KENYA (2 of 2)

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Kenya’s recent coins – those dated 2005 to 2010

I first came across reports of a new series of Kenyan circulation coins in May 2005. I believe that the report was just the announcement of a plan to have such coins. The report made mention that the coins would feature Kenya’s first president Jomo Kenyatta. Later, in the Royal Mint Annual Report 2004-05 (see http://www.royalmint.com/~/media/Files/AnnualReports/ar200405.ashx ), I got my first glimpse of the designs. A whole page was given over to images of 2005 dated coins of Kenya. Coins of 5, 10, 50 Cents, 1, 10, and 20 Shillings were shown and the caption for the whole image read: - “An important order for circulating Kenyan coins was secured during the year.”

Kenyan legislation details the specifications (mass, thickness, diameter, materials and edge type) for the 2005 series and details that all feature the portrait of Jomo Kenyatta (Kenya’s first president and founding father) along with the Kenyan coat of arms and the country name. The specifications for the coins of the 5, 10 and 20 Shillings are the same as those of the previously issued bi-metallic types of these denominations as are reverse designs (coat of arms etc.). All of these three types have the same obverse, a match for that on the 50 Cents and 1 Shilling that I will detail later, only with the legends clearly on the ring and the portrait clearly on the core. The specifications for these coins are as follows: -

5 Shillings, 19.5mm diameter, milled edge, edge thickness 1.85mm, Copper-Nickel ring with Aluminium-Bronze core, mass 3.75grams.
10 Shillings, 23.0mm diameter, milled edge, edge thickness 1.75mm, Aluminium-Bronze ring with Copper-Nickel core, mass 5.0grams.
20 Shillings, 26.0mm diameter, alternate milled/plain edge, edge thickness 2.4mm, Copper-Nickel ring with Aluminium-Bronze core, mass 9.0grams.

Kenya 20 Shillings 2005
Kenya 20 Shillings 2005

The Official Gazette Notice gives the specifications of the 5, 10 and 50 Cents and 1 Shilling as follows: -
5 Cents, 17.9mm diameter, plain edge, edge thickness 1.7mm, Nickel-plated-Steel, mass 2.5grams
10 Cents, 19.9mm diameter, plain edge, edge thickness 1.8mm, Nickel-plated-Steel,  mass 3.5grams
50 Cents, 21.9mm diameter, milled edge, edge thickness 1.9mm, Nickel-plated-Steel, mass 4.5grams
1 Shilling, 23.9mm diameter, alternate milled/plain edge, edge thickness 1.9mm, Nickel-plated-Steel, 5.5grams

 Kenya 50 Cents 2005
Kenya 50 Cents 2005

From size and material information above, these all differ in some way to all previous types. From the images in the Royal Mint report it is known that the reverses for the 5 Cents and the 10 Cents are generally as per the coat of arms sides on the first Kenyan types of these denominations (i.e. dates 1966 to 1991/1994). These have a large coat of arms with a smaller denomination numeral below, all central and then with “REPUBLIC OF KENYA” arched above the coat of arms, the date “2005” split to each side of the coat of arms and the denomination in words arched below. The 50 Cents and 1 Shilling denomination, on the other hand, have their reverses as per the coat of arms sides on the coins of these denominations as first issued with date “1995”. This is as seen for the 2005 dated coins of 5 Cents and 10 Cents but having a large denomination numeral with a smaller coat of arms below. The obverses on the 50 Cents and 1 Shilling are identical. They have Kenyatta’s portrait with “THE FIRST PRESIDENT OF KENYA” arched above and “MZEE JOMO KENYATTA” arched below. This portrait and the accompanying legends are as can be found on the Kenyan circulation types starting with those dated 1969. I can only assume that the obverses of the 2005 dated coins of 5 Cents and 10 Cents were the same as on the new 50 Cents and 1 Shilling.

 
Kenya 1 Shilling 2005
Kenya 1 Shilling 2005

The 1 Shilling and 10 Shillings were the first types of this series to be issued, first appearing in Kenya around February 2006. Denominations issued by the end of 2007 were 50 Cents, 1 Shilling, 5 Shillings, 10 Shillings and 20 Shillings. It turns out that the mint never actually received an order for circulation quantities of the 5 Cents and 10 Cents. Throughout this period the Kenyan Shilling traded at around 60 to 80 per U.S. Dollar. As at July 2008 there were some doubts reported regarding the general public’s acceptance of the 50 Cents. No wonder the 5 Cents and 10 Cents coins were never ordered.

