AV 25 Pounds 2.355 oz. gold/ part of 5 piece set. (1/2/5/10/25 Pounds) This set was issued by the Rep. of Biafra which had broken away from Nigeria. After 3 years of independence the Nigerians used famine as a weapon to crush Biafrans. This is a truly magnificent coin design. Also, this 5 piece proof set was my first gold coin buy....no regrets!
Gorgeous design!!! Any collector should be able to appreciate the sheer artistry of many 'modern' issues...and especially this example---even if it weren't gold
Thanks for wonderfull comments! That is why I cannot just stick to collecting "ancients", I like the coins from all periods of history. Biafra certainly was a very short lived independent Country. Seems South Sudan might follow them.
According to Gerhard Schön, those "Second Anniversary" pieces were produced by the UGDO (Usine Genevoise de Dégrossissage d'Or) in Geneva. Made for H. William Bernhardt and his Markpress PR agency that worked for the Biafran government then ... Christian
But isn't Valcambi also a private Swiss mint and metals refiner? I know of some gold coins minted around the same time period by Valcambi, so it could make sense. Btw, just how many such businesses are there in Die Schweitz?
Quite a few, I think; there's also Argor and PAMP for example. But the UGDO was acquired (in the late 80s or so) by Metalor, and Valcambi is owned by the Indian Rajesh group today. Don't think that the two (UGDO, Valcambi) have ever been parts of the same company, but I may be wrong ... Christian
