1/10 Penny - Edward VII

British West Africa's fractional coinage was introduced to facilitate small transactions in markets where cowrie shells had long dominated as the preferred exchange medium. The 1/10 penny denomination was specifically calculated to bridge indigenous and colonial monetary systems, targeting price points that existing British coinage couldn't reach. Aluminium was chosen for the lowest values partly because the metal's light weight made it impractical to melt for other uses, discouraging the hoarding that plagued copper issues in the region.

KM#1 status confirms this as the founding issue of the British West Africa series — struck for the four protectorates administered under a single currency framework from 1907.