Cool! I don't know if you noticed, but the end of the handle is the Brazilian/Portuguese coat of arms that preceded the one shown on the coin. Here it is on a 1747 6400 Reis (not mine).
An old Swedish 5 öre coin as a manhole cover: If the image does not show, click this link to see the Swedish one, and a few more. https://www.pinterest.com/tineke10/manhole-covers-putdeksels/ (Not all those covers are designed after coins, but they still are fun.)
This guy living in Japan got bored at work. So he decides to make large, MDF and wood-board versions of Japanese coins. Pretty sweet-looking: http://blueswatch.blogspot.com/2013/07/replica-coins.html
Always gets me how some of the most brilliant people are also eccentric as hell, sometimes not in a good way.
Agreed! I hate cancer, as it has taken some very important people from me. Yet, this is one instance I would be cheering cancer on. I hope he suffered greatly!
Coin Week has a video of Breen speaking in 1986, just prior to the publication of his seminal work, "Encyclopedia". Look at the video comments section. Seems like someone fell under his spell... http://www.coinweek.com/education/numismatic-history/walter-breen-interview-from-1986/
"...He was very paternalistic to me, and filled gaps that my father was unable to ..." Yuck. If that doesn't say it all....
Here's one I had laying around, not particularly weird, but I have no idea what it was used for. Maybe a fob for a clock? Kind of a shame though, the two older roubles would have had a pretty good value.