What were the first zinc and aluminum coins?

We all know that coins are supposed to be made of gold, silver or copper. But in these days of inflated fiat currency almost no circulating coins are made of any of these. This got me thinking.

What was the first world coin issues in pure zinc or pure aluminum. This question could also be extended to other metals such as nickel, tin, steel, iron, etc.

I don't know the answer for any of these metals. So let's have a thread where people can post their candidates for each "off" metal. Or, if you know a definitive answer let us know.

 

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Some ancients made of Nickel. Whole page on the subject from @dougsmit

http://www.forumancientcoins.com/dougsmith/feac58bak.html

 

Aluminum coins started out in the British Uganda territory as far as I know, shortly after the turn of the 20th century. At the end and right after WWI zinc coins were mass produced in huge numbers in Germany.

Zinc, some European countries in WWI in modern times, but also had been used in parts of Asia going back to at least the early 19th century.

Tin was used extensively in the Malay territories going back hundreds of years, often in the denomination called a "pitis". Tin was also used for coinage in the Portuguese India colonies going back to at least the mid 18th century.

 

Interesting. I had no idea. The still leaves zinc and aluminum, which is m primary question.

 

Just thinking back to what I have, several European countries issued zinc coins in World War I, including Germany, Belgium and Luxembourg. I also have Germany coins starting in 1920 made of aluminum. Then there are aluminum coins from Japan from the World War II years, and the French Asian territories from 1945 to the 50s. You see a lot more aluminum starting around 1948 and into the 50s.

 

Taiwan had some cast zinc coins too in the 1800's

 

Do you have a more specific date?

 

from a pic from a member here asked me to research them and I found them in my 19th century World coin catalog. his pic...



1802-1819 and 1820-1841 were the dates in the catalog. both cast zinc coins.

1st coin KM#173a cash(7 Phan) denomination
2nd coin KM#182c Phan denomination

 

During the WW I many of French and German tokens were made from aluminium.

 

And not only tokens. This is legal coin of German Empire.

 

And don't forget about 1/10 penny 1907 from British West Africa. It was aluminium coin too. But I haven't such coin. Alas!

 

This is my oldest aluminium coin. French token. 1916.

 

Germany, France, Italy, China, and Japan have aluminum coins.

 

I believe there are pattern u.s. coins from the 1860s that are made from alumimum

 

It is general knowledge that Aluminum was only isolated as an element in 1825. It was very expensive to refine until the late 1880's. Except for medallions, I do not expect you will find coins made from aluminum, anywhere, before approx 1889.

 

Or any other metal or alloy. Coins are made of many different elements. Ironically aluminum was quite expensive first ... The earliest aluminum circulation coins were issued for British East and West Africa, in 1907-1908.

Christian

 

Here is one from 1908

 

At that time aluminum was an exotic, rare and extremely expensive metal.

http://www.aluminum.org/aluminum-advantage/history-aluminum

 

I have the “Standard Catalog of World Coins” in digital format, so I searched starting with the 1600s and here is what I found: First listed zinc coin: 1663, Vietnam, a Phan KM# 15. First listed aluminum coin: British Bermuda 1793, a Penny (Proof), KM# 8a. Neither zinc or aluminum survive well, however, so finding one of these will be difficult.

 

An aluminum coin struck in 1793 would be quite the rarity, given that aluminum wasn't discovered until 1808.

Even if it were a restrike, it would have to be a very late one. Does the Catalog say anything about that?

Krause is authoritative, but not infallible...