DALASI: COIN OF GAMBIA
1 dalasi, 1998: Republic of the Gambia
1 DALASI - دَ لَىِس: the denomination on the coin is indicated in Latin and Arabic fonts.
West African slender-snouted crocodile with open mouth.
REPUBLIC OF THE GAMBIA.
Coat of arms of the Gambia: two lions holding an axe and hoe (ax and hoe are duplicated inside the heraldic shield); from above — heraldic helmet and an oil palm; the national motto "Progress, Peace, Prosperity".
Design of coin: Michael Rizzello — a sculptor and designer, that was born in London of Italian parents.
Coin shape: heptagon.
Royal Mint (Llantrisant, United Kingdom).
- Copper-nickel: 28 mm - 8.8 g
- Reference price: 0.8$
COIN DALASI — WHERE & WHEN (coins catalog: by names & emitents)
- REPUBLIC OF THE GAMBIA (1971-...): dalasi = 100 butut
About the name of the coin dalasi: unambiguous data are missing. Despite the fact that the modern Gambian currency is historically relatively young (it has existed since 1971), there is no official information about the origin of its name. Only a few different versions can be found.
Dalasi is the traditional name of the Gambian 4 shillings coin (all denominations of Gambian change coins until 1971 had unofficial proper names — Burey /1 penny/, Nyata /3 pence/, Nonkong /6 pence/, Taransu /1 shilling/, Tala /2 shillings/ and Dalasi /4 shillings/). — But why the "dalasi" term?..
In one of the local languages (mandinka) the phrase "Daala Si" indicates the highest level of dalasi in the monetary system of the state (compared to butut; 1 dalasi = 100 butut).
In addition, it is widely believed that the name is derived from the dollar (rather, it is about the local name for the Maria Theresa thaler). How exactly the term "dollar" evolved in "dalasi" is also unknown...
