East Africa and Uganda 1908 cent
This specimen was lot 73530 in Stack's Bowers Collector's Choice sale (Costa Mesa, CA, February 2022), where it sold for $1,440. The catalog description[1] noted, "EAST AFRICA. Cent, 1908. London Mint. Edward VII. PCGS MS-65. Pop: 1, none graded finer by PCGS. This Gem example exhibits a bold strike and unhandled surfaces. A perfect example for the one for every country collector." 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. This and the accompanying half cent may be the first aluminum coins struck for circulation. It was converted to copper-nickel in 1909.
Recorded mintage: 2,871,000.
Specification: aluminum, plain edge.
Catalog reference: KM-5.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1901-2000, 47th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- [1]Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, The February 2022 World Collectors Choice Online Auction - Ancients & World Coins, Featuring Selections from the Kings Norton Mint Collection, Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2022.
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