Kenyan coins were later issued dated 2009; these were 1, 5, 10 and 20 Shillings. These were all just new dates of the 2005 types. More recently Kenyan coins have been issued dated 2010 in those same four denominations – it would seem that these remain the current issue. The 2010 coins of 1 Shilling and 10 Shillings appeared first. Collectors were surprised to find slight modifications to the dated side of the 10 Shillings 2010 as compared to pieces of 2005 and 2009. That was “news” in early September 2011, three months later I got an example of the 5 Shillings 2010 – this design too included slight modifications to that side as compared to the coins of the same denomination dated 2005 and 2009. Some time later I got the 20 Shillings 2010 there are no design changes for this denomination. Another aspect has changed for each of the 5, 10 and 20 Shillings of 2010. These three bi-metallic types are now each made from Nickel-plated-Steel (in place of Copper-Nickel) and Brass-plated-Steel (in place of Aluminium-Bronze). The 1 Shilling design and material remains unchanged for 2010.
 
Kenya 5 Shillings - design changes
The bolder "5" with smaller coat of arms as on the 5 Shillings 2010, alongside an older piece for comparison (scaled to about 600dpi).

The images above show how the modified reverse design of the 5 Shillings has a smaller coat of arms including spears point positioned differently relative to the “5” of the denomination. Also in the image the “5” of the denomination can be seen to be perhaps slightly bolder. Elsewhere on the reverse (not in the above image) a different font for the legend can be seen on the ring – this is mainly evident on the “R” in “REPUBLIC” and the “S” at each end of “SHILLINGS.

For the 10 Shillings the modifications for 2010 are quite similar. These have a smaller coat of arms including spears point positioned differently relative to the “10” of the denomination, a different font for the legend on the ring (the same as that now in this position on the 5 Shillings) and the “10” of the denomination is noticeably bolder.

Why could it be that these designs have been changed? Well my first thought was that the only important element of these changes was the use of bolder denomination numerals for increased readability, even on well circulated coins. However, the change in boldness for the large numeral “5” is not particularly obvious. From making comparisons with other Kenyan coins, it can be seen that the 5 Shillings and 10 Shillings now have the same reverse main font as can be seen on the reverse of all Kenyan coins of 20 Shillings. Dates 1998, 2005 and 2009 are know for the 20 Shillings and all are bi-metallic. Increased similarities for the 5, 10 and 20 Shillings coins are an aesthetic improvement. If bi-metallic coins in these three denominations had first been introduced in the same year, then no doubt just one font would have been used for all three reverse designs.
 
Anyway whoever had created/updated the tooling for coins to be struck dated “2010”, as opposed to “2009” – it could well be that they had also made these other modifications along with the date changing task.

As it happens an engraver at the British Royal Mint had a blog for a while, as one of a group of people involved in various aspects of the London 2010 Olympic Games. Unfortunately the site is no longer updated and perhaps no longer exists - it was to be found at http://www.makingthegames.co.uk. In February 2011 I read an entry there dated 20-Jul-2010, by engraver Tommy Docherty – as follows…

>>>>Started work today creating new programmes for the 2010 Kenya coins. Because it's the same design every year all I'm having to do is change the date on the tails side of the coins. I'm working on the 1, 5, 10, and 20 Shillings!!<<<<

So at that time he was about to start the task of re-dating for the Kenya coins of 1, 5, 10 and 20 Shillings. It can only be assumed that he perhaps did the other changes for the dated side of the 5 Shillings and of the 10 Shillings at this time.

One notable design by Tommy Docherty is that of the reverse of the Great Britain 2 Pounds 2008 for the centenary of the 1908 London Olympics. It was his first design for a G.B. coin. He has now done quite a number of coin and medal designs. The British Royal Mint did, of course, produce the medals for the London 2012 Olympics.

Finally, Kenya recently got a new constitution. “The Constitution of Kenya, 2010” came into force on 27th August 2010. Within this, article 231 includes:-

“(4) Notes and coins issued by the Central Bank of Kenya may bear images that depict or symbolise Kenya or an aspect of Kenya but shall not bear the portrait of any individual.”

A note near the end of the document that specifically refers to the above, states:-

“34. Nothing in Article 231 (4) affects the validity of coins and notes issued before the effective date.”

So we can expect the Kenya’s 2010 dated coins to be the last to show Kenyatta. Any further coins will be new types. What would look nice on the 1, 5, 10 and 20 Shilling coins instead of the portrait?


NOTE: All images on this page of whole coins scaled at approximately 200dpi.
NOTE: I have followed the obverse/reverse definitions for these coins as indicated on the website of the Central Bank of Kenya.


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ADDED "Kenya’s recent coins – those dated 2005 to 2010" at DEC-2013.