Quarantine Diary

Day 86: Three Fiji Pennies, Three different Kings

1934: George V 1936: Edward VIII 1937: George VI
This is one of the easier ways to get an Edward VIII coin.

 

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Day 87: Syria (French Protectorate), 1/2 Piastre, 1921

I think this is a single-year type in copper-nickel, though they did make a nearly
identical one out of nickel-brass from 1935-36. In spite of being in both French and
Arabic, they seem to not have included an AH date on these. I guess that was the
practice during the French Protectorate era. Syrian Republic coins are usually
dual dated in AH and AD calendars.

 

Day 88: Portuguese Malaca, 1 Dinhiero, 1545-48 (Undated), João III

Obverse: I S M A (Ioanes Senhor Malacca) inside a cross
Reverse: A version of the Armillary Sphere of Portugal

I got this coin because it was made out of cast tin. I like coins made out of atypical materials.

 

Day 89: Russia, 20 Kopeks, 1861
C.П.Б. = St. Petersburg Mint

The wear on this one looks a bit odd compared to one in better condition like this
one on Numista. I'm hoping it's not a fake, though I don't know why anyone would
fake one in this worn condition. The high points especially on the obverse look
almost squished out as if it had been placed under something heavy. Since this
is unpackaged, I must have bought it some time ago for not much over silver. I'm
hoping it's just suffered from honest wear, but with coins from Russia (though
purchased in the US), it's good to be particularly skeptical.

 

Two India Mughal coins of Muhammad Shah AH 1131-1161 (AD 1719-1748):

Muḥammad Shah was the Mughal Emperor from 1719 to 1748.
He ascended the throne at the age of 17 with the help of two brothers whom he then had murdered.
His reign was infamous for the invasion by Nader Shah of Persia who sacked the Mughal capital carrying off, among other things, the Peacock Throne.
The Mughal Empire then went into a decline.


Mughal Rupee Muhammad Shah Kashmir AH 1160 (AD 1747) Year 30
Silver, 23 mm, 11:36 gm, KM 436.36

Obverse: Three horizontal lines of text
Line 1: Muhammad Shah (King, this line is outside the flan on this coin)
Line 2: Badshah Ghazi (Emperor and fighter for Islam)
Line 3: Mubarak Sikka 1160 (Auspicious Coin, year 1160)
The year 1160 is on the obverse below the center. AH 1160 is around AD 1747.

Reverse: Three horizontal lines of text
Line 1: Manus Sanat (Associated year)
Line 2: Julus Maimanat 30 (Reign tranquil prosperity, regnal year 30)
Line 3: Zarb Kashmir (Struck Kashmir)
(Struck Kashmir in year 30 of his reign associated with tranquil prosperity)

The regnal year 30 is on the reverse at the right.
It equates to AH 1131+30-1 or 1160 which is around AD 1747 also.


Mughal Rupee Muhammad Shah Muhammadabad-Banaras AH 1161 (AD 1748) Year 31
Silver, 15 mm, 11:35 gm, KM 436.15

Obverse: Three horizontal lines of text
Line 1: Muhammad Shah (King)
Line 2: Badshah Ghazi (Emperor and fighter for Islam)
Line 3: Mubarak Sikka (Auspicious Coin, this line is outside the flan on this coin)
The coin has no year visible.

Reverse: Three horizontal lines of text
Line 1: Zarb Muhammadabad (Struck Muhammadabad)
Line 2: Manus Sanat Julus Maimanat 31 (Associated year reign tranquil prosperity, regnal year 31)
Line 3: Banaras (this line is outside the flan on this coin
(Struck Muhammadabad in year 31 of his reign associated with tranquil prosperity)

The regnal year 31 is on the reverse on the lower right.
It equates to AH 1131+31-1 or 1161 which is around AD 1748.
Muhammadabad-Banaras was a mint located in what is now Benares or Varanasi.

 

Day 90: Congress Kingdom of Poland (Russian rule), 10 Groszy Copper, 1840

This one won't be very clear unless I rip it out of the packaging to get a better
photo. Aged bronze under a clear film is hard to get adequate contrast on.

After the Napoleonic wars, Poland was partitioned into sections under Russian,
Austrian and Prussian rule. Congress Poland was the section under Russian rule.
The Kingdom was in a personal union with Czarist Russia, thus the double-headed
eagle symbol on the obverse. Eventually, Russian rule became more and more
overt, especially after a rebellion in 1831 (which issued some of its own, rebel
coinage).

