Following the end of the war, federal sources claimed that they had found evidence of the Biafrans asking the relief agencies to pay landing fees (in foreign exchange), for the use of their air-strips. While the Biafrans seem to have rejected this offer, it is likely that some conversion did take place (though not necessarily through Rothschild) as Gen. Ojukwu stated in February 1969: We have been fighting the war with Nigerian foreign exchange, plus of course, what we converted or what we acquired earlier on. (Ojukwu, 1969), The reference to what we acquired earlier on, possibly refers to a windfall to the Biafrans in 1967. Buy It Now +C $21.49 shipping . At the end of the civil war there was a critical shortage of the new Nigerian currency, which retarded efforts to replace the currency in circulation in the east. Decorative pattern with Biafran arms to the right. Browse By Material; Browse By Set/Series Name; Browse By Currency; Related Sites. News. A south-eastern Nigerian secessionist state led by the Igbo community, the Republic of Biafra got its name from the Bight of Biafra. Thank you for subscribing to the newsletter! Money was also being raised from outside the republic. Consequently there were three currencies circulating in Nigeria new Nigerian notes in the West and North, Biafran notes in the areas controlled by the rebels and old Nigerian notes in those areas of the East which had been liberated by the Nigerians. The second coup was successful, and resulted in northern officers taking control of the country and forming a new government led by General Gowon. The banknotes have various back designs. On 22 January, seven suitcases filled with Nigerian currency worth 252,000 were discovered at London Airport after one of the suitcases split open. On 27 January 1968 Gen. Ojukwu declared to the 7th Session of the Consultative Assembly and Council of Chiefs and Elders: Fellow countrymen, I am happy to announce to you that I have today signed a decree introducing Biafran currency notes which will be the legal tender throughout the Republic of Biafra. Published on 31 October 2019, the article was shared on other news sites and on Facebook. 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. World Banknotes. In his Diary of Events Gen. Ojukwu makes the following entry: August 13 [1968]: The Hank Wharton Plot, hatched by British government and American CIA to sabotage Biafra and help Nigeria to carry through her final thrust into Biafran heartland. The pound (symbol ) was the currency of the breakaway Republic of Biafra between 1968 and 1970.. This possibility is further enhanced by the knowledge that the Biafran postage stamps were printed by the Portuguese State Security Printers in Lisbon. Authorities say Ipob has been responsible for attacks. Latest World news news, comment and analysis from the Guardian, the world's leading liberal voice 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. Under this decree the bank was to be administered by a board consisting of a Governor and not less than four Directors, who were to be appointed by the Military Governor. More products for this category are coming soon! 168. the 5-shilling note repeats Bank of Biafra Five Shillings. 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. Nigeria was for many years a British colony, but in 1960 it became an independent Federation of three regions Northern, Western, and Eastern. 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. 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! Standard Catalog of World Paper Money. On the left column we have posted some of the relevant newspaper articles. This section addresses the basic events of the secessionist period in Nigeria. The 1968 Biafran bank note issue was not only an emergency issue, it also faced the trials and tribulations of the country it was serving many of the notes not making it to Biafra. Thursday, 23rd . It is probable that the two million Nigerian pounds captured in Benin were used by the Biafrans to finance their war effort. Called the " sand dollar ," it will increase financial inclusion for inhabitants spread out across the country's 700 islands, where banking services such as cash machines are not always available. BanknoteBuys.com; Compass Collectables . See the details of the banknotes available for swap. Something went wrong. It turned out, however, to be false information. The primary sources presented here are almost exclusively items that were published or stated during the 1966-1970 period. Two days earlier an aeroplane carrying 7 million of Nigerian currency was seized at Lom in Togo. Nothing false about it,its merely voter education to guide o okay , thanks for the cross checking , i will verify my info okay , thanks for the cross checking , i verify my informati Hello FACEBOOK, this is not false information. Biafra digital currency is coming to save the situation ASAP but for now, follow the instructions. Also, DAILY BIAFRA NEWSPAPER reported that World bank will not start printing the new Biafra currency until Nnamdi Kanu signs on it. Einzig, Paul (1949) Primitive Money, Eyre & Spottiswoode, London. Lettering: The first Biafran banknote was introduced in 1968 which replaced the Nigerian currency. Whatev! WASHINGTON, March 17, 2020 The World Bank and IFC's Boards of Directors approved today an increased $14 billion package of fast-track financing to assist companies and countries in their efforts to prevent, detect and respond to the rapid spread of COVID-19. Back. 