1 Pound 1968 - 1969, Biafra
| in Krause book | Number: 5 |
| Years of issue: | 1968 - 1969 |
| Edition: | CW 1 000 000 |
| Signatures: | Governor: Mr. Sylvester U. Ugoh, Director: Mr. William Okefie Uzoaga |
| Serie: | 1968 Issue |
| Specimen of: | 02.1969 |
| Material: | Cotton fiber |
| Size (mm): | 138 х 70 |
| Printer: | Markpress, Geneva |
* All pictures marked 
are increased partially by magnifying glass, the remaining open in full size by clicking on the image.
** The word "Specimen" is present only on some of electronic pictures, in accordance with banknote images publication rules of appropriate banks.
Description
Watermark:
Avers:
Palm tree over a rising sun.
Denomination by word on the left, by digit on the right.
Revers:
The coat of arms.
The coat of arms used by Biafra was derived from the coat of arms granted to the Eastern Region of Nigeria in 1960. The difference being that the Eastern Region’s arms had supporters of a leopard (on the left) and a man carrying a spear - an ‘Alo’ (on the right), whereas the Biafran arms had two leopards supporting the shield. The shield contains the rising sun, plus three manillas linked together over an area divided into three parts, which are properly coloured red, black, and green. (These were also the colours of the Biafran flag - three horizontal bars of red, black, and green, with the rising sun in the centre of the black band). Above the shield is an eagle clutching a tusk or horn, and representations of the eagle appeared on a number of Biafran coins.
Taken from their coat of arms, the rising sun became the dominant symbol of Biafra. It appeared on their flag, their coins and bank notes, on military insignia, and it gave rise to the title of their national anthem, Land of the Rising Sun.
The palm tree was important because of its economic significance to Biafra - next to oil, products from the palm trees were the most valuable exports from the region prior to the new republic being declared. In addition, the depiction of a single palm tree had been the dominant feature on the bank notes of the West African Currency Board from 1916 to 1951, and gave a visual reminder of the notes of that era. (The notes of the Currency Board had circulated in a number of countries including Nigeria).
Comments:
Biafra, officially the Republic of Biafra, was a secessionist state in south-eastern Nigeria that existed from 30 May 1967 to 15 January 1970, taking its name from the Bight of Biafra (the Atlantic bay to its south). The inhabitants were mostly the Igbo people who led the secession due to economic, ethnic, cultural and religious tensions among the various peoples of Nigeria. The creation of the new state that was pushing for recognition was among the causes of the Nigerian Civil War, also known as the Nigerian - Biafran War.After two-and-a-half years of war, during which a million civilians had died in fighting and from famine, Biafran forces agreed to a ceasefire with the Nigerian Federal Military Government (FMG), and Biafra was reintegrated into Nigeria.
Issues of banknotes:
5s. MA to MZ (except MI & MO) 24 million
NA to NR (except NI & NO) 16 million
10s. GA to GW (except GI & GO) 19 million
1 pound BA to BZ (except BI & BO) 24 million
CA to CZ (except CI & CO) 24 million
DA to DX (except DI & DO) 22 million
5 pounds WA to WF 6 million
10 pounds ZA to ZC 3 million
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