Which currency did Ghana introduce in 1965?

Ghana introduced the Ghanaian cedi in 1965.

The cedi replaced the Ghanaian pound, shilling, and pence system as part of the country’s move toward a decimal currency. Its name comes from the Akan word “sedie,” meaning cowrie shell. Cowrie shells served as money in parts of West Africa before modern national currencies were established.

The Bank of Ghana issues the cedi. Its ISO 4217 code is GHS, and one cedi is divided into 100 pesewas. Ghana has carried out several currency reforms, including a 2007 redenomination in which 10,000 old cedis became one new Ghana cedi.

The cedi is sometimes confused with Nigeria’s naira or Zambia’s kwacha, currencies that also belong to the monetary history of post-colonial West Africa and Africa more broadly. Ghana was the first sub-Saharan African country to gain independence from European colonial rule in 1957.