National currency of Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) from 1970-80
The Rhodesian dollar ("R$ or Rh$", RHD) was the currency of Rhodesia between 1970 and 1980. It was subdivided into 100 cents.
History.
The dollar was introduced on 17 February 1970, roughly two weeks before the declaration of a republic on 2 March 1970. It replaced the Rhodesian pound at a rate of 2 dollars to 1 pound. The dollar proved to be a strong currency, at parity with the pound sterling right up to the very end of Rhodesia in 1980, when it was replaced by the Zimbabwean dollar at par. However, the Rhodesian dollar was never a fully convertible currency and its exchange rate was therefore not an indication of the underlying economics.
Half pound.
In adopting the Rhodesian dollar, Rhodesia followed the pattern of South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand in that when it adopted the decimal system, it decided to use the half pound unit as opposed to the pound unit of account. The choice of the name dollar was favoured by the then Minister of Finance, John Wrathall, who regarded it as having international substance.
Coins.
On 17 February 1970 the Rhodesian dollar was introduced and was par to the Pound; the currency was manufactured as follows - bronze ;templatestyles src="Fraction/styles.css" / ;1⁄2 and 1 cent and cupro-nickel ;templatestyles src="Fraction/styles.css" / ;2+1⁄2 cent coins were introduced, which circulated alongside the earlier coins of the Rhodesian pound for 5, 10, 20 and 25 cents, which were also denominated in shillings and pence. New 5-cent coins were introduced in 1973, followed by 10, 20 and 25 cents in 1975. Coins were struck until 1977 at the South African Mint in Pretoria.
Rhodesia had both ;templatestyles src="Fraction/styles.css" / ;1⁄2 Cent and ;templatestyles src="Fraction/styles.css" / ;2+1⁄2 Cents coins, just like in South Africa.
Tommy Sasseen was the designer of all Rhodesian coins from 1964 to 1968 (reverse only) and 1970 to 1977 (both obverse and reverse).
Banknotes.
On 17 February 1970, the Reserve Bank of Rhodesia introduced notes in denominations of 1, 2 and 10 dollars. 5-dollar notes were added in 1972.
On 2 January 1979, the Reserve Bank of Rhodesia replaced the watermark of Cecil Rhodes with that of the Zimbabwe Bird, following the Internal Settlement, which saw the country renamed Zimbabwe Rhodesia.
Exchange rate history.
This table shows the historical value of one Rhodesian dollar.
References.
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