Rhodesian pound

1968-issue £1 note

Unit
Unit| pound
Plural| pounds
Symbol| £
Denominations
Subunit|
1⁄20| shilling
1⁄240| penny
Plural|
penny| pence
Symbol|
shilling| s or /–
penny| d
Banknotes| 10/–, £1, £5
Coins| 3d, 6d, 1/-, 2/–, 2/6
Demographics
User(s)|  Southern Rhodesia (1964–1965)
Rhodesia (1965–1970)
Issuance
Central bank| Reserve Bank of Rhodesia
Printer| Bradbury Wilkinson (before 1965)
in Rhodesia between 1966 and October 1968
Valuation
Pegged with| £1 sterling at par, later £1 Rhodesian = US$2.80
This infobox shows the latest status before this currency was rendered obsolete.

The pound was the currency of Southern Rhodesia from 1964 to 1965 and Rhodesia from 1965 until 1970. It was subdivided into 20 shillings, each of 12 pence.

## History

[edit]

The Rhodesian pound was introduced following the break-up of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, when Southern Rhodesia changed its name to simply Rhodesia. The Rhodesian pound replaced the Rhodesia and Nyasaland pound at par and the coins and banknotes of this earlier currency continued to circulate.

Like its predecessor, the Rhodesian pound was initially pegged to sterling. When sterling was devalued from US$2.8 to US$2.4 in 1967, Rhodesia switched its peg to £1 Rhodesian = US$2.8. In 1970, the pound was replaced by the dollar, at a rate of £1 Rhodesian = $2 Rhodesian, so $1 Rhodesian was US$1.40.

## Coins

[edit]

Main article: Coins of the Rhodesian pound

In 1964, coins were introduced for 6d, 1/–, 2/– and 2/6. These coins also bore a denomination in cents (5c, 10c, 20c and 25c, respectively), although Rhodesia did not decimalise until 1970. This was possibly for compatibility with the South African rand, which retained a fixed 2:1 parity with the Rhodesian pound until 1967. In 1968, 3d coins were introduced which did not bear a denomination in cents. All coins had the title of Queen Elizabeth II in English, rather than in Latin, as had been the case on the coins of Rhodesia and Nyasaland and Southern Rhodesia.

## Banknotes

[edit]

Beginning in 1964, banknotes were issued in denominations of 10/–, £1 and £5. All notes featured Queen Elizabeth II on the obverse. The reverse designs were reused on the new dollar notes introduced on 17 February 1970. The Rhodesian dollar notes are similar to the earlier Rhodesian pound issues, but marked with the new currency units, the bank logo replaces the coat of arms, and the coat of arms replaces the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II.[1]

Prior to UDI, Rhodesia was a member of the sterling zone. The banknotes were printed and supplied from the UK by the printers Bradbury Wilkinson. After UDI, the British government expelled Rhodesia from the sterling zone and the supply of banknotes dried up. This very soon had an adverse effect in Rhodesia, and the shortage of new notes and the condition of those in circulation began to become a pressing concern.

In early 1966, the Reserve Bank of Rhodesia ordered a completely new series of Rhodesian banknotes from the German printers Giesecke & Devrient in Munich.[2] A court injunction prevented the banknotes from being despatched to Rhodesia, and the entire order was destroyed by the printers.[3] Substitute consignments were printed in Rhodesia between 1966 and October 1968.

Banknotes of the Rhodesian Pound 1964 - 1965  Pick
No.  | Image  | Value  | Dimensions  | Main colour  | Description  | Date of

|
|
|
|
|
|

Obverse  | Reverse  | Obverse  | Reverse  | Watermark  | printing  | issue  | withdrawal
24  |  |  | 10/–  | 132 × 75 mm  |  | Blue  | Zimbabwe Bird and Queen Elizabeth II | Tobacco field  | Cecil John Rhodes | 1964 - 1966  | 14 October 1964  |
25  |  |  | £1  | 148 × 81 mm  |  | Red  | Flame lily and Queen Elizabeth II  | Victoria Falls | Cecil John Rhodes  | 1964 - 1966  | 7 September 1964  |
26  |  |  | £5  | 160 × 88 mm  |  | Grey  | Sable antelope and Queen Elizabeth II  | Great Zimbabwe | Cecil John Rhodes  | 1964 - 1966  | 10 November 1964  |
Banknotes of the Rhodesian Pound 1966 - 1970  Pick
No.  | Image  | Value  | Dimensions  | Main colour  | Description  | Date of

|
|
|
|
|
|

Obverse  | Reverse  | Obverse  | Reverse  | Watermark  | printing  | issue  | withdrawal
27  |  |  | 10/–  | 134 × 75 mm  |  | Blue  | Zimbabwe Bird and Queen Elizabeth II | Tobacco field  | Cecil John Rhodes | 1966 - 1970  | 1 June 1966  |
28  |  |  | £1  | 150 × 82 mm  |  | Red  | Flame lily and Queen Elizabeth II  | Victoria Falls | Cecil John Rhodes  | 1966 - 1970  | 15 June 1966  |
29  |  |  | £5  | 157 × 87 mm  |  | Grey  | Sable antelope and Queen Elizabeth II  | Great Zimbabwe | Cecil John Rhodes  | 1966 - 1970  | 1 July 1966  |

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Linzmayer, Owen (2012). "Rhodesia". The Banknote Book. San Francisco, CA: www.BanknoteNews.com.
2. ^ Summary of World Broadcasts: Non-Arab Africa, Issues 2356-2417, BBC Monitoring Service, 1967
3. ^ SOUTHERN RHODESIA, Hansard, HC Deb 18 April 1967 vol 745 cc441-90

