News. Great Historic Banknotes BIAFRA 1 POUND 1968 - 1969 P-5 UNC birthday # 1972. The first issue of the bank notes included only 5 shillings notes and 1 pound notes. Waugh, Auberon & Cronje, Suzanne (1969) Biafra Britains Shame, Michael Joseph, London. Please sign in or create an account to manage your collection. Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani Spiralling violence in southeast Nigeria stirs memories of civil war. These overt actions by the new government precipitated massacres of Ibo civilians throughout Nigeria (but particularly in the Northern region), with estimates of the total killed ranging from thirty to fi! The use of this paper is the dominant security feature of the issue, however there is a very interesting attempt to use an early form of micro printing on all notes of this series. The currency spent in the Republic of Biafra 1967 and 1970 has probably entered into the currency market, serving as the legal tender in the market till date. 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. Latest World news news, comment and analysis from the Guardian, the world's leading liberal voice It ranges from 0 to 100, 0 meaning a very common coin or banknote and 100 meaning a rare coin or banknote among Numista members. 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. (The vaults had held twelve million pounds, and the other ten million pounds were left untouched, it seems there was just too much money for the retreating forces to carry.). Published on 07 November 2019. 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. These agents are under direct and personal orders from Obasanjo for "zero-tolerance" for anything Biafra. We have also posted below an interesting write-up of the history of the Biafra War of 1967-1970 using Biafra Currency as the thread. 5 Did UK police arrest six Nigerians for selling black market fuel? Biafra was established on 30 May 1967 by Igbo military officer and Eastern Region governor C. Odumegwu Ojukwu under his presidency . Nigeria is writhing her way through the throes of imminent collapse. When Nigeria announced the introduction of their new note issue was to be on 3 January 1968, the Biafrans were still collecting Nigerian notes. The news site posted the report, " World Bank set to established Central Bank of Biafra in Abia State," on its Facebook page on 30 March 2019. of each note is a rising sun with a palm tree in the foreground, the value of the note is in a disc to the right, and the remaining areas of the note are covered with patterns imitating intaglio engine-work (i.e. 1 pound (B102a, P2) Worth: $2.50 - $10.00. ), 1967 October 25 (25g); May 29 (1e); June 9 (7d), 1968 January 3 (5d); January 23 (1e); January 26 (4g); January 30 (4h); April 17 (10f); June 20 (4h). This isn't the first time IPOB has spread incorrect information about Biafran currency. $24.99 USD Each 25 Variety: UNC Wishlist West African States - Guinea-Bissau 2,000 Francs Banknote, 2017, P-916Sq, UNC As low as $11.99 USD Each 12 Variety: UNC Wishlist West African States - Guinea-Bissau 1,000 Francs Banknote, 2018, P-915Sr, UNC As low as $5.99 USD Each 6 Variety: UNC Wishlist China 1 Yuan Banknote, 1999, P-895c, UNC As low as Under the decree, the central office of the Bank of Biafra was to be in Enugu, which was the capital of the Republic. Power was being concentrated in the hands of a few factions in each region, and nationally there was a great deal of political jockeying between the major ethnic groups particularly the northern Hausa against the southern Yoruba and Ibo. Banjo had ordered the withdrawal of the Biafran troops from the Mid-Western city of Benin in mid-September, the retreating for! Rates that can't be backed up as they was just benchmarked out of fraustration. There is also the usual text associated with any bank note the name of the country, Republic of Biafra; the name of the bank, Bank of Biafra; the promise to pay on demand the sum of ; and the value of the note, e.g. It goes to prove the point: Biafra is really here to stay. Two days earlier an aeroplane carrying 7 million of Nigerian currency was seized at Lom in Togo. (Biafra transferred its capital several times to avoid capture by advancing Nigerian forces). Promise to pay on Demand the sum of From Ojukwus speech it appears that the emergency issue was prepared in a short period of time, although the need for an alternate currency would have dated from the time when Nigerian notes were first withdrawn from circulation. 22. Another of Whartons planes had been destroyed mysteriously in Bissau (in Portuguese Guinea) shortly before this, and another had been impounded in Athens, leading the Biafrans to believe th! The blockades imposed on Biafra by Nigeria and her allies started to take their toll, and it would seem that the loss of the of bank notes through Hank Whartons treachery was one of the more telling blows. In his Diary of Events for 1 September 1968, Gen. Ojukwu again records Acute shortage of currency due to Hank Whartons Plot. In the Biafran towns and cities the shortage of money was one of the many problems people faced. Nigeria was for many years a British colony, but in 1960 it became an independent Federation of three regions Northern, Western, and Eastern. Perhaps, this was what made the video to . China became the world's first major economy to pilot a digital currency in April 2020. The notes of the second series are printed on non-fluorescing paper embedded with red and blue fibres. WEAVING. C $12.28. Calls to replace it have failed because it is the world's most widely traded currency. However, most commentators on the war discounted these claims as Nigerian propaganda, seeking to discredit both Ojukwu and the French. Most commentators on Biafras bank notes report that the first issue occurred immediately after the declaration of independence but this is not correct. They are based on evaluations by Numista users and sales realized on Internet platforms. Easterners holding Biafran Pounds, the currency adopted by the region when it declared . The first Biafran banknote was introduced in 1968 which replaced the Nigerian currency. Because the old Nigerian notes continued to be accepted in certain areas, the value of the old Nigerian currency was not entirely worthle! The first notes denominated in 5 shillings, 1 were introduced on January 29, 1968. The current regional distribution of 36 states was approved in 1996. . Essentially, most of the institutions required for running the new republic existed as part of the Nigerian governments administration for the Eastern region. 