Some new British West Africa

mnemtsas2 · February 21, 2011 5:43PM

These three just arrived after the long trip to Australia. Bought from a board member and I am delighted with them. First high grade examples of these coins I have seen.

1913 1d NGC MS64

1915H 1d NGC MS64

1916H 1d NGC MS65

spoon · February 21, 2011 6:30PM

Very nice indeed!

It's odd, though... I'm certainly no expert in these, but the few nice ones that I've had (usually smaller denoms) also had similar streaking or coloration as those do. Do you know if it is something particular to the mix of metal or environmental conditions that causes that? Or am I just totally off base?

mnemtsas2 · February 21, 2011 6:38PM

I don't know a lot about the series but the linear nature of the copper coloured streaking screams metal impurity to me (it is copper-nickel after all).

OchoReales · February 21, 2011 8:43PM

Nice pick ups!

JCMhouston · February 22, 2011 6:53AM

Very nice, I like the British West Arica designs.

1960NYGiants · February 22, 2011 11:06AM

I was gonna ask: where's the H? But I see it below the hole across the P of Penny. Now I have to ask is that a 1913H?

BTW: nice coins.

mnemtsas2 · February 22, 2011 11:24AM

<< I was gonna ask: where's the H? But I see it below the hole across the P of Penny. Now I have to ask is that a 1913H?

BTW: nice coins. >>

Well yes, I guess it is, not noted on the holder though. That'll teach me to copy blindly.

SYRACUSIAN · February 24, 2011 9:01PM

How large are these coins Mark? I've seen almost identical designs from 1933, but their denomination was 1/10th penny, and judging from the hole, yours must be bigger ,as well as older and much more difficult to locate in gem.

mnemtsas2 · February 25, 2011 6:47AM

They are big Dimitri, same size as a bronze penny or thereabouts. Can't measure directly as they are put away but Krause says 30.5mm.

lordmarcovan · February 25, 2011 9:29AM

I've always thought these were neat. Can anyone tell us what the significance of the six-pointed star is on these? I know better than to call it a "Star of David" in this context.

GaCoinGuy · February 25, 2011 11:01AM

Here's a BWA I sold recently. Was much brighter than my lousy pic taking skills show.

SYRACUSIAN · February 25, 2011 7:55PM

These ones are 1/10ths of pennies,like mine, only a year later.

Considering that the diameter of the hole is equal in the pennies and 1/10ths of pennies, I get the picture of what they look like. Man, it must be tough to get mid 1910s cuni pennies in such gem condition! Nice catch.

Sapyx · February 25, 2011 10:17PM

<< Can anyone tell us what the significance of the six-pointed star is on these? I know better than to call it a "Star of David" in this context. >>

It's the "Seal of Solomon", from which the Magen David is derived. It was used on earlier Moroccan coinage which would have been seen in trade throughout western Africa. When it came time to design the British colonial coinage in the early 1900s, the governor of Northern Nigeria noted that the locals there trusted coins and other things with the Seal on them and suggested using it. He also noted that the alternative suggestion proposed by the governor of Southern Nigeria, a river-horse head similar to the one used on much later coins of Mali, might offend the Muslim population of his province.

That, plus the fact that a star-shape is something that can be put on a holed coin without looking silly, or damaged. Holed Belgian Congo coins bore five-pointed stars.

Zohar · February 25, 2011 10:20PM

These are very neat.

lordmarcovan · February 27, 2011 10:41AM

Thanks for the info, Sapyx.

I seem to recall seeing pictures of errors on these (or similar coins) where the center hole is out of position a bit. Also, sometimes where the hole didn't get made at all.

I've got a red BU 1936 coin with a hole in the center that bears the legends of Edward VIII, but I guess that's East Africa.

spoon · February 27, 2011 11:07AM

I always thought the six points were for the five colonies plus Nigeria that constituted BWA?

Edit - the other five were Cameroon, Gambia, Ghana, Sierra Leone and Togo... had to think about it.

Sapyx · February 27, 2011 3:27PM

<< I always thought the six points were for the five colonies plus Nigeria that constituted BWA?

Edit - the other five were Cameroon, Gambia, Ghana, Sierra Leone and Togo... had to think about it. >>

Can't be. The coin design dates from before WWI, when Cameroon and Togo were both German colonies.

spoon · February 27, 2011 4:19PM

Yep. Good point!

Hmm.. weren't Nigeria and the Gold Coast composed of separate administrative units for a while? North & South Nigeria unified around 1912-14 (though all were under Lugard), but I don't know about the others.

I'm sure you're right though!

lordmarcovan · February 28, 2011 3:23AM

<< I've got a red BU 1936 coin with a hole in the center that bears the legends of Edward VIII, but I guess that's East Africa. >>

Nope. I was confusing it with one I used to own. The piece I have in hand is Edward VIII, all right, but not bronze. It is a BU 1936 British West Africa halfpenny (KM15) with a design and metallic content similar to the ones posted in this thread (though it is a different denomination, of course- slightly bigger than a US quarter but not quite as big as a half dollar). Looks as nice as any of the slabbed pieces in the OP, too, if I do say so myself, though it is not toned- just lustrous. Judging from the handwriting on the flip insert, I got it from Ye Olde Dead King Aethelred.

ccrdragon · February 28, 2011 6:36AM

<< I seem to recall seeing pictures of errors on these (or similar coins) where the center hole is out of position a bit. Also, sometimes where the hole didn't get made at all. >>

I have a couple of these Lord M - have to see if I can get some pix and post them for you...

JamesMurray · March 17, 2011 5:02PM

Great info Sapyx , i scored a few of these by default so to speak and knew i'd seen pics recently.I'm glad i checked back cos i wondered whats up with the star as well.Now i know , thanks man.

Some new British West Africa

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