Good point. If I found a book or long article to read about some obscure country, I'd probably find it fascinating. The problem is time, as you mentioned. Maybe another factor is lack of info, since written material might be nonexistent or in another language
I agree with Medoraman. Some have mentioned their dislike for coins from these countries but I like some of them. Here are a few examples from my collection: Costa Rica: Liberia: Iran: etc.
Regarding coins from politically sensitive eras/countries, I collect German coins from the beginning of the German Empire through the the fall of the Third Reich. I do not collect the Third Reich coins because they are associated with the Nazis, I collect them despite the fact that they are associated with the Nazis. Occasionally, I sell duplicates. When I do, I always list the coins as being from the Third Reich and never as Nazi coins or as having swastikas. In fact, for coins that have the swastika, I always place the swastika side down. I'm not interested in selling the coins to someone who just likes Nazi stuff. Do I make less? Sure, but I am not going to profit from the Nazi activities. But that's just me.
Certainly a fine coin. When I expressed my dislike regarding pieces from there, I had that plethora of NCLT issues in mind ... started in the mid-1980s, I think. Christian
Anything post-1500. I do happen to have a few coins (European and one British colonial) from the 17th/18th centuries that I keep since they are different and kind of interesting history-wise, but I don't (or plan to) collect coins from more recent centuries. Also, I'm not into (from any time period) Indian, Persian, east Asian coinage (Chinese, Japanese, etc.), or sub-Saharan African coinage either.
Could not have said it better myself. Though there are several legitimate countries I have never found very interesting. Netherlands would probably be the main one in Europe, you could melt-down every coin they have ever struck and it wouldn't be a serious artistic loss. World-wide, would have to agree that the coins of Israel are a special kind of boring, it's like they are always trying to come up with something avant garde like the Finns but are never quite able to pull it off.
Fortunately there are lots of people who disagree with that. As for coins from Israel, it depends. Don't really think these for example are dull: http://www.boi.org.il/en/Currency/CurrentCurrencySeries/PublishingImages/1cent.jpg http://www.boi.org.il/en/Currency/CurrentCurrencySeries/PublishingImages/5cent.jpg http://www.boi.org.il/en/Currency/CurrentCurrencySeries/PublishingImages/10sheqel.jpg Christian
=> ahaha, that's awesome ... yah, those coins are kinda sweet, C89 ... ummm but honestly, I don't like too many US coins (they are bland and a bit rah-rah, USA) ... other than that, they are also a bit lacking in everything!! (seriously, the statue of liberty!!?) .... I mean c'mon, the coolest thing you dudes have is an awkward looking eagle on the quarter (you guys are pretty good at sh*t ... why do your coins suck so badly?)
I wish we could take our swastika back. Maybe not in my lifetime, but I do wish we can "outgrow" the association between the swastika and nazis. The swastika is one of humankind's oldest and most revered symbols. Just because some monster from Austria adopted it as his party's symbol should not be able to take away one of humankind's ancient symbols. I am fine with nazis forever ruining the Charlie Chaplin moustache, but not the swastika.
My view is pretty much the same as Chrisild and the others for whom it is more "not for me" than "I hate this." I agree that the guitars and gemstones etc., are "cheesy" but I have to insist that the Peace Dollar was hated by its designer and the design committee and the general public. DeFrancisci's reverse was rejected by George Morgan who reportedly whacked the electrotype model with a board to lower the relief. The Walking Liberty Half also took serious criticism for the sun burning her toes. Yet, we love them both today. If the Cent of 1792 were issued by any nation today, what would you say? That all being as it may, when I come across Nazi coins, I throw them in the garbage.
The curved HOF coins seem pretty gimmicky to me, no interest in them at all.....except for the gold content of course, that part is pretty neat. I have to say that in general I'm pretty turned off by all the coins turned out by the US mint for collectors only.
I think us modern commems are boring, especially when you get into the higher mintages. I don't understand the affinity for silver eagle. Yeah it's pretty, but it copies the half dollar and the reverse is nothing special. It's beyond me why they are graded. In a hundred years, I can only imagine interest in these bullion coins waning big time. I can see why people collect ancients, but not collecting coins post-1500s is sure missing a lot!
When I came across one of those nasty zinc abominations in a coin roll search a couple of years ago I pondered tossing it into the dustbin, and I got what for from several members here. In the end it did end up my my German coins from roll searches bag - I do find lots of 2pf and 2 Euro cent coins from Germany.
I'm a big fan of the Weimar Republic coinage , but the plethora of 3 (20 designs in 8 years) and 5 (11 designs in 8 years) reichsmark coins, most of which overlap in years of release, are a bit of a turn-off.
To me it makes a lot of sense that coins which commemorate different people or events have different designs. Pretty much every of these issues, circulation coins excepted, is a one-year release ... Christian