Summary

1 Cent, Issued by, British Colony of East Africa (Kenya), 1921
Minted by Royal Mint, London
Not released for circulation

Obverse Description

A central hole with curved floral design to left and right; above hole, crown; below hole in two lines, ONE / CENT; around, GEORGIVS V REX ET IMP: IND:

Reverse Description

Curved around central hole four elephant tusks; above hole, 1; around outside line circle, EAST AFRICA 1921

Edge Description

Plain

Significance

The rupee of British India had come to be the coinage standard of the Protectorate of East Africa and Uganda (largely because it was used to pay Indian workers on the Kenya-Uganda Railway). In 1920 the East African Protectorate became the Colony of Kenya, the East Africa Currency Board was set up in December 1919. It introduced a new decimal system based on 100 cents to one East African Florin in 1920 (this coin), abandoning yet retaining the old rupee system - the florin being the same weight as the Indian rupee. This was very short lived, on 1 May 1921 it was replaced by a system based on 100 cents to 1 East African Shilling. This system was expanded on 1 January 1922 to be the official Currency of Kenya, Uganda and Tanganyka. This 1 cent coin was prepared under the florin based decimal system of 1920; the issue was not required as the new shilling based system of 1921 was to have a bronze 1 cent coin (first issued 1922).

More Information