Token 24 – DSWA – German South West Africa – Kaiserliches Hafenbauamt Swakopmund – Brass Harbour Construction Token, c. 1900–1914

Token 24 – DSWA – German South West Africa – Kaiserliches Hafenbauamt Swakopmund – Brass Harbour Construction Token, c. 1900–1914

Original octagonal brass Wertmarke of the Kaiserliches Hafenbauamt (Imperial Harbour Construction Office) in Swakopmund, German South West Africa.

The token is octagonal with a distinctive beaded inner border and ornamental central design. The obverse bears “KAISERL. HAFENBAUAMT”; the reverse is normally blank apart from an individual control number. Brass, approximately 29 mm.

The Kaiserliches Hafenbauamt was responsible for the development and construction of the harbour infrastructure at Swakopmund, one of the most important ports of German South West Africa. Tokens associated with the Harbour Construction Office provide a fascinating link to the major German colonial infrastructure projects on the South-West African coast.

Catalogue: Peter Menzel 24732.1 / Schimmel 50.3538 / Leipner MT 7003. A scarce and historically significant example of German colonial administrative token currency, directly associated with the development of the harbour at Swakopmund.