## External links

[edit]

* Rhodesian Currency

Preceded by:
Rhodesia and Nyasaland pound
Reason: federation break-up
Ratio: at par | Currency of Rhodesia
1964 - 1970  | Succeeded by:
Rhodesian dollar
Reason: decimalisation
Ratio: $2 = £1

|
|

* v
* t
* e

Currency units named pound, lira, or similar

Circulating|

* Egyptian pound
* Lebanese pound
* Pound sterling
* Alderney pound
* Falkland Islands pound
* Gibraltar pound
* Guernsey pound
* Jersey pound
* Manx pound
* Saint Helena pound
* South Sudanese pound
* Sudanese pound
* Syrian pound
* Turkish lira

Local alternative currency|

* Bristol pound
* Brixton pound
* Exeter pound
* Lewes pound
* Liverpool pound
* Stroud pound
* Totnes pound

Defunct|

* Aeginetan mina
* AM-Lira
* Angevin pound
* Attic mina
* Australian pound
* Bahamian pound
* Bermudian pound
* Biafran pound
* British West African pound
* Byzantine litra
* Canadian pound
* Connecticut pound
* Cypriot pound
* Delaware pound
* Fijian pound
* French livre
* Livre parisis
* Livre tournois
* French colonial livre
* Guadeloupe livre
* Haitian livre
* New France livre
* Saint Lucia livre
* Gambian pound
* Georgia pound
* Ghanaian pound
* Irish punt
* Israeli lira
* Italian lira
* Italian East African lira
* Italian Somaliland lira
* Jaca pound
* Jamaican pound
* Japanese government-issued Oceanian pound
* Jersey livre
* Libyan pound
* Lombardo-Venetian lira
* Luccan lira
* Luxembourg livre
* Malawian pound
* Maltese pound
* Maryland pound
* Massachusetts pound
* New Brunswick pound
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* New Hampshire pound
* New Jersey pound
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* New Zealand pound
* Newfoundland pound
* Nigerian pound
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* Nova Scotian pound
* Ottoman lira
* Palestine pound
* Papal lira
* Parman lira
* Pennsylvania pound
* Peruvian libra
* Pound Scots
* Prince Edward Island pound
* Rhode Island pound
* Rhodesian pound
* Rhodesia and Nyasaland pound
* Roman pound
* Sammarinese lira
* Sardinian lira
* Solomon Islands pound
* South Carolina pound
* Southern Rhodesian pound
* South African pound
* South West African pound
* Tongan pound
* Tripolitanian lira
* Tuscan lira
* Vatican lira
* Venetian lira
* Virginia pound
* Western Samoan pound
* Zambian pound

Historical antecedents (mass)|

* Roman pound (libra)
* Moneyer's pound (England)
* Grzywna (Grivna)

See also|

* Pound sign (£)
* Dinar
* Pound (mass) (℔)
* Roman currency
* Carolingian monetary system
* £sd

* v
* t
* e

Southern Rhodesia / Rhodesia articles

1890–1923: Company rule; 1923–80: Southern Rhodesia; 1953–63: Federation; 1965–79: Rhodesia under UDI; 1979: Zimbabwe Rhodesia under UDI; 1980–present: Zimbabwe

History|

* Pre-colonial
* Rudd Concession
* Company rule
* Pioneer Column
* First Matabele War
* Shangani Patrol
* Second Matabele War
* Second Boer War
* First World War
* Southern Rhodesia
* colonial history
* Second World War
* Malayan Emergency involvement
* Federation
* Unilateral Declaration of Independence
* Bush War
* 1975 Victoria Falls Conference
* 1976 Geneva Conference
* Internal Settlement
* Zimbabwe Rhodesia
* Lancaster House Agreement
* Zimbabwe

Geography|

* Chimanimani Mountains
* Cities and towns
* Limpopo River
* Zambezi River

Politics|

* Political history
* Districts
* Legislative Assembly
* Parliament
* Elections
* Ministry of External Affairs
* Mission in Lisbon
* Centre in Sydney
* Municipalities
* Police
* Political parties
* Central Africa Party
* Confederate Party
* Dominion Party
* Federal Party
* Responsible Government Association (RGA)
* Rhodesian Action Party (RAP)
* Rhodesian Front (RF)
* Rhodesia Labour Party (RLP)
* Southern Rhodesia African National Congress (SRANC)
* Southern Rhodesia Communist Party (SRCP)
* Southern Rhodesia Liberal Party (SRLP)
* United Federal Party (UFP)
* United National Federal Party (UNFP)
* United Rhodesia Party
* Queen
* Governor
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* Prime Minister
* Deputy Prime Minister
* Cabinet
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* Provinces
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Economy|

* Dollar (currency from 1970)
* Pound (currency to 1970)
* Reserve Bank
* Stock Exchange
* Telecommunications
* Tourism
* Transportation

Society|

* List of Rhodesians
* Public holidays
* Rhodesiana

Demographics|

| Ethnic groups
(diaspora)|

| Black|

* Kunda
* Lemba
* Manyika
* Ndebele
* Rusape Jews
* Shona
* Tokaleya
* Tonga

|

White|

* Afrikaners
* British
* Greeks
* Jews
* "Rhodies"

Others|

* Coloureds (Goffals)
* Indians

Languages|

* Afrikaans
* English (South African)
* Shona
* Ndebele

Symbols|

* Animal
* Anthem
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* Emblem
* Flags
* national
* Insignia
* Flower

* Category

Portals:

* Africa
* Money
* Numismatics

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