San Marino.

San Marino's Post stamps are very famous, and they sell a lot around the world.
Here some of my San Marino coins

 

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10 centesimi 1894, copper, mintage - 150000 pcs. Roma Mint.

 

10 lire 1933, silver .835, weight - 10 g., size - 27 mm, mintage - 25000 pcs. Engraver: Enrico Saroldi. Roma Mint.

 

I think that was Sealand and the Republic of Minerva (which only existed at low tide). All REAL microstates issue REAL stamps and coins.

Prior to the Euro, San Marino's coins were legal tender in Italy (as were the Vatican's). Andorra and Lichtenstein rarely issued REAL coins, but they issued REAL stamps (letters needed to be sent), and the former is issuing REAL euros this year, while the latter is not.

Dubai is part of the UAE, and the UAE issues regular postage stamps, whether or not it issues them in the name of the constituent Emirates I dunno. All REAL countries issue postage stamps without exception.

 

Getting back to San Marino, the Italian mint would issue very weird commemorative coins in base metals for them and sell them in sets. I remember the World War III (not two, THREE) set very well. It showed people dying of radiation sickness from nuclear bombs. The sets were cheaper than the regular Italian ones.

Nowadays San Marino only issues expensive sliver coins denominated in Euros and Euro sets that are even moreso. Monaco is even worse in that reguard.

 

Not sure what San Marino set that would have been; maybe they did actually issue such pieces. The only similar set that I recall is the one from 1983 which was about nuclear war, bombs and the apocalypse. Possibly a different one ...

Today San Marino, like all euro countries that have monetary agreements with the EU, issues most of its volume at face. In the cases of Monaco and Andorra that is 80%, San Marino 70% (to be increased to 80% later), Vatican 51%. But of course the collectors who want certain denominations and years will have to buy sets, and those are more expensive.

Christian

 

Very cool coin from a very cool series. I have the 5 Lire and 10 Lire off to NGC for grading at the moment. Would like to add the 20 Lire one of these days, but the price on them tends to be a wee bit high for a coin that isn't all that rare. My thinking is I can get a nice one for $300 or less if I am patient. In any case, neat coins from the Rome mint, and unlike nearly everything else struck there at the time, these coins are NOT designed by Romagnoli, though the artwork is just as good as anything he did.

 

That was IT!!!!! World War III and nuclear apocalypse. What a joyous series that was.