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25 Pounds
| Issuer | Biafra |
|---|---|
| Year | 1969 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 25 Pounds |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Technique | Log in to see details |
| Orientation | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | THE FIGHT FOR SURVIVAL ** SPES TWENTYFIVE 25 POUNDS (Translation: HOPE) |
| Edge | Reeded |
| Mint | Log in to see details |
| Mintage | Log in to see details |
| Additional information |
Biafra's gold coinage of 1969 was struck in the final, desperate months of the secessionist state's existence. The Republic of Biafra had declared independence from Nigeria in May 1967, triggering a civil war that killed an estimated one to three million people, largely through deliberate famine. By the time these pieces were minted, Biafran-held territory had been reduced to a fraction of its original size, and the government fell in January 1970.
These gold issues were almost certainly produced for foreign exchange and diplomatic purposes rather than domestic circulation — the population was starving. Struck in London by the Royal Mint on contract.