The 1942 East African cent is a one-year type: catalogues give this crowned George VI cent with that date its own number, KM# 29. It was struck at the height of the Second World War for colonies that shared a single currency, the East African shilling.

There is no royal portrait. The centre hole splits the obverse between a crown above and the denomination below, with the legend «GEORGIVS VI REX ET IND:IMP:» naming George VI as king and emperor of India. On the reverse two curved elephant tusks flank the hole, with «EAST AFRICA» above and the date beneath.

The East African Currency Board was set up in London in 1919, and its shilling circulated in Kenya, Uganda, Tanganyika and, from 1936, Zanzibar. In 1942 two mints struck the cent: London, without a mint mark and in a run of 25 million, and Bombay, which placed an «I» under the word «CENT».

Graded VF-AU, the coin shows wear ranging from noticeable on the high points to barely visible, while the crown, tusks and legend lettering remain crisp. For a George VI collection or a set of British African colonies, this is the only year of its type.

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