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1 Pound
| Issuer | Republic of Biafra |
|---|---|
| Year | 1969 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1 Pound |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | 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 | Log in to see details |
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| Reverse lettering | THE FIGHT FOR SURVIVAL ** SPES ONE 1 POUND (Translation: HOPE) |
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| Additional information |
Biafra's gold coinage was issued in the final, desperate phase of the secession war — by 1969 the Republic had been reduced to a shrinking enclave in southeastern Nigeria, under blockade and facing mass starvation. These pieces were struck in part to court international recognition and raise hard currency abroad, not for domestic circulation. Very few countries acknowledged Biafra's sovereignty, and the coins found no monetary function at home.
The war ended in January 1970 with Biafran surrender. Virtually the entire issue was exported or held in reserve, which explains why surviving examples show almost no wear.