Aidan Work

Here's a section that is right up the streets of those who are collectors of British Commonwealth coins such as myself.What is your favourite British Commonwealth (as opposed to English or British) coin? One of my favourite coins is the gold 1/10 Krugerrand from South Africa.Another is the Southern Rhodesian 1953 5/- Crown (affectionately known as the 'Cecil Rhodes Crown').

Aidan.

JBK

How about the BVI proof silver dollar coin with that big pelican on it?

Aidan Work

JBK,The silver 5/- & 50c. silver crowns depicting a pronking springbok from South Africa are very attractive coins,as is the New
Hebrides silver 100 Francs crown.

Aidan.

Bacchus

Kookaburras, since Britannias are excluded.

Aidan Work

I'm sure that silver Maple Leaf $5 coins from Canada are very nice & attractive coins.It is a suitable alternative for those who are unable to afford the gold $50 Maple Leaf coins.

Aidan.

Bacchus

Not as nice as Britannias ...

What can you tell us about New Zealand coins ? I think there is a learning opportunity here.

Aidan Work

Bacchus,I have not been a collector of New Zealand coins in a big way,but I do collect the 19th Century traders' tokens,which are,in a sense,New Zealand's first coins.

One of the most interesting countries that I find difficult to get coins from is the Hutt River Province Principality,which became independent from both Australia & Western Australia on the 21st of April 1970.Yes,the Hutt River Province Principality is a proper country,which,I think should be granted full membership in the British Commonwealth along with the Republic of Somaliland,which has issued coins depicting animals since 1994.
Somaliland has been independent since 1991.

Aidan.

Bacchus

I've never heard of Hutt River Province (sorry; pardon my ignorance and provincialism). Is that an island near NZ or Australia ?

Also, what about modern NZ coinage ? What size denominations (e.g., American coins are 0.01, 0.05, 0.10, 0.25, 0.50, 1.00 dollars) and what metals (copper, nickel, silver, gold, etc.) ? What is the unit of currency, similar to the American dollar, and what is the exchange of that currency to a dollar ? What are the different coins called, how often do you change the coin images, do you have commemoratives, do you have bullion coins ?

How popular is coin collecting in NZ ?

JBK

No, it is not an island. It is actually a huge farm owned by one guy who did not want to pay his taxes, so he seceded.

I am pretty sure Australia still does not recognize his “independence” as legitimate. He does issue stamps, but HRP stamps are not recognized or accepted by the International Postal Union, thereby requiring that Australian postage also be paid when the letters are posted outside of HRP.

Never seen his coins/notes. I know they do exist, though.

Bacchus

Thanks. Sounds like the coinage isn't that much different from ours.

Now that you've explained Hutt River, I don't feel so bad about not hearing about it.

Aidan Work

Bacchus,the Hutt River Province Principality is not located on an island.You can type in 'Hutt River Province Principality' into www.google.com .That way you can find out some information.The
currency of the Hutt River Province Principality is called the Dollar.
H.R.P.P.$1 is equal to A$1.

New Zealand's currency is also called the Dollar.We have got 5c. as the smallest coin.There are also 10c.,20c.,50c.,$1,& $2 coins.
The notes are $5,$10,$20,$50,& $100.There are commemorative coins,which do not circulate,so these are regarded as medal-coins.
New Zealand does not have bullion coins like the Krugerrand,Maple Leaf,or Britannia.

Aidan.

Aidan Work

There's some links in the 'Coins & Banknotes of the Hutt River Province Principality' section.Yes,the Hutt River Province Principality is a proper country,which,like Somaliland,has not yet been granted full membership of the British Commonwealth.I have always regarded the Hutt River Province Principality as a proper country,even though Prince Leonard accepts the suzerainty of Queen Elizabeth II,albeit,remaining independent.

Aidan.

JBK

I have no problem if HRP is or becomes a "real" country, but this general issue is one I have already considered for some time. Sealand is another example.

Simply declaring a country a country does not make it so. Take the USA, for example: Amercians consider their independence to be from July 4, 1776, but that was just the date on some ragged peice of parchement that was signed by a bunch of malcontents/freedom fighters. Britain did not recognize independence until they lost the War for Independence (American Revolution ot Americans) some years later.

As for HRP, as far as I know, they have no recognition from any internatonal body such as the UN, Universal Postal Union, etc, etc. etc. I am pretty sure no other country recognizes them. They do issue coins, but if that is the only criteria, then I will make my apartment an independent state.

ericl

The best British commonwealth coin I've got is a Franklin Mint Belize 25¢ piece of which there are less than a thousand in existance.

As to phoney countries, I've always wanted a Key West dollar, postdated from the week when Vice President Bush kicked the Florida Keys out of the Union in order to fight drugs. It was a major embarrasment.

JBK

The hucksters used to market these back in the 70s and early 80s, but I wish I had snapped some up. What happened was, the F; used to be a premium place to have proof sets made. It was profit for the FM and for the issuing country. Most of these countries would normally not even have had proof sets, but the FM offered to come in and make and market the sets. Some of the coins were even designed by Gilroy Roberts, a former US Mint engraver.

To help keep things legit, the FM would them strike some business strikes with the FM dies and send the coins off to the country involved. Somehow most ended back in the US to be sold to collectors. Then, normal business strikes would have been made by whatever mint the country used for such things.