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. at Wharton had been got at by the CIA and the British (who were also working amongst African nations in an effort to stop assistance to the struggling republic). Pls let Mazi know about it. In the Eastern Region, from the time of the massacres, there arose a strong movement amongst the Ibos to break away from the federation. 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. (Most types of paper have a high timber pulp content, and are treated with agents which brighten the paper and produce a surface which fluoresces under ultra-violet light. 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. While peace and order were steadily re-established by the Military Government, the stability was being undermined by the desire of the Northern Region to secede from the Federation. New currency was introduced. The editorial comment is therefore either incorrect (the recall may have been for the interim receipts), or the currency was issued earlier than Ojukwu stated; and one source does give the date of issue as 10 January. However when Lieut.-Col. 5 shillings (B101a, P1) Worth: $2.50 - $10.00. Given this atmosphere, one could imagine what a shock and a blow it was to Obasanjo that lo and behold, the Biafran currency is still in circulation in parts of some West African countries, and by one account, in a community in New York also. In addition, Biafra was reported to have bought many of its armaments in Geneva and Lisbon reinforcing the probability that one or both of these cities may have provided printing presses for the notes. Of the various symbols used in the design of the Biafran bank notes (both issues), several were very important. 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. Now, when Biafra was declared in 1967, Biafrans started. Tracy L. Schmidt (editor); 2019. 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. With these two decrees the financial framework of the Bank of Biafra was established, but there was still a more important problem to be faced that of financing the war. . ), 1968 January 16 (17:7); May 2 (3:7); September 8 (Section 2, 40:5). 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. Many of these notes were not delivered to Biafra, but it is not known how many were successfully conveyed to their destination and how many remained in storage at their point of production. In response, via an Email, the World Bank confirmed the information to be false, further asserting that The World Bank Group is not responsible or associated in any way with the referenced video or any claim of such.. During the war Biafra reported terrific atrocities by the Nigerians against her people, and reports of starvation which cost hundreds of thousands of Biafran lives became widespread. 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. The new currency went public on 28 January 1968, and the Nigerian pound was not accepted as an exchange unit. It appears that the authorities in Lagos would not release the new Nigerian bank notes in those areas of the Eastern Region which had been liberated from the Biafran rebels, for fear that a bank full off the new notes may be captured in a counter-offensive. The sale of undelivered notes included remainders as well as notes in issued form. You can also ask Ihieagwa people in imo state its Ojomma. The coat of arms used by Biafra was derived from the coat of arms granted to the Eastern Region of Nigeria in 1960. 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. So next time you come across one of these notes, dont reject them out of hand collecting bank notes doesnt have to revolve around scarce notes, and this series proves that cheap notes can be just as intriguing as their expensive counterparts. If this is intended to imitate a Morse code thread, then one can only wonder what the Morse characters are meant to spell. 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. REPUBLIC OF BIAFRA Because the notes are very common there is a tendency amongst collectors to ignore them. Visit these great CDN Sponsors. However, most commentators on the war discounted these claims as Nigerian propaganda, seeking to discredit both Ojukwu and the French. Keesings Publications Limited Keesings Contemporary Archives Volume No.XVI 1967-1968 London. The Republic of Biafra. View cart for details. 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. 