And, it is not just a souvenir: it is legal tender in those places. With the short time at our disposal, we could only produce notes in denominations of £1 and 5/-; we could not produce coins. 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. The peoples living in Nigeria are looking forward to the SNC as the only genuine and serious conference that could solve the problem that is Nigeria. This prediction is now right on the mark: when Obasanjo gets the Conference report, he can do anything with it and to it. Biafra. 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. They came, I ran out of money. Benjamin Onwuka boasted to have inaugurated his government. 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. The two notes of the first series have a common front, although they are different sizes and different colours. While this amount may seem large, it must be remembered that Biafra had a population of 14 million, and the amount in circulation would equate to £10 per person at the most optimistic estimate. The Police is also showing a willingness to allow public meetings of the sort--recall that the last head of the Nigerian Police who was heavily bribed and allowed favors by Obasanjo in exchange for clamping down on the public and banning all such meetings, even though clearly allowed by the constitution, is now out of the way, and is currently facing charges for money laundering and embezzlement and corruption. a heinous action. Such a unilateral inflationary decision could damage the economy of the component parts. When the Nigerian government announced that the old currency would no longer be legal tender after 22 January 1968, there were frantic efforts by the Biafrans to exchange their holdings. 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. Find biafra and biafra 10 from a vast selection of Paper Money: World. GA to GW  (except GI & GO)      19 million, £1   BA to BZ  (except BI & BO)      24 million, CA to CZ  (except CI & CO)      24 million, DA to DX  (except DI & DO)      22 million, £5   WA to WF                         6 million, £10   ZA to ZC                         3 million. – The coat of arms used by Biafra was derived from the coat of arms granted to the Eastern Region of Nigeria in 1960. Equipment had to be bought quickly, and (of course) had to be paid for. Most commentators on Biafra’s bank notes report that the first issue occurred immediately after the declaration of independence – but this is not correct. Once the new notes were introduced, the federal government could stop redeeming notes of their current issue, and by that process make the Biafran holdings worthless – consequently, the Biafran holdings were forced to be sold at a discount. ces had taken with them some two million pounds in Nigerian currency, taken from bank vaults in Benin. It was in this statement that Dr. Okigbo said that the Biafrans had collected £53 million in the three weeks since Nigeria’s announcement that the notes would no longer be legal tender after 22 January. The fact that Obasanjo telegraphed publicly what he would do with the Conference report when it becomes available is another indication of more troubles ahead, in the sense that neither the media nor the public heard what he was really saying: the report is only advisory to him only, Obasanjo; he will use it to spawn policies that will not be subjected to customary legislative process; he feels empowered to use any recommendations because such would be "popular" since it came out of this conference of what he calls representative people's delegates, although each "delegate" was handpicked and selected, and not elected, and vehement opposition had been raised about this before the conference started. Meanwhile, the popularity of the originally planned Sovereign National Conference (SNC) of Ethnic Nations living in Nigeria (which Obasanjo tried now to preempt after initially and all along vigorously and unsuccessfully opposing) is rising. that the sale of notes escalated and it is probable that some of the larger dealers of coins and bank notes offered to take large amounts of the notes. It will become powerful again. Aside devaluing the naira in March, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) also adopted a unified exchange rate, and pushed the official rate of the naira to N376 to dollar for International Money Transfer Operators rate to banks; N377 to dollar for banks’ dollar sale to CBN and pegged CBN’s dollar sales to … I took the money to some of my friends. However, Nigeria saw the Biafrans as rebels who were seizing control of the Eastern Region, and determined that force was necessary to bring the recalcitrant state back under the control of the central government. Le nom Biafra vient du golfe du Biafra situé au sud, sur la côte atlantique, lui-même nommé daprès le nom  Biafara  de la capitale d'un État resté mystérieux mais localisé par les marins portugais au XVe siècle en retrait de la côte, entre l'ancien royaume du Bénin et le Loango. Example: type "5 cent*" to find coins of 5 cents and 5 centimes. The notes of the second series are printed on non-fluorescing paper embedded with red and blue fibres. – Europa Year Book (1968) Europa Publications, London. – 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. Also on the back of the 5-pound note is a picture of a woman weaving on a hand loom. It is regarded as a sceptre of power and authority, being carried by Ozo titled men, and as well as its symbolic importance it was also used as a weapon when necessary. During the later half of 1968 the Central Bank of Nigeria announced they would exchange up to £30 per person and £500 for commercial enterprises in old Nigerian and Biafran currencies. 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. Search tips. Republicans aren't so pure on this issue either. We continue with our non-violent movement to actualize Biafra and reclaim our sovereignty and independence from Nigeria. Contemporary reports claim that many individuals presented their savings in local and foreign currency to the government so that weapons could be bought; later, gold and jewels were donated as contributions to the war effort. Ogah, who made the claim while addressing journalists in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital, over the […] When a foreign journalist, Michael Mok of ‘Life’ magazine, asked a nun working with the Biafrans whether he could make a cash donation to help the starving children, he was told that cash would be useless, as there was nothing left to buy in Biafra. The first notes denominated in 5 shillings and £1 were introduced on January 29, 1968. To purchase military equipment on the open market, Biafra had to have foreign exchange, and the efforts of the Biafrans to obtain this foreign exchange were quite exhaustive and quite varied. The community where I bought the pounds is like a street market. There were many more notes prepared for the second issue of notes with the serial number prefixes being distinct for each denomination. At first it appears to be a ‘Morse code’ security thread, but the marks are in fact printed on the front of the notes. The name given to the new state was ‘The Republic of Biafra’, the republic taking its name from the Bight of Biafra, on