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1/2 Crown - Elizabeth II 1st portrait
| Issuer | Rhodesia and Nyasaland |
|---|---|
| Year | 1955-1957 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1/2 Crown (1/8) |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Reverse description | The central field displays the coat of arms of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, surmounted by the royal cypher EIIR. The motto MAGNE ESSE MEREAMUR appears on a scroll beneath the shield. The legend RHODESIA AND NYASALAND arcs around the upper portion of the coin, while the denomination HALF CROWN and the date of issue appear in the lower portion. The design is attributed to Thomas Humphrey Paget, and the entire composition is enclosed within a beaded border. |
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| Additional information |
The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland existed for only a decade before collapsing under the weight of African nationalist pressure and British reluctance to entrench white minority rule. These half crowns were struck in the federation's earliest years, when the political arrangement still carried enough credibility that London sanctioned a full coinage series. The first portrait of Elizabeth II — Gillick's effigy — had only just entered circulation across the Commonwealth following the 1953 coronation.
The federation was dissolved in 1963. Coins from this short series had fewer than eight years of institutional backing before the issuing authority ceased to exist.