Hello Cointalk! School has been out for awhile, but I thought I'd show off my end of the school year project. This year, in my social studies/world geography class, we were allowed to do a project on anything we wanted, as long as we could somehow relate it back to social studies or trends in the world. It also had to cover at least 6 continents. I decided to do mine on COINS! Above is a picture of my complete project, but some of the coins I had hanging on yarn fell off. I'm going to post some pictures of my project, and write the text that is hard to see on the pictures. So... Here We Go! (LONG POST) To introduce my project, and tie it to social studies, I wrote this paragraph: Coins are some of the most fascinating pieces of history in the world. Every coin is rich with symbols that reveal a country's spirit, history, struggles, and culture. Coins are long lasting, and every person can take pride in the fact that the quarters jingling in their pocket may someday be considered very intricate tokens of art and history to some future numismatist. Historians can take a breath of relief knowing that ancient coins, which can reveal so much about civilizations long fallen, can and will survive, providing priceless information. Nothing sparks the imagination like holding an old coin: Who bought something with this? What did they buy? What was their life like? Asking these questions will manifest in a burning curiosity. Luckily, coins provide many clues, and possibly answers, to these questions. With a little research, you can learn enough about the time and place a coin was minted to safely guess answers to some of your questions. Then, with curiosity quenched, you can feel the awe and wonder of holding a little piece of history in your hand. I'm very proud of my grumpy George Washington. (Please, tilt head to get a better idea of how this looks) BALBOA Obverse: Vasco Nunez de Balboa, surrounded by VN.CVARTO.DE.BALBOA Reverse: Panama's coat of arms, date, and REPVBLICA-DE-PANAMA Copper-Nickel Minted: (Copper-Nickel) 1966-1996 WHAT THE SYMBOLS MEAN On the reverse is Panama's coat of arms. The gun and sword represent liberation from Spain and Colombia. The tools represent the tools used for making the Panama Canal. The landscape in the middle is the Panama Canal. The cornucopia represents richness, and the winged wheel stands for travel. The stars represent the 9 provinces, and the Eagle is for the USA, the first country to recognize Panama as an independent nation. Pro Mundi Beneficio means "For the benefit of the world." Repvblica de Panama means "Republic of Panama." VN CVARTO DE BALBOA means 1/4 of a Balboa. Balboa is the name of Panama's currency. THE STORY OF BALBOA- It isn’t hard to see how important Vasco Nunez de Balboa is to the people of Panama. Their own currency is named after him- The Balboa. Balboa was born 1475 in Spain. In 1513, Balboa went from questing for a new sea in the south and gold. He hoped if he was successful, he would be respected by King Ferdinand of Spain. He did not find this sea, but he crossed Panama, and found the Pacific Ocean, making him the first European to see the Pacific Ocean from the New World. He claimed it and it’s shores for Spain. Unfortunately, before the news reached Ferdinand, he appointed Pedro Arias de Avila as governor of Darien. Pedro was jealous of Balboa, and had him beheaded for treason. “Vasco Núñez De Balboa.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 16 Sept. 2015, www.biography.com/people/vasco-n%C3%BA%C3%B1ez-de-balboa-9196350. Accessed 30 May 2017. “Panama.” World Atlas - Maps, Geography, Travel, 7 Apr. 2017, www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/namerica/camerica/panama/pasymbols.htm. Accessed 30 May 2017 “Panama 1/4 Balboa.” Catawiki, www.catawiki.com/catalog/coins/countries/panama/3344943-panama-14-balboa-1982. Accessed 30 May 2017. “Panama 1/4 Balboa.” Coin Value: Panama 1/10, 1/4, and 1/2 Balboa 1930 to 1996, CoinQuest, www.coinquest.com/cgi-bin/cq/coins?main_coin=3829. Accessed 30 May 2017. I decided to throw in a fun little flap thing- AND here's another- (Um... this happened long enough ago that this joke is appropriate... right?) VERFASSUNGSTAG 3 MARK Obverse: Imperial Eagle Surrounded by VERFASSUNGSTAG 11. August 1922 (Some were not made with the VERFASSUNGSTAG and date) Reverse: 3 Mark 1922 surrounded by Deutsches Reich and Mint Mark. Minted: 1922-1923 (More 3 Mark pieces were made afterwards but not this kind)Aluminum Designers: Josef Wackerle and Reinhard Kullrich Mint Marks: Without Verfassungstag: (All 1922)A (Berlin), E (Muldenhutten), F (Stuttgart) With Verfassungstag: 1922: A, D (Munich), E, F, G (Karlsruhe), J (Hamburg). 