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Message:: [QUOTE="Clinker, post: 960308, member: 6229"]The United States 1909-V.D.B. One Cent bears Abraham Lincoln on the obverse and two wheat heads on the reverse. Many people who collect only USA coins may believe this was the first time wheat was placed on a coin, but collectors of Ancient coins and world coins will quickly say, "It wasn't." It's not my intention to overwhealm you with facts and photos of numismatic objects. This article will stay in the realm of "trivia," but I hope to make this trip enjoyable Take a look at that 1909-V.D.B. Cent's reverse (Coin Link photo): <a href="http://www.coinpage.com/coin-image-2505.html" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.coinpage.com/coin-image-2505.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.coinpage.com/coin-image-2505.html</a> Do you know, Silver Trade Dollars had a sheaf of wheat on its obverse behind Seated Liberty (27 yrs before the Lincoln Cent)? Trade Dollars were first minted in 1873. Here's a photo of the obverse of an 1876 Trade Dollar courtesy of Coin Page: <a href="http://www.coinpage.com/coin-image-62.html" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.coinpage.com/coin-image-62.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.coinpage.com/coin-image-62.html</a> Metal coins were introduced in Greece in 625 BC. The coins replaced grain (usually barley) as the medium of exchange. The new coins were lighter and easier to transport than grain, and did not get moldy. It wasn't long before wheat replaced barley on coins. Let's view some of the world's ancient coinage bearing "wheat" on them (images courtesy of Coin Archives): GREEK BOEOTIA Silver Obol Circa 525-500 BC: <a href="http://www.coinarchives.com/a/lotviewer.php?LotID=371539&AucID=673&Lot=54&Val=e3428126288038a3bfae462f0c667217" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.coinarchives.com/a/lotviewer.php?LotID=371539&AucID=673&Lot=54&Val=e3428126288038a3bfae462f0c667217" rel="nofollow">http://www.coinarchives.com/a/lotviewer.php?LotID=371539&AucID=673&Lot=54&Val=e3428126288038a3bfae462f0c667217</a> GREEK BOEOTIA Silver Obol Circa 500-480 BC: <a href="http://www.coinarchives.com/a/lotviewer.php?LotID=370197&AucID=670&Lot=52&Val=e8b146ef5161bc29b3ad5a890c0b6b5b" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.coinarchives.com/a/lotviewer.php?LotID=370197&AucID=670&Lot=52&Val=e8b146ef5161bc29b3ad5a890c0b6b5b" rel="nofollow">http://www.coinarchives.com/a/lotviewer.php?LotID=370197&AucID=670&Lot=52&Val=e8b146ef5161bc29b3ad5a890c0b6b5b</a> GREEK BRUTTIUM Silver Obol Circa 400-350 BC: <a href="http://www.coinarchives.com/a/lotviewer.php?LotID=371009&AucID=672&Lot=103&Val=b09d4e6ce88351ec3517e1a0a6027a43" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.coinarchives.com/a/lotviewer.php?LotID=371009&AucID=672&Lot=103&Val=b09d4e6ce88351ec3517e1a0a6027a43" rel="nofollow">http://www.coinarchives.com/a/lotviewer.php?LotID=371009&AucID=672&Lot=103&Val=b09d4e6ce88351ec3517e1a0a6027a43</a> GREEK BOEOTIA Silver Obol Circa 4th Century BC: <a href="http://www.coinarchives.com/a/lotviewer.php?LotID=370524&AucID=671&Lot=72&Val=4ef63b54e504e0bc89f8eb6dc692e850" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.coinarchives.com/a/lotviewer.php?LotID=370524&AucID=671&Lot=72&Val=4ef63b54e504e0bc89f8eb6dc692e850" rel="nofollow">http://www.coinarchives.com/a/lotviewer.php?LotID=370524&AucID=671&Lot=72&Val=4ef63b54e504e0bc89f8eb6dc692e850</a> CIMMERIAN BOSPHOROS Gold Stater Circa 325-310BC: <a href="http://www.coinarchives.com/a/lotviewer.php?LotID=355559&AucID=635&Lot=545&Val=7de7b20a8ea15ce777728bdad2e680f7" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.coinarchives.com/a/lotviewer.php?LotID=355559&AucID=635&Lot=545&Val=7de7b20a8ea15ce777728bdad2e680f7" rel="nofollow">http://www.coinarchives.com/a/lotviewer.php?LotID=355559&AucID=635&Lot=545&Val=7de7b20a8ea15ce777728bdad2e680f7</a> GREEK BRUTTIUM Silver Kroton Circa 300-250 BC: <a