Who is the most popular?

During my many years of collecting my 20th century world type sets, I have noticed that Queen Elizabeth has her portrait on more than anything. During the 20th century, her portrait has been the obverse of dozens of countries coinage. Knowing that my scope is "limited" is Queen Elizabeth II the most minted face in the hisotory of coins?

 

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Well... I guess I could go along with that... For one thing, the sheer volume of coinage in our time eclipses anything from before the machine age. Victoria was limited in having to produce coins in gold (and silver, etc.), whereas now, they plate steel planchets to save on the cost of copper and nickel.

If anyone has numbers, I would also like to see them, but on the "face" of it, it seems like an easy claim to me.

 

Pure surmise on my part, but judging by the sheer numbers of coins minted bearing his image I would think that your Mr Lincoln probably runs away with that record.

I don't think Lizzie the II has ever had coins minted in the thousands of millions per year, do you? Sure, there's a heck of a lot of countries that have put her image on coins at some point, but the mintage runs involved are nothing to write home about when taken in comparison with the mintage for Lincoln cents.

Ian

 

that might be true that the lincoln cent is the most minted coin in history, but lincoln is only on 1 coin, queen elizabeth is on the front of 5-9 coins per country, and that is 25-30 countries. i still think QE2 is the most minted face in history.

 

What GD said.

 

And every single one of them with the exact same portrait, on only a few metals!

Can you say "borrrrrrrrrring"?

At least Liz (and Vicky before her) has had multiple portraits during her long run as Queen of gold, silver, bronze, copper, and who knows what else.

 

I'm not a gambling man, but i'd still bet on Lincoln winning that one hands down.

Just look at the mintage figures and do the maths. QEII would win it for the diversity of coinage, (denominations, metals...you name it), but for sheer quantity....Abe surely walks away with that prize.

 

I sometimes envy those people who can focus on one particular collecting segment. I've tried....and can't.

Personally I gave up on collecting UK and most Brit. Commonwealth coins a few years ago mainly because I became bored with them but also because of my own curiosity leading me down new paths (as in `now what''s this coin all about...where's it from...etc).

Some of us (me!) need the `something different' factor, or a very broad scope.....or both

Well that's how I justify collecting nearly anything and everything coin shaped

Ian
Self confessed magpie-itis sufferer

 

well ian, it's interesting you should say that, i am actually just focusing on GB right now, my ultimate goal is to have a full 20th century set from every country. when I started, I just tried to collect every country at once and ended up burning myself out by not feeling i was making progress. I stepped away for about 6 months and then when I reopened my coin room I said to my self that i was only going to focus on one country at a time. GB is the country im on right now.

 

Who is number 3?

OK, so Abraham Lincoln is first, Queen Elizabeth II is second. Who is number three?

 

I don't think we have agreement on QE II being second.

Look at the mintage figures for dimes............

 

What about Maria Theresa?

 

Workers of the world how can you forgot about Comrade Lenin.
Where is a minister of propoganda when you need one!
LENIN, LENIN, LENIN.

 

One years worth of dimes, say 1998 with 1,323,632,000 struck (not including the proofs) would beat the total production of MT thalers at every Austrian mint (and foreign mint) ever at least three times over. These modern US mintages of ordinary every day coins are totally mind blowing when compared to other coins.

Ian

 

Well, since you asked..quite easily.

 

Good one

I guess that means you are not a card carrying member of the world's socialist party and street sweepers union. Not that I blame you, after all whisky is far superior to volka.

 

I think if we define our terms, the answers are obvious.

Who has been on the most individual coins? Abe without a doubt.

Whose face has graced the most coin issues? Liz, also without a doubt.

So let's just declare a tie and get on with our lives.

 

Seriously folks, Lenin was on all the Soviet republics coins for a while and who is to say that the Soviet Empire was second to the British, (LIZ), and American,(ABE), partnership called NATO