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1941 Lebanon 1/2 Piastre
An interesting coin from one of the lesser known participants of WWII This is my entry for Day 12, “L” of the Blogging from A-Z April Challenge!L = Lebanon. Lebanon in WWII This coin was issued just five years after the 1936 5 Piastres shared previously. But quite a lot changed in that time, specifically: WWII.…
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2003 Kenya 40 Shillings
A commemorative value on a commemorative coin This is my entry for Day 11 “K” of the Blogging from A-Z April Challenge!K = Kenya. Reverse The reverse of the coin features President Mwai Kibaki facing forward. Around the edge is the text “Third president of the Republic of Kenya H.E. Mwai Kibaki, CGH, MP.” Unlike the…
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1915 Japan 5 Rin
A beautiful early, low-denomination milled Japanese coin. This is my entry for Day 10 “J” of the Blogging from A-Z April Challenge!J = Japan. Taishō era 1920 photo with a view of the Mitsubishi headquarters in Marunouchi, looking towards the Imperial Palace, from Wikipedia. The Meiji restoration of 1870 saw Japan move from a pre-industrial, feudal…
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2011 India Delhi Metro Token
A token from one of the largest railway-using countries. This is my entry for Day 9 “I” of the Blogging from A-Z April Challenge!I = India. Indian rail India is the globe’s overwhelming rail usage leader, with over 8 billion passenger trips per year making up more than a trillion kilometres travelled. Japan is a relatively…
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1975 Hong Kong $2
One of the first scalloped coins I encountered. This is my entry for Day 8 “H” of the Blogging from A-Z April Challenge!H = Hong Kong. This coin was also the #MysteryCoin at the end of my March 27 Newsletter. The newsletter comes out every fortnight featuring recent updates, news, highlights from others, and a…
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1975 Germany 5 Deutsche Mark (Cancelled)
A coin whose story didn’t end when it was demonetised This is my entry for Day 7 “G” of the Blogging from A-Z April Challenge!G = Germany. East and West Map of Germany showing West Germany (Green) and East Germany (Orange), from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_reunification Following WWII, Germany, even more than most countries, needed to rebuild. Germany was…
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1993 Finland 50 Penniä
The only coin with moss on it (from the mint) This is a bonus entry for Day 6 “F” of the Blogging from A-Z April Challenge!F = Finland.See also the 1994 10 Penniä Obverse The obverse features a “Brown bear (Ursus arctos arctos) standing, looking outwards” above the country name in Finnish and English: SUOMI…
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1994 Finland 10 Penniä
A coin with simply designed, complementary Bee habitats This is my entry for Day 6 “F” of the Blogging from A-Z April Challenge!F = Finland. Obverse The obverse of the coin features the country name in Finnish and English (Suomi / Finland) above the year – 1994 in this case, although the coin was issued from…
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1936 British East Africa 5 Cents
One of few coins bearing Edward VIII This is my entry for Day 5 “E” of the Blogging from A-Z April Challenge!E = East Africa. The countries which used the East African Shilling and when they stopped (left), and the area of a new proposed East African Shilling (right). From Wikipedia. British East Africa British East…
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25 Øre token Denmark Dyrehavsbakken
From the world’s oldest amusement park This is my entry for Day 4 “D” of the Blogging from A-Z April Challenge!D = Denmark. Dyrehavsbakken (Pjerrot, the resident clown of the park. Read his story at liebhaverboligen.dk) Founded in 1583, Bakken, or Dyrehavsbakken as it is officially named, has been a firm favorite with the people…
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2015 Canada Fox Geocache coin
A colourful “coin” from a hobby I hadn’t heard of This is my entry for Day 3 “C” of the Blogging from A-Z April Challenge!C = Canada. Obverse The only text on this side is the word CANADA below an orange, black and white fox sitting among trees. There are four types of foxes in…
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1920 Brazil 400 Réis
An interesting denomination and female personification of Liberty This is my entry for Day 2 “B” of the Blogging from A-Z April Challenge!B = Brazil. Obverse We’ve previously looked at the 1835 Brazil 40 Réis (which was countermarked on an 80 Réis). At the time that coin was issued, Brazil had only recently achieved independence…
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2017 Austria 5 Euro Easter Lamb