1923: E, F What the Symbols Mean: Deutsches Reich was the official name of Germany from 1871 to 1943. "Verfassungstag" means Constitution Day. These coins were made to celebrate the 3rd anniversary of the Weimar Republic's constitution. The Eagle is the national animal of Germany. The Worthless Coin... This coin was made the celebrate the third anniversary of the Weimar Republic’s Constitution. However, not many Germans would be celebrating at this time. The country was struggling to make up for the Versailles treaty. In an attempt to make up for the poor economy and high unemployment rate, Germany began printing extra money. This caused hyperinflation. By 1923, one US dollar was equal to about 4,210,500,000,000 German Marks. That means this 3 mark coin was equal to about 7.125044532*10^-13 US dollars or 0.0000000000007125044532 dollars. (I did a shared works cited for all the coins on the main poster, so don't sue me yet.) FOOD SECURITY Obverse: Emblem surrounded by “Republic of Somalia, Shillings 5 Scellini Reverse: Elephant surrounded by “ XXI CENTURY* (Date) FOOD SECURITY FAO” Minted: 1999-2002 Kremnica Slovakia or Rome(?) (I’m unsure) Aluminum What The Symbols Mean The picture on the obverse is Somalia's coat of arms. The leopard is the national animal of Somalia. "FAO" stands for the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Elephants are actually rarely seen in Somalia. Scellini is Italian for Shillings. Somalia minted this coin in celebration of heightened Food Security in Somalia, and in honor of the 35th anniversary of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Although made for a happy reason, I think the fact that this coin was even made is sad. It is sad to think that people are celebrating and making commemorative coins over not starving. And, with the recent drought and famine in Somalia, this coin is a bitter reminder that sometimes the world doesn't go uphill, and may, unfortunately, go downhill. (First, an apology to Australians. I, unfortunately, do not own any terribly interesting Australian coins. Thus, this was shoehorned in to fill space and complete the 6 continents requirement. (If there are coins from Antarctica, please let me know.) That is why there is barely any information. I'm sure there are some cool Australian coins, but I don't have any... Fun Fact: I had only one point taken off for this project and that was for my lack of information on Australia. Karma?) PLATYPUS Obverse: Portrait of Queen Elizabeth the Second, surrounded by “ELIZABETH II AUSTRALIA 1993” Reverse: 20, with platypus swimming through water. 75% Copper 25% Nickel Designers: Stuart Devlin and Ian Rank-Broadley Minted: 1966- Present at Royal Australian Mint ANNA EVA FAY Obverse: Hindu God(dess?) or Buddha surrounded by the word MASCOT and the initials AEF Reverse: Strange letters in wreath, surrounded by more strange letters. Minted: 1905 Copper What the Symbols Mean AEF stands for Anna Eva Fay Her Story: Ann Eliza Heathman, better known by her stage name, Anna Eva Fay, was a famous magician/medium of the late 1800s and early 1900s. She was born 1951 in Ohio, and may have began her performances as young as 11. She began her career in England, where she was known as Annie Fay. Upon moving back to America, she became known as the famous Anna Eva Fay. She always ended her performances with the vague words, “if you think what you are seeing is real, you are welcome to think that. We present these demonstrations of your kind consideration,” leaving the audience to decide if her acts were fact or fiction, even though she was a fake. Despite this, her audiences often believed what she did was real, and she quickly became a sellout. So lifelike were her tricks, that when, in the 1876, her former business partner wrote an exposure article about her performance, her success was not even barely nicked, and she continued to have full houses at her shows. Many of her own acts were actually stolen by other famous magicians and put into their own routines. Everything was going wonderfully for Heathman until her son, John, married Eva Norman. Eva and Ann never got along, and their relationship worsened when the newly wed couple started their own act as “The Marvelous Fays,” stealing many of Ann’s original acts. In 1908, when cleaning a loaded pistol, John accidently shot himself and died. Anna