Time Period: 1884-1915 - German Colonial Administration

Timeline

  • 10.10.1886
  • Governor's decree on the introduction of the German Reichsmark; effective immediately.
    - Former contracts denominated in "Kru" were to be rated as 1 Kru = 20 German Reichsmark = 80 litres of palm oil = 160 litres of palm grains.
  • 28.01.1887
  • Governor's decree, admitted foreign gold coins for payment; effective immediately:
    - Rates: 1 British Pound = 20 German Reichsmark, 20 French Francs = 16 German Reichsmark.
  • 06.04.1894
  • Ordinance on the exclusiveness of German units and accounting, in particular Kru accounting was banned except for transactions between natives; effective 01.10.1894
  • 10.04.1900
  • Ordinance on the demonetisation of British and French gold coins; effective immediately
  • 24.07.1905
  • Ratification of a contract between the colonial government and the German-West African Bank of 25,03.1905, which established the bank as payment agency on behalf of the administration (without issuance privilege for paper money); effective immediately
  • 15.03.1906
  • Proclamation of the German colonial monetary order of 01.02.1905, foreign coins were not to be tolerated; effective 01.04.1906
    - The ban of foreign coinage could still not be implemented and was revoked on 01.03.1908 by proclamation of 24.01.1908 which beside gold also admitted British and French silver coins.
    - By proclamation of 18.07.1912, the legal tender status of British and French silver coins was revoked again, gold coins remained accepted; effective 01.09.1912.
  • 17.06.1907
  • Ordinance on import ban and demonetization of the Maria Theresa Thaler; effective 01.09.1907
  • 01.11.1911
  • Ordinance on an import ban for cowrie shells; effective 01.01.1912
  • 12.08.1914
  • Ordinance on the issuance of treasury notes in denominations of 100, 50, 20, 10, 5 German Reichsmark by the colonial administration, the denominations of 20, 10 Reichsmark were not issued (probably not deemed necessary as enough notes issued by the German West African Bank were available); effective immediately


Time Period: 1915-1960 - British Colonial Administration

Timeline

  • around 1915
  • With the British occupation of parts of Cameroon, the West African Currency Board was introduced without dedicated legislation; formalized by ordinance [West African Currency, No. 763] of 28.07.1938.
    - The German currency was (probably) exchanged at the official rate; the nominal demonetization at a rate of 1 British Pound = 342⁄7 German Reichsmark was done on 30.06.1922 (?).


Time Period: 1915-1960 - French Colonial Administration

Timeline

  • around 1915
  • With the French occupation of parts of Togo, the French currency was introduced without dedicated legislation.
    - The German currency was (probably) exchanged at the official rate.
  • 17.12.1919
  • Ordinance on the introduction of the French West African Franc issued by the Bank of West Africa (Dakar); effective immediately
  • ??.??.1922
  • Issuance of emergency paper money of 1 Franc and 50 Cents by the colonial administration (?)
  • 20.01.1924
  • Ordinance on the issuance of emergency coins of 2, 1 Francs and 50 Cents; effective 31.01.1924
  • 27.07.1924
  • Ordinance admitting British West African money for payment; effective immediately
  • 31.12.1925
  • Demonetisation of all foreign paper money except from British West Africa
  • 30.09.1942
  • Demonetisation of the paper money of the Bank of West Africa (Dakar) by the French government in exile
  • 13.04.1943
  • Ordinance on the issuance of coins of 1 Franc, 50 Cents in French Central African currency by the French government-in-exile; effective immediately (?)
  • 30.12.1948
  • Ordinance [No. 48-2003] on the issuance of coins of 2, 1 Francs in French Central African currency; effective immediately


Time Period: 1960-

Timeline

  • end 1961
  • Introduction of the Central African CFA Franc into former British South Cameroon (nominal rate: British West African Pound = 691.19 CFA Francs)