East Africa and Uganda 1909 50 cents
This specimen was lot 961 in Steve Album Auction 53 (Santa Rosa, CA, September 2025), where it did not sell. The catalog description[1] noted, "EAST AFRICA & UGANDA: Edward VII, 1901-1910, AR 50 cents, 1909, a lovely mint state example and rare so nice, NGC graded MS63. Tied with only two other examples for highest graded (Top Pop) at NGC. The Imperial British East Africa Company began to fail, and on July 1, 1895, the British government proclaimed East Africa a protectorate, the administration being transferred to the Foreign Office. In 1902, administration was again transferred to the Colonial Office and the boundaries of the protectorate were extended to include what was previously the Eastern Province of Uganda." 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. This type is known from the London mint for 1906 and 1909-10. Uganda was dropped from the title in 1920 and in 1921 the coinage was reformed so that 100 cents = one shilling instead of one florin as before. This date is scarce.
Recorded mintage: 100,000.
Specification: 5.83 g, 0.800 fine silver, 23.6 mm diameter.
Catalog reference: KM-4.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1901-2000, 47th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- [1]Album, Stephen, Joseph Lang, Paul Montz, Michael Barry and Hanbing Feng, Auction 53, featuring Selections from the Dr. Robert A. Rosenfeld, Almer H. Orr III, Dr. Dirk Loer and Joe Sedillot Collections, Santa Rosa, CA: Stephen Album Rare Coins, Inc., 2025.
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