A commemorative coin for the most important holiday This is my entry for Day 1 “A” of the Blogging from A-Z April Challenge!A = Austria. Obverse Austria joined the “Euro” at its commencement in 2002, replacing the Schilling (made up of 100 Groschen). The European Central Bank set the regulations for normal circulating coins in…
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Christ died for our sins medallion
The meaning of Easter and Christianity in one image Obverse As a humble numismatist, I don’t think I am qualified to teach on theology. As a Christian, I can hopefully pen a few words on one of the key aspects of our faith without botching it too badly though! The Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and…
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2017 Lebanon 500 Līrah / Livres
A modern Stainless steel-clad iron coin Obverse When looking at the earlier 1936 Lebanon 5 Piastres, one of the prominent designs on the coin was the Lebanese Cedar Tree. Fast forward 80 years, and that is still the case. The tree on this coin is slightly more abstract and silhouette, but still clearly recognisable. The…
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1984 Egypt 5 Qirsh
A pair of classical designs from the middle-east Reverse The reverse is anepigraphic, but instantly recognisable to most people around the world. The Great Pyramids of Giza are one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, and still a marvel of building that we are still discovering more about even today. Ancient Egypt was…
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1974 United States Quarter Dollar D
A classic coin from the USA Obverse The obverse of the coin features a left-facing portrait of George Washington, above the year, with the mintmark (where present) to the right. My coin doesn’t have a mintmark so was minted at Philadelphia. Above is the text “LIBERTY” and to the left “IN GOD WE TRUST”. “In…
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2024 Australia $1 PNC “Out of this World”
The first Australian PNC featuring King Charles III* Front After a wait of 18 months since the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, the first Australian King Charles III coin has made it to a Postal Numismatic Cover. The theme is “Out of this World: Australia in Space”. The envelope features a nighttime view of Earth…
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1959 North Korea 1 Chon (Capitalist visitor)
A tourist coin from a hermit kingdom North Korea At the end of the Second World War, Korea – which had formerly been occupied by the Japanese – was divided along the 38th parallel. This was an internal border between North and South Korea based on a circle of latitude. North Korea, officially the Democratic…
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1952 Pakistan 1 Pice
A coin with a large hole from a turbulent period Obverse The coin is bronze, round and with a hole. In fact, the hole is 9.5mm (3/8 inch). That is fairly large for any coin, but especially so, given the coin is only 21.3mm (0.84 inch) diameter. So 44.6% of the diameter of the coin,…
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1643 Malta 4 Tari
An interesting countermarked coin Knights of Malta I’ve previously mentioned the Sovereign Order of Malta, founded in the 11th century, and still active. Like many religious organisations, the Order today is primarily focussed on helping those in need. Also like several other religious organisations (notably the Pope, currently the head of the Catholic Church, formerly…
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1902-10 UK Penny “Art”
An interesting cut-out coin (and a bonus altered coin) Obverse The original coin is a United Kingdom Edward VII Penny 1902 – 1910. Edward VII ruled from January 1901 when his mother, Queen Victoria, passed away, until his own death (at 68 years old) in 1910. The piece has been carved quite carefully to cutout…
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1835 Brazil 40 Réis countermarked on 80 Réis
A look at countermarked coins during a tumultuous period Brazil Brazil is the largest country in South America and the fifth largest nation in the world. Brazil has a 7,400km (4,500 mile) coastline along the Atlantic Ocean. It has borders with every South American country except Chile and Ecuador. It is known for its dense…
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2001 Uzbekistan 10 Soʻm
An elegant coin from a doubly-landlocked country. Uzbekistan The land that is now Uzbekistan was once at the heart of the ancient Silk Road trade route connecting China with the Middle East and Rome. The country came under Russian control in the 19th Century, and emerged as an independent state when Soviet rule ended in…
Hi, welcome to “Coin of Note”. Information & images of coins (including non-circulating), postal numismatic covers, banknotes & exonumia (tokens, medallions). Learn more on the About page, browse by Country or Topic, or find recently added pieces below (173 coins in all so far). I’m joining in the Blogging from A-Z April Challenge this year, so expect a few extra posts in April (26 for the month, to be precise)!
