GERMANY. Kaiserreich. Deutsch-Ostafrika (German East Africa). Wilhelm II, 1888-1918. 15 Rupien 1916 T (Gold, 22 mm, 7.19 g, 12 h), variety with big arabesque on the reverse. By R. Vogt. Tabora. Elephant standing right before 'Kilimandscharo-Massiv' (Kilimanjaro); below, •1916• / T. Rev. DEUTSCH OSTAFRIKA / 15 RUPIEN Imperial eagle. Friedberg 1. Jaeger 728b. Rare in this condition. A small scrape, the usual die breaks on the reverse and a tiny edge nick, otherwise, good extremely fine.


The legendary Goldelefanten ('gold elephants' in German) from Tabora rank among the most coveted coins of Germany’s colonial past. Struck in 1916, these pieces with the elephant motif were never intended as regular currency. In fact, official coinage for German East Africa had ceased in 1914 with the outbreak of the First World War.

The 15 Rupien gold coin was therefore an emergency issue, born of wartime necessity. Cut off from the Reich and facing a shortage of money, the colonial authorities established a makeshift mint in Tabora. The gold was sourced from Sekenke, the colony’s most important mining site, located about 170 kilometers northeast of the town.

For the design, R. Vogt chose two powerful symbols of East Africa: the elephant and Mount Kilimanjaro. The African elephant - up to 13 feet tall and weighing more than seven tons - roamed the colony’s plains, while Kilimanjaro, a massif of three volcanoes (Shira, Kibo, and Mawenzi), rose as the highest peak not only in German East Africa but in all of Africa.