The first Europeans stepping on a nigerian bank were Portuguese. This event happened in the XV century and, strangely enough, positively affected on development of this country, divided into a few primitive kingdoms which was managed by local princes. Portuguese did not begin to build forts here, cities or to bother to natives by missionaries; they simply put right advantageous trade, buying ivory and fruit. In addition, slaves were bought here, but, it is needed to mark, that robber raids on negro villages Portuguese did not arrange, preferring to buy for local rulers the captives trapped in numerous wars.
Thus, local kingdoms actively traded with Portugal, up to abolition of slave-trade in the XIX century. After it they fall into a decay and in 1885, on results the Berlin conference, south Nigeria stepped back to England. England brought to Nigeria a civilization : built a railway, organized plantations of cacao and peanut, and in 50th of the last century began to obtain oil - principal item of nigerian export and until now.
In 1914 Nigeria gets status of protectorate. True, ethnically she was unhomogeneous: tribes on the south of country heard the confession christianity differed, in general, by complaisant enough character, but the tribes of natives-moslems very aggressive lived in the north. Even after the association of Nigeria within the framework of protectorate, relations between christians and moslems remained strained. In 50th of ХХ of century colonial empire of Great Britain disintegrated, as a card house. To save control above Nigeria, England was forced to change her status: from a protectorate it grew into a federation, although, saved status of protectorate in fact. So Nigeria got some independence, including, puppet government submitting to London. On only October, 1, 1960 Federation of Nigeria became the independent state and international legal subject.
Not looking on a that circumstance, that in 1960 a country found independence, for an appeal on her territory yet continued to mint the coins of former design. As illustration I will bring the copper-nickeliferous shilling over 1962 with the profile of queen Elisabeth II.
The coinage of republican coins began in 1973. It is kobo (national currency). The most shallow face value were 1/2 kobo minted from a bronze. 1/2 kobo produced only one time.
Further a coin followed by dignity of 1 kobo, also minted from a bronze. It's survived a 2 producing - in 1973 and 1974. Oil-derricks on a revers symbolize basis of nigerian economy.
5 kobos-coin was minted from a copper-nickeliferous alloy. The coins of the presented design were produced in 1973, 1974, 1976 and 1986.
On this copper-nickeliferous 25 kobos-coin is represent a peanut - one of main agricultural cultures of Nigeria. Minted in 1973 and 1975.
In 1991 and 1993 a 2 producing of coins went out by dignity of 50 kobo. They were made from the steel plated by a nickel.
Ive never seen a profile of Queen Elizabeth on a coin with such long hair. Thanks for sharing and conducting another history lesson. I kind of enjoy these. I just have one question. When did those Nigerian email scams start? 2006? One of them tried to suck me in by suggesting that if I supply my banking information, I can help someone get a large sum of money out of the country and I get a big cut. I acted like a vulernable senior citizen for a couple weeks and communicated back and forth with them telling them stuff like 'this is very exciting, and my grandchildren will really appreciate the money'. I gave them bad banking information and when the same guy wrote me back to clarify the information, I wrote back in big bold 24 point fonts F*** O**. That was the last I heard from them.
Oh, I don't know when first "Nigerian" letter was sent. I suppose, that it was about 5 or 6 years ago.
the effigy of queen elizabeth was the standard one used on coins of the commonwealth, only canada, australia, new zeland and south africa used the same portrait as the UK, all the other colonies used the crowned head with the "long hair"..before indepenence nigeria used the coinage of british west africa along with ghana, gambia, cameroon, etc etc. an interesting side note is that in the late sixties early seventies there was a civil war and the state of biafra was formed by the rebels, they issued coins and notes but it was soon overrun by the government forces and reverted to nigeria
I also enjoy your history lessons as well Siberian Man. The pics you supply are always first rate and show the coins in great detail. Thanks for posting all these interesting coins and the history surrounding them. Bruce
