The Key Date to the British West African Series

Triton XX, Lot: 1171. Estimate $5000. Sold for $3000. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

COLONIAL AFRICA, British. British West Africa. George V. 1910-1936. Tin-Brass Florin – Two Shillings (25mm, 12h). London mint. Dated 1928. Crowned and mantled bust left / Palm tree. Vice 21; KM 13b. In NGC encapsulation graded MS 62. Scratch on obverse. Extremely rare – one of only four known, with two in museums.

From the Dr. Patrick H. C. Tan Collection. Ex David Vice Collection (Heritage 3039, 10 January 2016), lot 37007; Richard J. Ford Collection (Part II, Spink 88, 14 October 1991), lot 15.

7.9 million florins were struck at the Royal mint in 1928. While it was previously assumed that these were dated 1927, Vice suggests that they were in fact struck with the 1928 date and held at the mint as surplus, before the issue was almost entirely melted down in 1935.