1968-1969, P-5, Banknote, UNC World Currency. World Bank-approved administrative boundaries (Admin 0) (and polygons . Any/all written content and images displayed are provided by the blogger/author, appear herein as submitted by the blogger/author and are unedited by Opera News. A Nigerian newspaper, Breaking News, Nigerian News & Multimedia, Daily publication in Nigeria covering Niger delta, general national news, politics, business, energy . Unissued copies of ten year bonds for the value of one thousand pounds, dated 15 June 1969 and offered through the London agents of the Republic of Biafra, are extant and show that this method of financing was attempted although it is not known how many bonds were actually issued. However the Alo makes its reappearance on the back of the 5-pound note, this time having a white disc with the coat of arms laying over its shaft. The first notes, in denominations of 5/- and 1, were introduced on January 29, 1968. (From other reports in the press at the time, this appeared to be the general rate available for the notes. We hope you enjoy shopping at BNWorld, Inc. Mon-Fri 8:30am-12:30am (Order cut-off for deliveries using USPS is 12:00pm and FedEx before 3:00pm (PST)), Graded Special Condition and Serial numbers, Venezuela Bolvar Digital (Digitales) 2021, Iraqi Dinar for ZImbabwe Dollars or Venezuelan Bolivar, Indonesia Rupiah for ZImbabwe Dollars or Venezuelan Bolivar, Vietnam Dong for ZImbabwe Dollars or Venezuelan Bolivar, Mixed Banknotes for ZImbabwe Dollars or Venezuelan Bolivar. Another version states that one plane was forced to jettison much of its cargo, including over half the bank notes it was carrying, into the Atlantic while flying along the coast. The preparation of Biafra Independence on October 12 is in progress. Values in the table above are expressed in CAD. Numista does not buy or sell coins or banknotes. 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. I shall send to the conference, when the time comes, economic experts who will advise on detailed arrangements with a view to safeguarding our future in this respect. (Akpan, 1972), It is most likely that when the time came to organise the first issue of Biafran notes, Ojukwu played a significant role. The coup also resulted in General Ironsi being murdered, and hundreds of Ibo officers and soldiers being rounded up by their northern counterparts and shot. The Burkina Faso COVID-19 Preparedness and Response Project will strengthen the public health systems' capacity to prevent, detect, and respond to the pandemic. But, they have zero influence over the activities of Biafrans overseas; these Biafrans put on a successful worldwide demonstration (WWD) at the close of the month of May 2005 during which they sensitized the rest of the world--from Canada to South Africa, Austria to Gabon, and from Ireland to Ukraine to the case for Biafra, pressing for the support of self-determination as a natural and moral right, and as a right ratified by UN Charter. While the coup was unsuccessful, it resulted in the deaths of the Prime Minister of Nigeria, the Premiers of the Northern and Western Regions, the federal Minister of Finance, and a number of senior army officers. The Republic of Biafra was formerly declared a sovereign nation in 1966 by Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu (Military Governor of Eastern Nigeria). 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. 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. 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. The banknotes have various back designs. End of February Sale Get 15% Off with Promo Code: FEB15. Opera News does not consent to nor does it condone the posting of any content that violates the rights (including the copyrights) of any third party, nor content that may malign, inter alia, any religion, ethnic group, organization, gender, company, or individual. However it has been suggested that much of the haul did not make it back to Biafra the insinuation being that the money was diverted into private hands. Has a politician, a business or union leader, a health association or environmental group said something that you suspect is untrue or misleading and that should be challenged? The Times newspaper London, United Kingdom, (The references in brackets refer to the page number and column location of the relevant article. According to documents illustrated in the Daily Times (Lagos) on 9 August 1967, the mineral rights for columbite ore, uranium, coal, tin concentrates, natural oil, and gold ore were ceded to the Rot(h)schild Bros Bank for a period of ten years. Of course the shortage of money was not due simply to the loss of the notes carried by Whartons plane, it was due mainly to the near-total withdrawal of Nigerian notes without the Biafran substitute being available. (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). Many impatient people surrendered their Biafran notes to speculators who were purchasing them at fifty Biafran pounds to one Nigerian pound. C $272.87. Browse