OF FREEDOM








The African Star of Freedom on Ghana's flag and coat of arms.





The star on a pesewa coin of 1967.





The star on the obverse of the 5 pesewas coin of 2016.





The stars on the obverse of the 1 cedi coin of 2007.





The stars on the obverse of the 2 cedi coin of 2019.









Two stars on the obverse, one on the reverse.
Visit the website of The Royal Mint Museum.

See: The Royal Mint Museum.

<k>

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Visit the website of The Royal Mint Museum.

See: The Royal Mint Museum.