EUROCOINS AND THE SIGHT-IMPAIRED Before Euro coinage was inaugurated, the authorities consulted with many associations who represented the blind for acceptable ways for sight-impaired people to distinguish one denomination from another. A set of rules was adopted that would insure any blind person could tell the difference by the feel of the coin. There are eight denominations embodying the final characterists, so, no matter which country the coins would be minted by or for one could discern the differences. Size is the criteria for the one-cent coin. It is the smallest coin being about the size of a thumbnail and has a smooth or plain edge. The two-cent piece is larger than the one-cent coin, but has an added feature. A distinctive groove runs along the edge of the coin. The five-cent coin is only slightly larger than the two-cent one, but is easily distinguishable because of its smooth edge. The ten-cent coin is just a tiny bit smaller than the five-cent one, but is much thicker (thus heavier) and has a coarse serration around the circumference of the edge. Not only is the twenty-cent coin larger than the ten-cent piece, but it incorporates a group of seven notches around the other-wise smooth edge. The larger fifty-cent coin is heavier still and sports a coarsely serrated edge. The bimetallic one-euro is about the same size, weight and thickness as the fifty-cent coin, but its edge has alternating sections of fine serrations intermitant sections of smoothness. The two-euro is also bimetallic, has the largest diameter of the eight euro coins and its edge has a fine serration complimented with an embossing of stars and letters which differe from country to country. Clich here for examples: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Eurocent_edges_%282%2C10%2C20%29.jpg NOTE 1. Slovenia issued 10 Tolar coins in 2004 and 2005 with the ten visible and in Braille. NOTE 2. In the USA's State Quarter program the Alabama Quarter uses braille. The coin honors Helen Keller and carries her name in standard print and Braille. click here for example: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Alabama_quarter%2C_reverse_side%2C_2003.jpg Clinker
Clinker,that's a very interesting article.When the Reserve Bank of New Zealand decided on changing the coins in circulation as part of its exercise to drive the 5c. coin out of circulation,they decided to make the 20c. coin the same size (but a different colour!) & shape to the 20 Euro-Cent coin.Some of the blind people over here cannot tell the difference between the 10c. & 50c. coins,because both of these have a plain edge.The 10c. coin is easy to lose,especially if you drop one on a wooden floor in a poorly lit area. Aidan.
That quarter (at least the one in the Wiki picture, I don't have a real one in front of me) uses some non-letter braille characters. I wonder why they did this, since it would be too small to actually be useful. It says: -HELen -KELLer the "en" and "er" are each only one character of braille http://www.jaars.org/museum/alphabet/special/BRAILLE.HTM (I don't know much about Braille, I just thought that the letters looked inconsistant) Also, there's a play about Helen Keller which is put on at the actual house where she grew up. It was tried on Broadway, but the director they got for that didn't do a good job, and it opened to horrible reviews and closed immediately.
Clinker,I blame the Reserve Bank of New Zealand for this.They don't care about the coinage at all,except getting far too many medal-coins churned out & ripping off collectors in the process. A lot of blind people cannot tell the size of a coin,even by feeling the edge.When I first got the new coins.I put a new 10c. & a new 50c. in my hands & closed my eyes as an experiment.Even I had difficulty telling the difference between the 2 coins.The 20c. is the only one of the new coins I like for this very reason. Aidan.