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. 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. Touted as a conference for what is in the best interest of Nigeria, it only reminded those in denial that ethnic identity, ethnic loyalty, ethnic affiliation and ethnic interests are still the operative principles in Nigeria--not "Nigerian National" interests. Two days ago United Nations gave World bank order to start printing new Biafra currency. This may have been one of the reasons why so many Biafran notes remained in Europe undelivered they were a cargo that could bring little practical purpose. The Bank Notes of Biafra. Ultimately the speculator! This index is based on the data of Numista members collections. Realising that their activities had led to a greatly reduced amount of money in circulation, the Biafrans prepared to replace the Nigerian currency, with this endeavour resulting in the first Biafran note issue. The notes were reported to be on transfer from the Banque Populaire Suisse in Basle to a bank in Ibadan (in Nigeria), but were handed over to the Nigerian government by the Togolese authorities. five shillings. REPUBLIC OF BIAFRA Catalog Detail. Taken from their coat of arms, the rising sun became the dominant symbol of Biafra. It's fake! This is due to two main reasons firstly, such a matter becomes of secondary importance in the struggle of a war-torn country, and secondly, it appears that Ojukwu played his hand on this matter quite close to his chest. This desperate method of raising foreign exchange supposedly lasted only a brief period of time. 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. The palm tree was important because of its economic significance to Biafra next to oil, products from the palm trees were the most valuable exports from the region prior to the new republic being declared. Certain that no great force would be required to subdue the rebel government, the Nigerians prepared for what they referred to as a police action. A video on this YouTube channel Biafra Generation claims that the world bank has approved the Biafran currency (what they termed as the Ejemme). The first stamps of Biafra were issued on 5 February 1968. Lettering: s got burnt, as the Central bank decided that there would be no exchange of Biafran currency for Nigerian currency, deciding instead to pay a flat rate of twenty Nigerian pounds to each depositor of Biafran or old Nigerian currency with the Central Bank. Standard Catalog of World Paper Money. The banknotes have various back designs. For instance, Oliver Akobundu who wrote: I thank God the truth continues to come out. . Money was also being raised from outside the republic. BANK OF BIAFRA The black is for mourning them and in remembrance. (These were also the colours of the Biafran flag three horizontal bars of red, black, and green, with the rising sun in the centre of the black band). A video on this YouTube channel 'Biafra Generation' claims that the world bank has approved the Biafran currency (what they termed as the Ejemme). News ), Opera News is a free to use platform and the views and opinions expressed herein are solely those of the author and do not represent, reflect or express the views of Opera News. Steiner, Rolf (1978) The Last Adventurer, Little, Brown and Company, Boston. There were of course many stories of enterprising Nigerians who were buying the Biafran holdings in Europe at a discounted rate, and shipping them back to Nigeria where their full value could be obtained. We had to arrange and conclude the exercise in a hurry. 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 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. ss. Above the shield is an eagle clutching a tusk or horn, and representations of the eagle appeared on a number of Biafran coins. Ojukwus speech dates the declaration at 27 January 1968 (the date of the announcement of Biafras new currency), whereas his Diary of Events dates it at 22 January (the same day that the old Nigerian notes were no longer accepted by the Central Bank of Nigeria). The National Political Reform Conference arranged, funded (illegally) and teleguided by Obasanjo himself, is about to wind up, pretending that it has been successful, although the fragmentation of interests along ethnic and regional lines is the most visible outcome--not surprisingly. This index is based on the data of Numista members collections. They serve as an indication only; they are not intended to be relied upon for buying, selling or exchanging. Thursday, 23rd . There are a number of ethnic groups in Nigeria with no group being a clear majority, however the Northern region was dominated by the Hausa, the Western by the Yoruba, and the Eastern by the Ibo (or Igbo). The underaged Dis you guys know also that labor and some other party stage Joseph Nyumah Boakai deciding to support Alexander Cummings after retirement, False! 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. In August of that year, just after war had broken out, the Biafrans made a bold assault on the Mid-West region, and meeting little opposition moved to within 120 miles of Lagos. Pls let Mazi know about it. CNN values your feedback 1. Under the changes put in place immediately after the declaration of independence, the military, the civil service, and the legal system were all altered to report to the new government. Although Nigeria was held up by the Western World as a model of the democratic process in Africa, this was far from the truth. 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