Top 10 'must-have' coins in every collection for all collectors around the world!

I thought of making this list out of boredom, but it turned out to be fun! also, there are only top-10s and 'must-haves' for American coinage online, so I thought I'd do one for the world-coinage, which are affordable to an entry-level collector. It's only my opinion, so please don't rip me apart!

No 10: Literally anything from The Perth Mint! From cheap pennies to silver and gold! All these coins were minted in Perth https://imgur.com/T1Trqbf

No 9: Australian 1927 Parliamentary Florin, this coin is prized for its classic 'vintage' look & its raised 'handwritten date'. ($10-$75) https://imgur.com/11kE8a5

No 8: Ancient coins, every collection should have at least a 1000-year-old coin, and what's better than a Roman hammered coin, some are surprisingly cheap from under $5! https://imgur.com/vcaOtOn

No 7: A hunky Herculean 5 Francs from the French Republic! With vast varieties in French coinage, this classic portrait of Hercules and his girlfriends takes the cake (from $25) https://imgur.com/JrqcqNp

No 6: 1797 United Kingdom two pence, aka Cartwheel penny, ~722k coins were minted to beat counterfeiting, weighing at 56.7 of copper, it's one of the largest coin used in circulation. ($35 onwards) https://imgur.com/0dPnoGo, Also if you're looking for a much cheaper, yet a hefty coin, the Russian 5 Kopek from the 18th century is the perfect option ($15 onwards) https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces8257.html

No 5: 1904 Panama 2 1/2 Centésimos, aka Panama Pill, this odd denomination coin is the smallest coin ever minted for circulation under modern technology at 10mm, with only 400 K minted by the USA ($20 onwards) https://imgur.com/tXZBZ0A

No 4: Indian gold Fanam, these are the cheapest numismatic gold you can buy that was intended for circulation, sizes vary from 5mm-8mm with a mass of under 500 milligrams! The picture is a Mysore 'Kanthariva' coin (1600s) featuring Hindu lion god 'Narashima' in sitting position. ($45- $70) https://imgur.com/onK65pA

No 3: Victorian Crown, it's a 3-in-1 coin, featuring both the queen Victoria and Saint George's Slaying of Dragon in a Crown-sized coin. ($35 onwards) https://imgur.com/n7wpDXo

No 2: Morgan dollar from the USA! This 'Cowboy' coin is an icon of the American 'wild west' with a beautiful bust of lady Liberty, it's a must in everyone's collection! ($15 onwards) https://imgur.com/fBsZ7LB. Also, walking liberty Half, Standing liberty quarter, and Peace dollar is also equally beautiful.

Honourable mentions: Maria Theresa Thaler https://imgur.com/ClTr10i the first coin to be used as an 'international currency', standardizing all modern crown-sized coins, I didn't include it in this list cuz almost all of them a re-strikes and the real ones are expensive. (Restrikes are only worth their weight).

Nazi Germany Reichsmarks https://imgur.com/SeUPpMs I didn't include this in the list cuz some people find it icky, regardless those coins remind us of some of the defining moments of humanity (WWII). ($10 onwards)

No 1: Thankyou for reading this far, and for number 1, It's the Spanish 8 Reales, literal Pirate coins, and the real 'world currency'. It was the official currency in most new world countries like the USA, Australia and New Zealand until they started minting their own. It was traded in the far-east! while an uncirculated coin looks great, a chop marked coin is like aged-wine, it gives the character (also cheaper ). ($50 and above) https://imgur.com/4bf1S5q

Please give your suggestions!

 

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Please put the photos directly in your post. Most wont click on links.

 

Great idea! We all would probably make a different list but in general, I agree with the thrust of your list. One major selection for which I differ is the Maria Theresa Thaler. Due to its trade importance, I would include it. And not all the restrikes are worth only their silver value. Many of us collect them -- and many of the restrikes go for big bucks.

I would also have included an Islamic coin in the group, perhaps an early dirham or maybe a later Ottoman. Also a Chinese coin -- easiest would be the abundant cash.

 

Spanish 8 Reales (Commonly called the Spanish milled dollar or Piece of Eight). Probably one of the most common coins that circulated in North American colonies, and internationally for that matter. In many countries in Europe and Asia, counter-marked Spanish Milled Dollars were used within their own countries. The coin was used and was legal tender in the United States up until the Civil War period.

 

Hmm, ok, an affordable list of must have world coins:

1. Great Britain Victoria One Crown (1887-1900)
2. 1935 Canada Silver Dollar
3. 1910 Mexico Un Peso Caballito
4. 1947 South Africa 5 Shillings
5. Italy 2 Lire 1911
6. Nicholas II Silver Ruble (any date)
7. 1903-S Philippines Peso under US Administration
8. Latvia 1931 5 Lats
9. France Ceres 5 Franc (any date)
10. 1908 Austria 5 Corona Commemorative

 

I'm biased, but the Saint-Gaudens $20 Double Eagle HAS to be on there, probably the 1907 High Relief.

If there's a more beautiful coin created except moderns in recent years, show me.

 

Umm, affordable?!? Certainly not within my (strained) budget!

 

I left out the "affordable" part.....

 

Any coin not made of gold.

NO coin--regardless of the design--can overcome the intrinsic ugliness of that baby crap colored metal.

 

You don't like the color of gold ?

 

Now these are the hot takes that I come to this forum for.

 

I'm curious why you picked the Italy 2 Lire 1911 coin. They made two versions in 1911, I'm sure you mean the anniversary one that celebrated the 50 years of a unified Italy , they minted around 1 million of those. The 1911 2 Lire non-anniversary is much harder to find, they only minted 535,000 of them and I don't have it yet.

 

Personally I like the silver crowns, minted by many European countries and colonies from 1800-1900.

 

This is a good list, except that I disagree with the entire premise that there are 10 “must have” coins for every collector. Go and float this list on the ancient coins forum and see what reaction you get.

I personally believe that things like the Athenian owl tetradrachm (which set the monetary standard for the ancient world for hundreds of years) and the shekels of Tyre (used to pay the temple tax in ancient Jerusalem, and widely considered to be the 30 pieces of silver mentioned in the Bible) both have a place on my “must have” list.

Or, if you want to go with coins minted by machine, one of the 1561 issues of Elizabeth I certainly has a place as one of the first mulled coins.

My point is that the only way you’ll get any 3 collectors to agree on a “top 10” like this is if 2 of them are dead. But, as a mini collection of interesting coins that most people can put together for a reasonable price, sure. It reminds me a lot of the “box of 20” concept, which I appreciate, although I don’t have the discipline to limit my collection to just 20 coins.

 

I detest all shades of yellow...I once bought the yellow house across the street from me just so that I could paint it and thereby not have to look at it daily. After a little updating and paint and closing costs I then sold it for a slight loss. But it looks much better.

 

We need more people in this world willing to act on principle, regardless of the cost.

 

Well, admittedly, I didn't go into the purchase planning on losing money.

 

Yep, anniversary; quite a nice design. I've also got the 1911 50 lire, which is very similar, just with a heftier price tag.

 

That 1911 "Cinquantenario" 50 lire Gold coin is a rare coin, only 20,000 minted. Beautiful design. King of Italy, Vittorio Emanuele III was a coin collector himself and he was behind many of those great Italian coin designs. Prior to him, most Italian coin designs were kinda plain.