This is a companion post to my “Old German Banknotes” post yesterday. My mother-in-law gave me these coins for my Foreign Coin Album. Her 1st husband (Fred) was a Sgt in the Army Air Corp, serving as a Gunner / Radio Operator on a B-24. In 1943, his bomber was shot down over the Mediterranean after a mission over France. He and 10 other survivors of the crash landing at sea managed to get into the life raft. They spent 4 days without food and water until a German sea plane rescued and captured them, but not before their Navigator died and was buried at sea. He was a POW in 3 different camps before being liberated by Patton. He must have gotten the German, Italian, and Philippine (US Administration) coins while serving overseas. The German 5 and 10 pfennig coins have similar obverse designs (Imperial Eagle with shield) and are Cu-Ni. They bear mint marks on both sides of the eagle’s tail of A - Berlin, D - Munich, F - Stuttgart, & J - Hamburg. The oldest 5 pfennig is an 1890-J, the oldest 10 pfennig is an 1875-F. The Philippine/US 1944 5 Centavos is Cu-Ni. The Philippine/US 1944-D 10 Centavos is .750 silver. The 1926-R 10 Centesimi is Cu from Italy. The 2 French coins are 1943 2 Francs and are Al. The diamond shaped 1957 India 5 Naye Paise was minted in Mumbai (Bombay), and is Cu-Ni. I haven’t ID’d the Oriental coin, it is Al and the size of a US nickel with a reeded edge. The 1999 1 Centim coin is made of Al and is from Andorra, a very small country between France and Spain in the Pyrenees. I was very happy that she gave me these coins, and will make fine additions to my foreign collection .
Odd that the Andorran coin is in that "mixed bag". Their pre-euro pieces (diner and centims) were made for collectors only and did not actually circulate in the country. And I like the design of the Italian coin. Christian
This, x1000. Put it on a note with the coins, along with his name, service number, & any other detsils you have. Any coin with a story is automatically worth more than a coin without a story, IMO.