href="http://www.coinarchives.com/a/lotviewer.php?LotID=371011&AucID=672&Lot=105&Val=e44a09e3aa9861fc3e7b0e1a9493933c" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.coinarchives.com/a/lotviewer.php?LotID=371011&AucID=672&Lot=105&Val=e44a09e3aa9861fc3e7b0e1a9493933c" rel="nofollow">http://www.coinarchives.com/a/lotviewer.php?LotID=371011&AucID=672&Lot=105&Val=e44a09e3aa9861fc3e7b0e1a9493933c</a> Ancient ROME Silver Denarius : <a href="http://www.coinarchives.com/a/lotviewer.php?LotID=351024&AucID=628&Lot=911&Val=8d6d0d9ad539d3d1fe07b047d7cc76c4" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.coinarchives.com/a/lotviewer.php?LotID=351024&AucID=628&Lot=911&Val=8d6d0d9ad539d3d1fe07b047d7cc76c4" rel="nofollow">http://www.coinarchives.com/a/lotviewer.php?LotID=351024&AucID=628&Lot=911&Val=8d6d0d9ad539d3d1fe07b047d7cc76c4</a> Come with me to the exciting years of the Potosi Mint during the middle 1800s: BOLIVIA - Republic 1851 Gold 8 Escudos: <a href="http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=859627&AucID=637&Lot=2654&Val=15a9a1af9a48a95aeb5fd681533150a2" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=859627&AucID=637&Lot=2654&Val=15a9a1af9a48a95aeb5fd681533150a2" rel="nofollow">http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=859627&AucID=637&Lot=2654&Val=15a9a1af9a48a95aeb5fd681533150a2</a>  Let's now go more modern: U.S.S.R. Gold 1923 Chervonetz: <a href="http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=820122&AucID=603&Lot=1461&Val=799eea5994ef0e9d27bec44f2df09f41" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=820122&AucID=603&Lot=1461&Val=799eea5994ef0e9d27bec44f2df09f41" rel="nofollow">http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=820122&AucID=603&Lot=1461&Val=799eea5994ef0e9d27bec44f2df09f41</a> HUNGARY NEPKOZTARSASAG 1971 5 Forint <a href="http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=868511&AucID=642&Lot=1116&Val=130e99ec946ab8d971f5a0d3656090eb" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=868511&AucID=642&Lot=1116&Val=130e99ec946ab8d971f5a0d3656090eb" rel="nofollow">http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=868511&AucID=642&Lot=1116&Val=130e99ec946ab8d971f5a0d3656090eb</a> FRANCE 1975 1 Centime (gold piefort): <a href="http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=819613&AucID=603&Lot=952&Val=edadb39f30bc5a6236de0ed707f48d53" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=819613&AucID=603&Lot=952&Val=edadb39f30bc5a6236de0ed707f48d53" rel="nofollow">http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=819613&AucID=603&Lot=952&Val=edadb39f30bc5a6236de0ed707f48d53</a> HUNGARY NEPKOZTARSASAG-BP 1981 100 Forint: <a href="http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=868174&AucID=642&Lot=779&Val=cb02afb2fba715dc08b9ef55f6c7ece7" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=868174&AucID=642&Lot=779&Val=cb02afb2fba715dc08b9ef55f6c7ece7" rel="nofollow">http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=868174&AucID=642&Lot=779&Val=cb02afb2fba715dc08b9ef55f6c7ece7</a> HUNGARY NEPOZTARSASAG 1983 20 Filler: <a href="http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=868178&AucID=642&Lot=783&Val=4b2f2443706e0440f892835beeb809b3" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=868178&AucID=642&Lot=783&Val=4b2f2443706e0440f892835beeb809b3" rel="nofollow">http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=868178&AucID=642&Lot=783&Val=4b2f2443706e0440f892835beeb809b3</a> HUNGARY VOLKSREPUBLIK 1983 5 Forint: <a href="http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=868179&AucID=642&Lot=784&Val=4179d060e443f1ec659cdacb568c2715" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=868179&AucID=642&Lot=784&Val=4179d060e443f1ec659cdacb568c2715" rel="nofollow">http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=868179&AucID=642&Lot=784&Val=4179d060e443f1ec659cdacb568c2715</a> Our next "off the beaten path" detour takes us to 1990: HUNGRY KOZTARASAG 1990 10 Filler: <a href="http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=868499&AucID=642&Lot=1104&Val=2be7cc1c0c11207eca22d47be21d8add" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=868499&AucID=642&Lot=1104&Val=2be7cc1c0c11207eca22d47be21d8add" rel="nofollow">http://www.coinarchives.com/w/lotviewer.php?LotID=868499&AucID=642&Lot=1104&Val=2be7cc1c0c11207eca22d47be21d8add</a> TUNISIA-REPUBLIC C-N 1990 Dinar (Treasure Realm photo): <a href="http://www.treasurerealm.com/coinpapers/countrycoins/coins/T/tunisia06.html" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.treasurerealm.com/coinpapers/countrycoins/coins/T/tunisia06.