East Africa and Uganda 1907 1 cent
East Africa was an administrative grouping of the British colonies of Kenya, Uganda and British Somaliland. Tanganyika was added in 1919 after it was seized from the Germans. The original currency system was 100 cents = one florin (2 shillings). In 1922, this was changed to 100 cents = 1 shilling. In 1920 Uganda was dropped from the title on the reverse. The coinage has been obsolete since the member colonies obtained independence in the early 1960's.
The coin shown, which is a two-year type, is the first year that a coin composed of aluminum was issued as regular coinage. Though the French were known for developing the refining process for aluminum, it fell upon the British to use it first in coinage (besides some earlier patterns by the United States). This issue, along with another in British West Africa in 1908, heralded a long and continuing use of aluminum in small denomination coinage.
Recorded mintage: 6,948,000.
Specification: aluminum.
Catalog reference: KM-5.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1901-2000, 47th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
Link to:
- 1906 25 cents
- 1908 half cent
- 1908 cent
- Coins and currency dated 1907
- return to coins of British East Africa