Fay was devastated. In her later years, she confided in Harry Houdini that she often visited her son’s grave, looking for a message from him, but never finding one. She retired in 1924. These coins may have been sold in Anna Eva Fay's "Dream Books" or sold individually at her shows as good luck or magic tokens. Eva Fay: High Priestess of Mysticism- Daughter in Law and nemesis of Anna Eva Fay. An advertisement for one of Fay's famous Question and Answer shows in Minneapolis. Questions asked ranged from the cliché: Will I ever be rich? Does he love me? To People trying to fool her: Where is my watch? To more serious that reflect the more troubled times: When will the War end? Works Cited: “German Empire 3 Mark 1922.” Catawiki , Catawiki, www.catawiki.com/catalog/coins/countries/germany/850927-german-empire-3-mark-1922-j-3-years-of-weimar-constitution. Accessed 25 May 2017. Kanopiadmin. “Hyperinflation in Germany, 1914-1923.” Mises Institute, Mises Institute, 6 Oct. 2006, mises.org/library/hyperinflation-germany-1914-1923. Accessed 25 May 2017. Jung, Alexander. “Millions, Billions, Trillions: Germany in the Era of Hyperinflation - SPIEGEL ONLINE - International.” SPIEGEL ONLINE, SPIEGEL ONLINE, 14 Aug. 2009, www.spiegel.de/international/germany/millions-billions-trillions-germany-in-the-era-of-hyperinflation-a-641758.html. Accessed 25 May 2017. “Somalia Coin Price Guide.” Somalia 5 Shilling / Scellini KM 45 Prices & Values | NGC, www.ngccoin.com/price-guide/world/somalia-5-shilling-scellini-km-45-1999-2002-cuid-1088581-duid-1570554. Accessed 25 May 2017. Welsh, Christopher. “5 Shilling Coin.” Cache Numismatics - All Things Numismatic, Cache, www.cachecoins.org/somalia.htm. Accessed 25 May 2017. Carnegie, Dean. “The Life of Anna Eva Fay.” Carnegie: Magic Detective, www.themagicdetective.com/2011/09/life-of-anna-eva-fay.html. Accessed 25 May 2017. Carnegie, Dean. “The Fay Controversy Continues.” Carnegie: Magic Detective, www.themagicdetective.com/2016/12/the-fay-controversy-continues.html. Accessed 25 May 2017. Andrzejeski, Naomi. "Specimen Coin - 20 Cents, Australia, 1966." Home - Online Coin Club. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 May 2017 "Twenty Cents." Ramint.gov. Royal Australian Mint, n.d. Web. "Поехали!" Obverse: Soviet Union’s Emblem. Underneath is CCCP, which translates into USSR. Reverse: 20 КОПЕЕК (Pronounced Kopek) and date surrounded by wheat stalks Copper Nickel Zinc Minted: 1961-1991 What they Symbols Mean The emblem on the obverse stands for the USSR. The sickle stands for peasants. The hammer stands for workers. If the coin was bigger, the bottom ribbon would read “Workers of the World Unite” and the ribbons wrapping the wheat would say the same, but in many different languages. CCCP translates into USSR. Man in Space! 1961 was a very important year for the Soviet Union and the world. On April 12, 1961, the soviet union sent the first man into space, Yuri Gagarin. Gagarin made his 108 minute trip in the Vostok 1. Vostok 1 flew around the earth at 27,400 miles per hour, and his reentry was controlled by a computer. Upon reentry, Yuri was ejected from Vostok 1, and landed by parachute. By putting Gagarin in space, the USSR ushered in the Space Age, and the space race that came with it. Alan Shepard was sent into space one month after Yuri. “20 Kopeks.” Numista, Numista, en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces763.html. Dunbar, Brian. “Yuri Gagarin: First Man in Space.” NASA, NASA, www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/sts1/gagarin_anniversary.html. Accessed 29 May 2017. “Yuri Gagarin.” Starchild, NASA, starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/whos_who_level1/gagarin.html “How the USSR National Emblem Was Created.” To Discover Russia, 2 Apr. 2015, todiscoverrussia.com/how-the-ussr-national-emblem-was-created/. Accessed 29 May 2017. “Coin Collecting Forbidden in Soviet Years.” Coin Collecting Forbidden in Soviet Years, Numismaster, numismaster.com/ta/numis/Article.jsp?ArticleId=11468. Accessed 29 May 2017. WHEW! That is enough typing for today! Good thing I had the majority saved in google docs. I'd like to thank everyone on cointalk for helping find information on some of these coins! It really helping me a lot! Have an awesome day!
Oh, dear, it looks like maybe you were trying to link to images in a Gmail message. Can you download the images to your computer, then use "upload a file" to attach them to your post? (I'm assuming you're using a computer, not a phone or tablet...?)
