So, I had a few people ask me about the coin in my avatar picture in my introduction thread, inspiring this post. What are your favorite stories in numismatics? Which coins have histories that have really piqued your interest? My favorites are the 1902 South African Veldpond pictured in my avatar and the 1815-R French 20 Franc. Veldponds were struck in a temporary mint set up in a mining facility at Pilgrim’s Rest in the hills of South Africa during the Second Boer War at the turn of the 20th century. Only around 600 were minted and they were made using handmade dies, which is why their devices look a little rough. Still, the story of the mint’s staff and the ingenuity involved in creating this coin is really cool. You can read more here: http://www.veldpond.co.za/ 1815-R French 20 Francs were minted in London around the time of the “Hundred Days,” during Napoleon Bonaparte’s return from exile in Elba, which culminated in the famed Battle of Waterloo. These specially minted 20 Franc coins were created to pay campaigning and occupying British troops in France and feature an altered reverse inscription and the face of the French king, Louis XVIII. Check it out here: http://www.ngccoin.com/price-guide/world/france-20-francs-x-1-1815-cuid-125319-duid-320061 What are your favorite coin histories? More importantly, are there any coins with crazy histories that you actually have in your collections?