Oddly, this denomination was minted in both billon (0.192) and copper in the
year 1840. The copper seems to be a single year type.

One grosz was fixed at 1/2 Russian kopek. From 1840-1850 grosz denominated
coinage was phased out, and the ruble was used as the official currency unit.

 

Day 91: I wasn't happy with yesterday's photographs, so I busted it out of the
package and took some photos bare. As it happened, my local shop had another
one of the same year in slightly more worn condition for $5, so I picked it up for
comparison. My conclusions:

1) It's almost not worth bothering photographing billon coins inside packaging.
The contrast is poor and with the reflection of the clear film, you lose most of the
detail. Left coin is the same one as yesterday.
2) I don't think the 1840 copper version listed on Numista actually exists. There's
no mention of it in Krause, and the "copper" and "silver" entries have virtually
identical size and weight. There seems to be no evidence that Poland switched this
denomination to copper for one year. These coins can look quite coppery in color
in room lighting, and more bright and silvery in bight light. I believe my description
of yesterday's coin as the copper one is in error, and that both coins are 0.192 billon

I'll try to photograph something new later so today isn't just a "rerun."

 

Day 91, Continued: Portugal, 1883, 20 Reis, Luiz I

Ok, I promised something new. I picked this up because I liked the irregular copper
toning on the reverse. It almost looks like it is camouflage patterned.
And the price was right at $1.

 

Night and day...

I don't like those flips for exactly that reason.

 

Day 92: Silesia-Leignitz-Brieg, 1663, 15 Kreuzer, Duke Georg III

Obverse: SIL.LIGN&BREG. D.G.GEORGIUS.DUX(XV)
Reverse: *MONETA NOVA ARGENTEA 1663


This one I had a little bit or trouble looking up. It was sold as Silesia, 15 Kreuzer,
1663, but the shop owner couldn't locate it in his 1600s book. Even though Silesia
is mostly in Poland, the book has it under German States as Silesia-Leignitz-Brieg.
On Numista they have it as from the Duchy of Liegnitz-Brieg. Mintmark is described
as a "pierced heart." I assume that's the circle with the cross on the reverse at the
6:00 position. I can't really tell that it's a heart instead of just an orb by the shape.

Georg III unofficially became Duke of Brieg/Brzeg in 1633, while his father was still
alive. His father had converted to Calvinism, and during the Thirty Years' War, he sided against the Catholic King of Bohemia/Holy Roman Emperor, Ferdinand II. As
the father was on the losing side against the Habsburgs, he fled the Duchy in fear
of his life, leaving is to his three sons. The three sons divided the Duchy among
themselves, with Georg ruling Brieg. One brother died young, and Georg had no
male children from either of his two marriages, so the last surviving brother, Duke
Christian, ruled the reunited territory.

 

Day 93: Something a little older this time:

This was sold to me as a Hungarian silver coin from the 1500s. After a little
searching around, I believe it to be a: Hungary, Denár, II. Ulászló, 1498-1503 K-h

Obverse: M.WLADISLAI.R.VNGARI. (Money of Vladislaus, King of Hungary)
Inside, A shield with the Hungarian coat of arms: Árpád Stripes and double cross
for Hungary, two rather surprised-looking leopards for Dalmatia, a (sideways) lion
for Bohemia, and in the center, a Jagellon eagle.

Reverse: PATRONA. VNGARIE (Patroness of Hungary) K-h
around a Madonna holding the Christ Child.

 

Day 94: A 1 Lira coin from the early days of the united Kingdom of Italy

Italy 1863 M = Milan mint, 1 Lira, Vittorio Emanuele II, 0.835 Ag

 

Day 95: Mexico, 8 Reales, 1796, Chopmarked

I don't usually say this, but this coin looks much uglier in hand. There is a band of
much different colored toning along the top part of the coin, almost as if it was
dipped in some solution, but only partway. I do like that it is covered with
numerous Asian chop marks on both sides.

