20 Heller German East Africa (1885-1919) Copper

1916, German East Africa (DOA). Large Copper 20 Heller Coin.

Mint Date: 1916 Region: East Africa Mint Place: Tabora (T) Denomination: 20 Heller Reference: KM-15 (Obverse A / Reverse B). Material: Copper Weight: 11,05gm Diameter: 29mm

Obverse: Small crown of the German Empire with ribbons above date, flanked by rosettes. Initials (DOA) and mint initial (T) below.

Reverse: Value (20) above denomination (HELLER) with curled “L” letters on wreath.

German East Africa (German: Deutsch-Ostafrika) was a German colony in East Africa, including what are now Burundi, Rwanda and Tanganyika (the mainland part of present Tanzania). It measured 994,996 km² (384,170 square miles) in size, nearly three times the size of re-united Germany today.

The colony came into existence during the 1880s and ended with the conclusion of World War I, when the territory was taken over by the British and Belgians and later converted to mandates of the League of Nations.