Unfortunately he was later to suffer a problem far removed from the over-issue he suspected Nigeria of planning he was to face empty bank vaults and the lack of a circulating medium. Please browse the results of our past auctions using the navigation tools above. Europa Year Book (1968) Europa Publications, London. He left for exile in Ivory Coast and spent many years in the . The first Biafran banknote was introduced in 1968 which replaced the Nigerian currency. What has been spreading on social media is fake information disseminated by IPOB in order to mislead people and massage the egos of Biafra supporters. The Biafran conflict is well documented, with many works addressing the struggle from both sides. When the Nigerians announced that they would no longer redeem bank notes exported from Nigeria after August 1967, the Biafrans worked quickly to gather bank notes remaining in circulation so that they could be converted into precious foreign exchange. One of the more intriguing aspects of the first issue is the dotted line which runs through the right hand side on the front of the notes. Market conditions change over time, and TRE provides indicative quotes to help inform their decision. Catalog Detail. The official exchange rate at the beginning of 1968 was one Nigerian pound to one pound three shillings and four pence sterling making the Rothschild offer approximately half its real value.) Learn how. Top Rated Seller . Information about the claim has not appeared in any of the mainstream media. The New York Times newspaper New York, U.S.A. (The references in brackets refer to the page and column number of the relevant article. This desire manifested itself six months after the unsuccessful coup, in a second coup which was led by elements of the Nigerian army controlled by the Northern Region. It goes to prove the point: Biafra is really here to stay. The banknotes have various back designs. Lettering: The 1-pound note is again dominated on the back by the coat of arms, but lacks the Alo (spear) of the first issue. Our new currency notes, along with our new postage stamps, will be issued to the public on January 29, 1968. (Ojukwu, 1969). Washington, DC: The Executive Boards of the World Bank's International Development Association (IDA) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have determined that Sudan has taken the necessary steps to begin receiving debt relief under the enhanced Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative. Banks would go for days without opening because there was no money for withdrawals, and when some was available it was rationed people being allowed to withdraw no more than one pound a day. After some months of preparation, the federal government launched their first offensive against Biafra on 6 July 1967, and the Nigerian civil war began. See Details. The known prefixes and the number of notes issued is summarized as follows: 5s. Palm tree in centre with sunset behind, all with decorate circles containing words. First published in the. Since the rumour began to circulate, I have conducted thorough research into it, and I have discovered that the rumours that have been circulated are false news. They are based on evaluations by Numista users and sales realized on Internet platforms. See the details of the banknotes available for swap. A report by the Pointer News that claims the World Bank is set to establish the Central Bank of Biafra has been shared over 500 times on Facebook. It is not known exactly when these notes were introduced, but it was probably around February 1969, as Gen. Ojukwu announced the following in a speech to the Consultative Assembly and Council of Chiefs and Elders on 10 February: I am happy to announce to you that we have now been able to produce real Biafran currency of the highest quality. A video on this YouTube channel Biafra Generation claims that the world bank has approved the Biafran currency (what they termed as the Ejemme). This index is based on the data of Numista members collections. Browse By Material; Browse By Set/Series Name; Browse By Currency; Related Sites. Latest World news news, comment and analysis from the Guardian, the world's leading liberal voice like I always say google is your friend so use it and lemme alone. (1972) The Struggle for Secession, 1966-1970, Frank Cass, London. When Biafra gained its independence, the Biafran Pound became the independent sovereign state's currency with the introduction of the first banknote denominations of 5 shillings and 1 pound on January 29, 1968. During the war, a number of international relief agencies were delivering food and medicine to the war-ravaged Republic. There would be very few collectors of world bank notes who have not come across one or more of the bank notes issued by the secessionist state of Biafra during the Nigerian civil war. If the content contained herein violates any of your rights, including those of copyright, and/or violates any the above mentioned factors, you are requested to immediately notify us using via the following email address operanews-external(at)opera.com and/or report the article using the available reporting functionality built into our Platform. five shillings. Also with the latest banking policy that everyone must deposit their money before 30.1.2022 it is important to note the above instructions & put them into action In 2019, it was claimed that the World Bank invited Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, to place his name on a new Biafra currency. The notes have a palm tree and a big rising sun on their obverse design. In addition, the depiction of a single palm tree had been the dominant feature on the bank notes of the West African Currency Board from 1916 to 1951, and gave a visual reminder of the notes of that era. In addition to the notes that circulated in Biafra, and those which were dumped into the sea (first series), there were also thousands of undelivered notes that survived the war. Despite Ojukwus official speech on 27 January and an announcement to the international press on 30 January on the introduction of the new bank notes, there is some lingering doubt as to the official versions of events (which can sometimes be misleading, especially when recorded some time after the events). Copyright 1995-2023 eBay Inc. All Rights Reserved. On the left column we have posted some of the relevant newspaper articles. No fatality recorded from Bo Stadium incident, No, Atiku did not get 25% in all 24 states, President Muhammadu Buhari did not approve President Obasanjos request for election cancellation, Peter Obi won four area councils NOT six in Abuja, False! 