World Coins: Your Newest Acquisition!

Two-Euro pieces are the primary vehicle for circulating commemoratives. I have only purchased Irish proof and uncirculated sets plus the 2002-dated German uncirculated sets from all five mints. The Euro series across the entire monetary Union is QUITE impressive and any type of bimetallic coinage is always intriguing since only one such coin was ever issued in the USA as a non-circulating legal tender commemorative.

 

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Well, I have them all (type wise), except for the four non-EU countries that also have euro coins - San Marino, Monaco, etc. It is getting tough as each euro country can now issue two commemorative €2 coins per year. But my point in this case was that, while most of them have their own and often very modern designs, some do resemble older coins. The piece from Slovakia was probably inspired by the 20 korún coin (kforbes, #4720), and the Latvian one is basically a copy of the 5 lati piece, see #4721 above ...

Christian

 

Not sure if i have posted this yet, but here it is. i got this about two weeks ago.

 

OK, the file names suggest Nepal But what is it?

Clueless Christian

 

maybe Tibet ?

 

China, 1940, 10 Fen, Reformed Government, Y#522 , I got this coin because the Chinese character looks like a beetle. I got it for my "coins with insects" collection. can anyone tell me if it is meant to look like a beetle or that is how the Chinese lettering is supposed to look like ???

sellers pics:

 

According to the Schön catalog, the character in the center is a "seal script" sign for long life. More about the issuer is here (PDF). See page 12; your coin is depicted (tiny image) on page 13 ...

Christian

 

Should have put with posting, but it is a 1 silver Mohar, Nepal, 1897.

 

I got a new coin this weekend. It is a 1948-B Switzerland 5 Franc.

Y-53
KM48
(IMO it is a pretty coin that was quite cheap).

 

Added another "gun patina"-toned crown to my collection (up to 3!)



Does anybody happen to know the meaning behind this "Hercules group" design? I've always wondered about it. Who are the two women Hercules is with - personifications of liberty and equality?

 

I like this early date coin mainly for that bee mint mark left of the "A".

 

The Hercules design is about as old as the French Republic - it was first issued (as a piece of 5 francs) in 1795. The coin was originally designed by Augustin Dupré, with later modifications. As far as I know, Hercules was used as a symbol of power - note that he has the Nemean Lion "mask" on. Just as the mythological figure successfully fought against various beasts and enemies, the young republic had to fight the old régime.

The two women are personifications of the Republic (Phrygian cap) and Justice. Originally the motto on the Hercules coin was Union et Force; after the 1848 revolution that was replaced by Liberté Égalité Fraternité. Also, the pole with the Phrygian cap was modified in later years - see your design. Today the cap is on Liberty's head. Here are two quite different Hercules coins, the first one and the current one:

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipe...es_M.jpg/640px-5_F_Union_et_Force_C_des_M.jpg

http://www.monnaiedeparis.fr/is-bin...R/Produits/Recto/10041281930000-ZoomRecto.jpg

Today the silver €10 coin with the Hercules group does not actually circulate, and is not legal tender anywhere in the euro area except France. But it can be had at face ...

Christian

 

Strictly speaking, that is the designer or engraver mark. The "A" is the mintmark (back then it meant Paris). But as you're a bug guy you may be interested in the French coins from the late 1990s - the chief engraver of the Monnaie de Paris also used a bee: https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre_Rodier_(graveur)

Christian

 

agreed. I have seen the bee mark on many France/French coins and have a few of them. I will see if I can takes pics of my favorite older dated ones later on today.

 

The Hercules design can be found on many French coins over the past 220 years. It is one of the world's most enduring designs and usually found on ever higher denominations of the old French franc decimal systems.

 

Pardon the hugely scuffed holder. And, yes, I tried three different products to buff out the scratches. Sometimes NGC holders are just hopeless for removing scratches.

 

Frankly two gem world coin B&G