1 Dalasi 1977, Gambia
| in Krause book | Number: 4d |
| Years of issue: | 1977 |
| Edition: | 1 192 090 |
| Signatures: | General manager: A. K. Naziruddin Ahmed, Governor: Sherrif Saikuba Sisay |
| Serie: | 1971 - 1972 Issues |
| Specimen of: | 1971 |
| Material: | Cotton fiber |
| Size (mm): | 125 х 60 |
| Printer: | Bradbury, Wilkinson & Company Limited, New Malden |
* 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:
Head of crocodile.
Avers:
Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara, GCMG (born May 16, 1924) is a Gambian statesman who was the first leader of the Gambia, serving first as Prime Minister from 1962 to 1970 and then as President from 1970 to 1994.
Born Kairaba Jawara on May 16, 1924 at Barajally, MacCarthy Island Division (now Central River Division). His parents were Mamma Fatty and Almami Jawara, Sir Dawda was educated at the Methodist Boys’ High School in colonial Bathurst (now Banjul), then attended Achimota College in Ghana. He was trained as a veterinary surgeon at the Glasgow veterinary school. He completed his training at Liverpool University.
From 1962 until 1970, when the country was a Commonwealth realm with Elizabeth II as head of state, Jawara was Prime Minister and head of government. A 1970 referendum made the country a republic, and Jawara became the nation's first president on April 24 of that year. 
On left side is the Groundnutter Sailboat on the Gambia river.
The Gambia River is a major river in West Africa, running 1,130 kilometers (700 mi.) from the Fouta Djallon plateau in north Guinea westward through Senegal and the Gambia to the Atlantic Ocean at the city of Banjul. It is navigable for about half that length.
The river is strongly associated with the Gambia, the smallest country in mainland Africa, which consists of little more than the downstream half of the river and its two banks.
The Groundnutter boats are simple craft. Dug out from the trunk of a tree, the boat is then finished off with solid mahogany planks which are nailed to the upper edge of the boat sides. These planks increase the boat's cargo area. To make the vessel more seaworthy, Gambian sailors caulk the seams of the boat with tupp -- a type of rope and cotton filer. Once constructed, the wooden sides are brightly painted with colorful geometric and tribal designs befitting the rich culture of the Gambian nation.
Often, early in the morning, native farmers can be seen loading the huge bags of groundnuts into brightly colored boats, or Groundnutters, for the trip down the river to the processing plants. (Wind River Studios)
Denominations in numerals are in all corners. In words centered..
Revers:
Farm workers planting rice on "faro" (rice paddy field).
Rice is a staple food crop grown and imported to The Gambia, the base for most dishes. Grown in the rainy season, it looks like grain before processing, which involves pounding in a mortar with a pestle. There are several varieties available at the market, usually costing about D6 (£0.15 pence) per standard cup.
The staple crop is grown in what is called a "faro" (rice paddy fields). The traditional type, grown on the uplands and swamps long before the arrival of the colonial powers, is short grained and it has been left to women to cultivate this variety. It is cultivated as a subsistence crop and a small amount sold as a cash crop. Today, 2 varieties are grown widely in the Gambia called ITA 306 and IET 3137.
The rest of the consumer market is satisfied via the major importers of rice to West Africa.
Traditionally they have used the banto faros in the upland areas where the water from the river was not too salty and the fields not too high to prevent their fields from being flooded. It is during the rainy season when the women plant the seedlings from the nurseries to the paddy fields. At the end of the year the rice crop was harvested and the seed separated from the husk by various threshing techniques. (www.accessgambia.com)
Denominations in numerals are in all corners. In words lower, little to the left side.
Comments:
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