Today I found a cent in my till that at first I thought was Canadian. I noticed on the back there is a pig-like animal and dated 1980. The front has Queen Elizabeth II and says Bermuda. Anybody have any information on this coin? David
Not much to tell really - it is a Bermuda cent. It was struck in bronze, with the same basic design from 1970 until 2000. In 1980 they struck 3,520,000 of them.
if I'm not mistaken...the reason bermuda puts pigs on their coins is because when some of the first settlers arrived they brought pigs with them and when they left to head west to the americas they left them behind. needless to say, the pigs multiplied until they about took over the island. because of this, bermuda gives the hog the honor of being remembered through it's coinage. (correct me if this far fetched tale is wrong but I read it on a forum somewhere)
This is really interesting. On that note, how many nations use Queen Elizabeth on their coinage? David
The story is true enough revjohn. And some of the very first coinage issued for the colonies was of a very similar design. It was known as hogge money. They issued 2 pence, 3 pence, 6 pence and a shilling. They are some of the first coins to be found in the Red Book.