which it had its coast. Comments made in a speech by General Ojukwu in February 1969 (a year after the events), reflect the public despair that was expressed at the Nigerian decree (although Ojukwu himself could not have been surprised): ‘The government has long been aware of the terrible experiences of our people over the issue of currency. The Biafra Zionists Federation, BZF, has disclosed plans to launch new currency as part of their push for a Republic of Biafra. how much is the one pound bank note in the bank of biafra in us dollars,can you help me to answer this question thank you. So next time you come across one of these notes, don’t reject them out of hand – collecting bank notes doesn’t have to revolve around scarce notes, and this series proves that cheap notes can be just as intriguing as their expensive counterparts. The Bank of Biafra Decree also stated that all property held in the republic by the Central Bank of Nigeria was to be transferred to the Bank of Biafra. A Chieftain of the All Progressive Congress, APC, Comrade Chinedu Ogah has alleged that the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu is using the agitation for Biafra to siphon money from different categories of Nigerians. What is less well documented, are the many aspects of the administration of the war-torn state – aspects such as the establishment of the Bank of Biafra and the issue of the Biafran bank notes. By the time the notes were introduced in 1969, the country controlled by the Biafran forces had been reduced to a circular area approximately 85 miles across (roughly 5,000 square miles) and all consumables had long been sold. Should any individual or enterprise wish to surrender a greater amount than the stated limits, then this would be done so long as the requests were registered with the exchange control authorities. The second coup was successful, and resulted in northern officers taking control of the country and forming a new government – led by General Gowon. Realising that the currency was unlikely to be accepted outside Biafra, Dr. Okigbo also stated that the lack of international acceptance and an according exchange rate was immaterial since the currency was intended only for circulation in Biafra. So, on 30 May 1967, the Eastern Region was declared an independent republic by Lieutenant-Colonel Ojukwu. Nigeria had quickly become aware of the movement of currency from Biafra to Europe and its conversion into foreign exchange. Money was also being raised from outside the republic. Many collectors will be familiar with the events of the Nigerian civil war, and equally there will be many younger collectors who have little or no memory of the events. BIAFRA - 1 Pound, découvrez nos billets du monde pour collectionneur sur notre site numismatique de billets de collection. On the back of the 5-shilling note is a picture of four Ibo girls, and surrounding the value of the note to the left is a ‘manilla’. – Keesing’s Publications Limited Keesing’s Contemporary Archives – Volume No.XVI 1967-1968 – London. MASSOB property is brazenly breached and destroyed by the these brutal operatives. Historian argued that it might be one of the factors while British was angry with Ojukwu to name an African State currency Pounds. While each of the notes of the second issue have a degree of common design on their front, each denomination is distinct in its layout. 6 bids. These Swiss connections support the argument of one or more issues being printed in Switzerland. However when Lieut.-Col. The sale of undelivered notes included remainders as well as notes in issued form. Because 13 tons of the notes arrived in an aircraft registered in Rhodesia, a country with which Switzerland had no diplomatic relations, the Swiss authorities refused to let the cargo be unloaded and the aircraft was forced to continue to Lisbon. Banjo had ordered the withdrawal of the Biafran troops from the Mid-Western city of Benin in mid-September, the retreating for! Although Biafra had made a concerted effort to produce the second series of higher quality bank notes, it would appear that their circulation was limited. There is no ties to human blood. – Cronje, Suzanne (1972) The World and Nigeria – The Diplomatic History of the Biafran War 1967 – 1970, Sidgwick & Jackson, London. Under a separate decree – ‘Decree No.4 of 1967’ (also known as the ‘Banking Decree, 1967’) – the Banking Act of the Federal Republic of Nigeria was adapted to suit the requirements of the Republic of Biafra. I am worried by the news that the Federal Government, because of shortage of funds for its services, has authorised the printing of a large quantity of unbacked notes for circulation. The first Biafran banknote was introduced in 1968 which replaced the Nigerian currency. 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! No monetary fee to join It goes to prove the point: Biafra is really here to stay. Many impatient people surrendered their Biafran notes to speculators who were purchasing them at fifty Biafran pounds to one Nigerian pound. “Biafra achieved freedom because of the assistant of United State of American government. By that same decree, Nigeria currency notes will cease to be legal tender in Biafra. Well today things have changed and Ojukwu is now late if Biafra gain their independence from Nigeria in the near future what will their … Keep in mind that MASSOB is a non-violent organization. This, of course, has not escaped the watchful eyes of the US Intelligence which comes out with an Intelligence Report on Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA)  predicting that within the next 15 years, Nigeria will totally collapse. Global asset markets have come off the boil, and many market narratives are talking about the good news on Covid vaccines and the clearing political picture in the U.S. having been "priced in." In January 1967 the Eastern Region began impounding the rolling stock of the Nigerian Railways and seizing goods at Port Harcourt that were the property of federal authorities. Because of the early support by Portugal and the later connection with ‘Markpress’, one could conjecture that the first series was printed in Portugal and the second in Switzerland. 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. 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. of over 40% their face value. Riots, which broke out in several parts of the country, thus found Ibos as the targets of violence. MA to MZ  (except MI & MO)      24 million, NA to NR  (except NI & NO)      16 million, 10s. Despite the advance warnings given by Lagos, and the dubious manner in which the Biafrans were raising revenue with Nigerian currency, the Biafran Government looked upon the Nigerian announcement as ! 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 Biafra Telegraph. Another of Wharton’s 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! Point: Biafra is really here to stay through the throes of imminent.. Meant to spell issue either BU BEAUTY > great coin > NO RESERVE in biafra money to dollar time this! Biafrans to finance their war effort notes could not be of the Biafran troops from the Mid-Western of. Issued is summarized as follows: 5s of time ) Ltd,.. 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