By Authority; Browse By Type; Browse Banknotes By? "They invited him this morning (Friday, July 18, 2020) to come and sign . The Biafran conflict is well documented, with many works addressing the struggle from both sides. $80.00 0 bids $5.25 shipping Ended China 1960s Banknotes $30.00 1 bid $5.00 shipping 1d 12h China 2 Jiao 1980 scarce unc $1.00 1 bid $5.00 shipping 6d 6h The meaning of the colors is: red representing the blood of the massacre in northern Nigeria and in the consequent Nigeria-Biafra war. However in the case of the individual no more than 10 of the 30 could be made up with Biafran notes and in the case of the commercial enterprises the limit was 100. -catalogue-33.html) References: P# 5 . Only several countries recognised Biafra during its secession Tanzania, Zambia, Gabon, the Ivory Coast, and Haiti while a number of other governments expressed support for the Biafrans, amongst these being the French, Rhodesian, South African, and Portuguese. Reports exist that the Biafran government approached the Rothschild Bank either shortly after the outbreak of war, or at least by the end of 1967 in an effort to transform their holdings of Nigerian currency. Hank Wharton was an American transport operator who had come to an arrangement with the Biafrans to fly arms twice weekly from Lisbon (Portugal) to Biafra. Information about the claim has not appeared in any of the mainstream media. Millions of Biafrans remained homeless, unemployed and bankrupt. Tons of new Biafran currency are dumped into the sea, to create artificial scarcity in the Republic. (Ojukwu, 1969). Because the old Nigerian notes continued to be accepted in certain areas, the value of the old Nigerian currency was not entirely worthle! Palm tree in centre with sunset behind, all with decorate circles containing words. 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.) 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. It appeared that the Eastern Region was forcing the hand of the central government so in an effort to coerce them back under federal control, Lagos began to impose an economic blockade. 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. 1 - ONE POUND - 1. 5 shillings . Nigeria had quickly become aware of the movement of currency from Biafra to Europe and its conversion into foreign exchange. Pk 5b and this banknote is w. Seller: Trusted Traditions, Inc. (1) Posted: 07/16/19. The first stamps of Biafra were issued on 5 February 1968. 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 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. No member from this site currently wants to exchange it. So it was merely a matter of changing the line of authority to the Military Governor of Biafra, rather than to the relevant Minister in the Nigerian government. All hail Biafra.. 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. Please browse the results of our past auctions using the navigation tools above. Rates that can't be backed up as they was just benchmarked out of fraustration. Biafra, officially the Republic of Biafra, was a partially recognised secessionist state in West Africa that declared independence from Nigeria and existed from 1967 until 1970. 1 - 1. When the federal government offered to appease those in the east, their efforts were rejected, and although a lot of effort was made in trying to bring about a reconciliation, it appeared that those in the east were not willing to come to a compromise. (This occurrence being due to insufficient Biafran notes being delivered to replace the Nigerian currency, which had been extracted from circulation.). It includes data from the World Bank's microdata, finances and energy data platforms, as well as datasets from the open data catalog . (After independence, a fourth region the Mid-west was created.) U.S. Dollar (USD) Central Bank: Federal . Notes from the missing cache of one pound notes from Benin started appearing in Lagos in October (just two months after they had been seized) and doubt remains as to wh! 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! Thus, only six digits are used and this means that only one million notes were prepared for each prefix, and not the ten million that would be initially supposed. Frequencies show the percentage of Numista users who own each year or variety among all the users who own this banknote. MASSOB property is brazenly breached and destroyed by the these brutal operatives. This is a Currency Gallery page and some, most or even all of the banknotes displayed above on this page may not be available to purchase or to photograph. Russia's invasion of #Ukraine has had a devastating impact, with billions of dollars in damaged infrastructure and 8 million more Ukrainians living in poverty in 2022. From January 1968, a Swiss public relations company, Markpress of Geneva, looked after various interests of the Biafran government, operating the Biafran Overseas Press Division and providing access for journalists to Biafra.