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.treasurerealm.com/coinpapers/countrycoins/coins/T/tunisia06.html</a> Yugoslavia minted several 1 Dinar coins from 1953 through 1991 bearing a National Banner with 6 torches as a single flame surrounded by wheat stalks and a star hovering above. Here's a photo of a 1981 1 Dinar courtesy of Treasure Realm so you can see the National Banner: <a href="http://www.treasurerealm.com/coinpapers/countrycoins/coins/Y/yugoslavia13.html" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.treasurerealm.com/coinpapers/countrycoins/coins/Y/yugoslavia13.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.treasurerealm.com/coinpapers/countrycoins/coins/Y/yugoslavia13.html</a> In 1960 Israel featured Wheat on its 1 Agora coins (Coin Community Forum photo) Scroll down to see obverse and reverse photos: <a href="http://www.coincommunity.com/forum/topic.asp?ARCHIVE=true&TOPIC_ID=53919" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.coincommunity.com/forum/topic.asp?ARCHIVE=true&TOPIC_ID=53919" rel="nofollow">http://www.coincommunity.com/forum/topic.asp?ARCHIVE=true&TOPIC_ID=53919</a> And what about Paper Currency featuring Wheat? Here's a photo of a 1946 Hungarian 100 Forint with a "hands holding wheat" reverse courtesy of wikipedia: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:HUF_100_1946_reverse3.jpg" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:HUF_100_1946_reverse3.jpg" rel="nofollow">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:HUF_100_1946_reverse3.jpg</a> And what about the reverse of this French 1947 5 Francs? A whole field of "wheat" being harvested. (banknotes.com photo): <a href="http://www.banknotes.com/frm6.htm" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.banknotes.com/frm6.htm" rel="nofollow">http://www.banknotes.com/frm6.htm</a> Australia issued a $2 Bill featuring William Farrer and Wheat Spears. (banknotes.com photo): <a href="http://www.banknotes.com/au43.htm" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.banknotes.com/au43.htm" rel="nofollow">http://www.banknotes.com/au43.htm</a> If you are looking for bank notes for your collection it may behoove you to visit Audrius Tomonis at his <a href="http://www.banknotes.com" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.banknotes.com" rel="nofollow">www.banknotes.com</a> website. Want to see Postage Stamps featuring "wheat?"  Bahawalpur 1949 1/2 Anna "Jubilee of Accession" (wheat): (Just Wendy Thematic Stamps photo): <a href="http://www.justwendystamps.com/ambrowCart/shop/show_details.php?ref=6755" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.justwendystamps.com/ambrowCart/shop/show_details.php?ref=6755" rel="nofollow">http://www.justwendystamps.com/ambrowCart/shop/show_details.php?ref=6755</a> (A flickr.com photo): <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/karenhorton/3261674090/" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/karenhorton/3261674090/" rel="nofollow">http://www.flickr.com/photos/karenhorton/3261674090/</a> Australia 1969 "Primary Industries" (wheat) 20 Cent Postage Stamp: (Just Wendy Thematic Stamps photo): <a href="http://www.justwendystamps.com/ambrowCart/shop/show_details.php?ref=5832" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.justwendystamps.com/ambrowCart/shop/show_details.php?ref=5832" rel="nofollow">http://www.justwendystamps.com/ambrowCart/shop/show_details.php?ref=5832</a> A 1970 USA Stamp (usapostagestamps.com) photo: <a href="http://www.usapostagestamps.com/1970/Globe_Wheat_6c.htm" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.usapostagestamps.com/1970/Globe_Wheat_6c.htm" rel="nofollow">http://www.usapostagestamps.com/1970/Globe_Wheat_6c.htm</a> Though we weren't first nor probably will be the last nation to feature wheat on our currency (coins, banknotes, etc.), we stand in good company! Don't you agree? Clinker[/QUOTE]

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