1 Pound P5a. 2x Biafra Banknote 1 Pound 1968 ND P 5 *UNC* Consecutive Serial #s &! Besides the US, 22 other countries use different forms of the dollar currency, including Australia and Canada. Thursday, 23rd . This page was last updated: 01-Mar 21:20. 1 - 5, Lettering: The first notes denominated in 5 shillings, 1 were introduced on January 29, 1968. Remainders are available only for the second series (with the apparent exception of the 10-shilling note which has not been positively recorded), and can be recognised by the lack of serial numbers which are to be found (if present) in the top right and bottom left on the front of the notes. The reports indicate that Rothschild was prepared to pay twelve shillings and sixpence in British currency for each Nigerian pound. Biafra was established on 30 May 1967 by Igbo military officer and Eastern Region governor C. Odumegwu Ojukwu under his presidency . PEACE - UNITY - FREEDOM Although reports had appeared in the international press as early as June 1967 that Biafra intended to issue its own bank notes, it was not until 1968 that the first bank notes were introduced. The leaders of this movement were close to the Military Governor, and from late 1966 it seems that plans were being put in place for the Eastern Region to secede. . Perhaps, this was what made the video to . Whatev! Opera News furthermore does not condone the use of our platform for the purposes encouraging/endorsing hate speech, violation of human rights and/or utterances of a defamatory nature. is helping the country rebuild and recover: blogs.worldbank.org. Their use was very popular amongst the Ibos until recent times and they were only demonetised during the 1940s. Nigeria was for many years a British colony, but in 1960 it became an independent Federation of three regions Northern, Western, and Eastern. This video has been widely circulated on social media, causing great pleasure among many, with some suggesting that the Biafran Pound is more valuable than the Nigerian Naira. In the old map many natural Biafran geographies were excluded such as Biafra lands on the west bank of the Niger. The common features are the rising sun (now a much smaller representation), the palm tree, the names of the Republic and the Bank, a white disc to the right of the note, and patterns imitating engine work surrounding the note. According to one version, the planes broke down while flying in their cargo, and jettisoned the much needed supply of weapons, and evidently other cargo such as the Biafran bank notes, before returning to Lisbon. With such an interesting attempt at micro printing it would be pleasing to know where the notes were printed, but the printer of each issue is a mystery. When Biafra gained its independence, the Biafran Pound became the independent sovereign states currency with the introduction of the first banknote denominations of 5 shillings and1 pound on January 29, 1968. Falana gives CBN seven-day ultimatum, demands details of new naira notes distribution Bayelsa governor urges calm over cash crunch CSOs asks Buhari to uphold rule of law El-Rufai has advanced on his treasonable trajectory, says Osuntokun Ahead of tomorrow's Supreme Court sitting on the suit filed by governors against the Central [] her currency by more than 80 per cent. Content created and supplied by: Johnniepen (via Opera All details of foreign exchange and currency were handled by Ojukwu and a clique of personal supporters not by any part of the Biafran Civil Service. 1 - 1 BIAFRA 1 POUND ( 1968-69 ) PICK # 5a AU. Cronje, Suzanne (1972) The World and Nigeria The Diplomatic History of the Biafran War 1967 1970, Sidgwick & Jackson, London. CNN values your feedback 1. The Spirit of Biafra is indomitable and indestructible. 1968-69 1 Pound from Biafra. It was generally reported that the notes were being sold at discounts! General Ironsi (an Ibo) managed to stabilize the situation, and one of his first acts was to appoint military governors to the four regions with the most important appointment being that of Lieutenant-Colonel Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu to govern the Eastern Region. To have a better understanding about biafran currency notes, you can visit Mintage World and explore the world of currency notes. But I wonder how many of us have contemplated what the map of the new Biafra will look like. One of the barriers to this loose association would have been the different currencies, but Ojukwu did not see this as an insurmountable problem, and his subsequent desire to retain the Nigerian currency for Biafra may be ascribed to his desire to retain a single unit of currency in a confederation of states (which is what he hoped his secession would bring). Tracy L. Schmidt (editor); 2019. The massacres, not surprisingly, created much fear amongst the Ibos living outside the Eastern Region, and in the weeks following the massacres (September 1966) some two million Ibos gave up their homes and businesses to seek refuge in their eastern homelands. More products for this category are coming soon! Get the latest news, updates, and video from around the globe. ss. It was in this statement that Dr. Okigbo said that the Biafrans had collected 53 million in the three weeks since Nigerias announcement that the notes would no longer be legal tender after 22 January. 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