Strongmen, dictators, and despots

One of my interests is coins portraying images of deposed and overthrown tyrants (or other megalomaniacal rulers). Nothing here particularly rare or valuable, but these coins are some little bits and pieces remaining of once feared regimes long since gone.

 

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Pictured above is a silver 100 pesetas piece from Spain bearing likeness of longtime dictator Francisco Franco

 

Next up is a 250 Fils piece from Iraq with a portrait of Saddam Hussein

 

Here is a 300 Guaranies coin from Paraguay with a portrait of South American military strongman Alfredo Stroessner, a little remembered but very interesting figure

 

We couldn’t leave out Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi of Iran. Since I can’t read the script on the coin, I don’t know if it’s a business strike circulation coin or some kind of commemorative medal

 

Unfortunately, there are many more out there!

 

As always, I'm deeply grateful for CoinTalk's no-politics rule, keeping me out of trouble once again.

 

Are you insinuating this is political?

 

Sorry. No intention to get into the weeds of politics. Just interested in these coins as tangible connections to historically significant people and the times they lived in...

 

It would be nice tomorrow to find that new posters have stayed out of political discussion difficulty on the thread, but it is somewhat unlikely.

 

Interesting topic. IMO just listing the coin without a comment would keep it from being political. Just wondering how many never had their image on a coin issued for circulation. (I phrased it this way because there's probably some kind of token or medal of the person).

 

Fortunately or unfortunately, all coins are political.

 

To the contrary. I think this is one of the few venues where you could have a discussion of this without having it veer into divisive politics.

 

From what I heard, Franco was never deposed. He ruled until his death in 1975. Still, interesting collection.

 

You could say this guy was a Strongmen, dictators, and despots....

 

I remember when he was riding through a crowd in a convertible and someone threw a hand grenade in. It bounced off his cheek in back into the crowd. Nevertheless he gave himself a medal for heroism.

 

Which cheek was that?

 

I can't think of a circulating coin with Stalin on it.

 

The one attached to his face .

 

1949 Czechoslovakia.