In 1957 East Africa’s five-cent pieces were struck by two Birmingham mints, Heaton and Kings Norton, five million coins each, and the «H» or «KN» on the coin tells you exactly where it came from.

Type KM# 37 was issued from 1955 to 1963. On the obverse the centre hole separates a crown from the denomination «FIVE CENTS», with «QUEEN ELIZABETH THE SECOND» around the edge; the queen herself is not depicted. On the reverse curved elephant tusks frame the hole, with «EAST AFRICA» above and the numeral 5 and date below.

This proved to be the last colonial design: in 1964, as the countries of the region became republics, the crown was dropped from the five-cent coin and the value was repeated in Swahili as «SENTI TANO». The 1957 coin dates from the years when Kenya, Uganda, Tanganyika and Zanzibar still shared the East African Currency Board shilling.

In F-VF grade the coin shows visible circulation wear and softened relief, but the crown, tusks and lettering are legible. A sound choice for a date run or a collection of holed coins.

At VPcoins we select coins for collectors of every level, from first steps in numismatics to filling the hardest gaps.