10 Kenyan Shillings Banknote (1978)

10 Shilingi / Shilli Shilling (Issued 1978)

Warm sage green dominates the palette of this 1978 Kenyan ten-shilling note, offset by richer olive and brown tones in the border ornamentation and portrait engraving. The overall composition relies on a restrained, clean colour scheme that was characteristic of Central Bank of Kenya issues during this period, when simplified yet dignified design was prioritised to aid recognition in everyday circulation. Soft cream underlies the central field, allowing the intaglio-printed elements to stand with clarity and authority against the note’s surface.

On the front, the left-hand portion is anchored by a finely engraved portrait of Mzee Jomo Kenyatta, the First President of Kenya, rendered in warm brown tones with careful attention to his distinguished features, including his characteristic beard. The portrait is set against the pale green ground of the note, and immediately to the right of the portrait sits the Central Bank of Kenya’s globe-and-laurel emblem, printed in orange-brown and blue, depicting a stylised world globe framed by decorative foliage. At the top of the note, the bilingual issuing authority name reads “BANKI KUU YA KENYA” above “CENTRAL BANK OF KENYA” in bold serif typography, printed in dark brown. The large Swahili denomination “KUMI” is prominently displayed in dark lettering across the upper centre of the note, with the numeral “10” appearing in the upper left and lower right corners, also rendered in the prevailing green and brown tones. Below the emblem, the caption “THE FIRST PRESIDENT OF KENYA MZEE JOMO KENYATTA” is printed in clear, measured type. The legal tender declaration “LEGAL TENDER FOR TEN SHILLINGS” appears in smaller text above the denomination. The date “1ST JULY, 1978.” is inscribed in the lower central area, flanked by two manuscript signatures above the printed designations “GOVERNOR” and “MEMBER” for the Board of Directors. The serial number “C/51 129335” appears twice — once in the upper right portion and once in the lower left — printed in red, providing a strong contrast against the green field. The border of the note is framed by intricate guilloché patterning in darker olive and brown, incorporating stylised floral motifs at the corners that add a layer of engraved decorative complexity to an otherwise simplified composition.

The reverse is rendered entirely in a single cool sage green, giving the design a calm, unified character. The central scene is a finely engraved pastoral vignette depicting two Zebu cattle — a large bull and a smaller cow — standing in open grassland, their dappled hides captured with considerable detail in the intaglio line work. A third animal is visible in the middle distance to the right, suggesting a herd at rest. Behind the cattle, a broad, flat plain extends toward the base of a large mountain — almost certainly Mount Kenya — whose snow-capped peak and upper slopes are rendered in lighter tones, rising against a gently shaded sky. The entire scene is contained within the note’s decorative green border, which mirrors the guilloché and geometric patterning seen on the front. The Swahili denomination “KUMI” appears in all four corners of the reverse in bold, matching dark green type, reinforcing the bilingual character of this simplified series issue.

Webuyallcurrency.com makes it easy to exchange old coins and banknotes — a 1978 Kenyan ten-shilling banknote from Kenya is accepted with other old or withdrawn Kenyan Shillings banknotes and converted into cash in one go.

• Indicate the quantity of 10 Shilingi / Shilli Shilling banknotes you want to exchange
• Click the ‘Add to your account’ button
• Your online account now shows the exchange value

Webuyallcurrency.com helps you exchange old coins and banknotes with no fuss, combining your Kenyan Shillings banknotes with other foreign currency into a single, hassle-free cash exchange.

Other Kenyan Shillings you can exchange: 5, 20, 50, 100, 200, 500, 1000.