Who is Cecil Rhodes? His accomplishments are many, but I'm writing this to acquaint you with a numismatic connection. He is an English-born colonialist (African Continent), businessman (buying, selling mineral rights), politician (Minister of the Cape Colony from 1890 to 1896), mining magnate, founder of Debeers Mining Company (a diamond cartel) and founder of Rhodesia. South Africa's Rhodes Universary is named after him. College students throughout Great Britain, Canada and the United States who were graduated from colleges and universities as Rhodes Scholars certainly know him as the benefactor funding Rhodes Scholarship. Cecil Rhodes died in 1902, but the Rhodes Scholarship lives on through the terms of his estate. The coin you are about to see is a commemorative coin produced by Southern Rhodesia to celebrate Cecil Rhodes' 100th Birthday. The obverse pictures the laureate bust of Queen Elizabeth II. The reverse pictures Rhodes, along with the arms of Southern Rhodesia, Northern Rhodesia and Nyasaland; three British colonies that he helped found and were later joined to form the short-lived Federation of Rhodesia & Nyasaland (now Zambia and Zimbabwe) The coin bears the lettered edge "1853 OUT OF VISION CAME REALITY 1953". The 39.5mm coin is struck in .500 fine silver (0.4546 oz. ASW). It is the largest and highest denomination coin struck by Southern Rhodesia. Take a look courtesy of Don's World Coin Gallery: http://worldcoingallery.com/countries/coine.php?image=nmc2/199-27&desc=Southern%20Rhodesia%20km27%201%20Crown%20(1953)&query=Southern%20Rhodesia%20km%2027 Hope you enjoyed this trivia article... Clinker