 

Day 96: I think I posted this 1798 Naples 5 Tornesi, so here's an 1801 Naples
6 Tornesi to go with it. Both were issued under Ferdinand IV, who ruled as King
of both Naples and Sicily. A lot happened between 1798 and 1801, though!
Ferdinand had to flee Naples in the face of the advancing French Revolutionary
army, which occupied the city to form the short-lived Parthenopean Republic. With
British help, Ferdinand retook the city a few months later.

France conquered Naples again in 1806 after the Battle of Austerlitz, and Ferdinand
had to flee the city (again), this time to Sicily. After Napoleon's final defeat,
Ferdinand regained his throne (again), though the Kingdom was renamed as the
Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. Apparently, Ferdinand was an ineffective ruler, and the
real power behind the throne was his wife, Maria Carolina of Austria. She was the
sister of the executed Marie Antoinette, and had a huge grudge against
Revolutionary France. Thus, she pushed her husband into a warlike foreign policy
against France. Allegedly, Napoleon claimed that she was "the only man in the
Kingdom of Naples."


Left: Naples, 5 Tornesi, 1798
Obverse: Neapolitan arms in a wreath
Reverse: T.5 R. C 1798

Right: Naples, 6 Tornesi, 1801
Obverse: FERDINAN.IV.SICIL.ET.HIE REX P
Reverse: TOR NESI A. 6 P. 1801

I don't know why they switched from a 5 to 6 tornesi denomination. (They were not
both made at the same time). Nor do I know why the 6 is so much bigger than the
5. That's way more than 6/5 the amount of copper. I suspect that there was
monetary uncertainty due to the wars, and hard money of gold and silver was
being hoarded. Perhaps the 6 tornesi having a copper content closer to its face
value was meant to induce the public to accept it in circulation.

 

Day 97: Copper coins from German East Africa from before and after a monetary
reform. Left: 1 Pesa = 1/64 Rupie, 1891 Right: 1 Heller = 1/100 Rupie, 1904


Bonus coin: 1 Rupie, 1890 (Cheating, since I posted this in another thread earlier)

 

Day 98: Brazil, 500 Réis, 1856, Pedro II

Obverse: PETRUS II D.G.CONST.IMP.ET PERP.BRAS.DEF 500 1856
Probably something like: "Pedro II, by the Grace of God, Constitutional Emperor and Eternal Defender of Brazil"

Reverse: IN HOC SI--GNO VINCES, around the coat of arms of the Brazilian Empire
"In this sign you shall conquer." (A reference to the vision of Emperor Constantine)

 

Day 99: Hibernia/Ireland, 1/2 Penny, George III, 1782???

Just for fun, a very worn George III halfpenny from Ireland. There were several
different types made. (Numista: 1, 2, 3, 4) In spite of the wear, I am pretty
confident it is of the 1774-1782 type. That's the only one with a dot after
GEORGIVS next to his hair and before III. As for the date, it's below the harp on
the reverse split in halves. It's so worn it's anyone's guess. I think I can make out
the 17 on the left side. If I had to guess, I'd pick 1782. If you have a better guess,
please venture it!

 

Day 100: New Guinea, 1 Penny, George VI, 1938

They made this type for 2 years only, 1938 and 1944. There was also an Edward
VIII one in 1936. The monogram is the King's initial plus R and I for king and
emperor. I liked this one because of the New Guinean-styled design work of the
art on both sides.

 

Day 101: A worn little 1 real coin from the first Republic of Mexico, which lasted
from about 1824-1835. Santa Ana would end the federated republic, suspend the
constitution, and rule as a dictator after 1835, triggering the Texas War of
Independence as a result. This coin type lasted a lot longer than the First
Republic, and was minted from 1825-1869. It's a bit hard to read the mint mark
on the reverse, but I'm guessing it's Go for Guanajuato Mint.

First Republic of Mexico, 1 Real, 1831 Go MJ

Obverse: REPUBLICA MEXICANA
Reverse: *1R.Go.1831.MJ.10 Ds.20 Gs.

 

Day 102: An iron cross on an iron coin

Germany Military, 1 Kopeck, 1916 A (Berlin)

Obverse: 1 КОПѢЙКА 1916 (1 Kopeck, 1916)
Reverse: GEBIET DES OBERBEFEHLSHABERS OST A
(District of Commander-in-Chief EAST)

These were military coinage for use by the German army in occupied Eastern
Europe during the Great War. I believe they circulated in parts of Poland, Russia and
the Baltics. 2 and 3 kopeck coins also exist.