Tag: MysteryCoin
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1995 South Africa 1 Cent
A very symbolic pair of Cape Sparrows South Africa (South Africa, at the bottom of Africa, from Wikipedia). Archaeological evidence indicates that the San are among the oldest indigenous groups in Southern Africa, with their remains dating back approximately 20,000 years. Khoisan refers to the original indigenous peoples of Southern Africa, consisting primarily of the…
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1998 Portugal 50 Escudos
An interesting, stylized ship Portugal (Portugal in dark green, next to Spain with all of Europe in light green. From Wikipedia) Last time we looked at Portugal, was for a coin from 1949. There are similarities and differences in the country and the currency nearly 50 years later. During the second half of the 20th…
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1754 Dutch East Indies (Utrecht) 1/2 Duit
A coin from when companies colonised. Dutch East Indies Map of the East Indies. From Britannica). Archeological findings trace the history of modern-day Jakarta, Indonesia, back to the fifth century. By the 16th century, it was a thriving port city known as Sunda Kelapa. At that time, the Hindu kingdom of Pajajaran ruled the area…
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1967 Ghana Half Pesewa
Rhythmic drums from West Africa Ghana (Map of Africa, showing Ghana, from Wikipedia). The Republic of Ghana is located in West Africa. It borders Cote d’Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east and the Gulf of Guinea to the south. Ghana was inhabited in pre-colonial times by a number…
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1943 Papua New Guinea 6 Pence
A tribal war club PNG Tribes A couple of months ago we covered the 1 Kina coin from Papua New Guinea (PNG). In sharing that piece on social media, Ian gave some extra information. He lived in PNG in the 1970s and I didn’t want to lose it, so thought I’d take the opportunity to…
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1990 Denmark 50 Øre
A cute coin with an historic heart Denmark Map showing Denmark (dark green) in the EU (light green) in Europe (dark grey). From Wikipedia Last time I looked at Denmark (for an 1830s coin), the country wasn’t doing so well financially. The early-mid 1800s in the country were marked by conflict with Germany, particularly over…
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2022 Australia 1 Dollar Sheepdog trials Kelpie PNC
A dog who featured in the Great Aussie Coin Hunt 3 series The Australian Kelpie The Australian Kelpie is one of the breeds descended from dogs known as Scotch Collies (like Lassie, who was actually a related breed, a Rough Collie). (Black and tan kelpies, from ABC Australia) Kelpies are world famous for their intelligence,…
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1935 Syria 5 Qirsh / Piastres
A worn, but decorative coin from the Eastern Mediterranean. Syria (Map highlighting Syria. From Wikipedia). Syria is in Western Asia on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. Moving clockwise, the country is bordered by Türkiye, Iraq, Jordan, Israel and Lebanon. The country is 185,000 km2 (nearly 115,000 mi2), with a population of 17 million.…
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1999 Papua New Guinea 1 Kina
A large pair of reptiles Papua New Guinea (Papua New Guinea, just above Australia. Image: Wikipedia). Ancient inhabitants are believed to have arrived in Papua New Guinea about 50-60,000 years ago from Southeast Asia during an Ice Age period when the sea was lower and distances between islands was shorter. New Guinea (as it used…
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2013 Moldova 1 Ban
A coin with a statue modelled on it Moldova (Map of Europe showing Moldova in green, from Wikipedia). Moldova is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordering Romania to the west, and Ukraine to the north, east and south. The territory which is now Moldova has been populated since ancient times. Approximately 7,550 to 4,750…
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2012 Turkey 25 Kuruş
A decorative Turkish coin Turkey (Turkey, shown on a globe, from Wikipedia). Last time we looked at a Turkish coin, a 1960 5 Kuruş, we covered the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire after WW1, the renaming of the capital Constantinople to Istanbul in 1930, and the importance of the star and crescent to the country.…
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1993 Brazil 5 Cruzeiros Reais
Some beautiful birds from a period of financial transition in Brazil. Brazil Last time we looked at history in Brazil, for a coin from 1835, was four years after Pedro abdicated. His son, Pedro II was king (after being instilled as such at the age of 5). Pedro II remained as king until a military…
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1993 Peru Un Nuevo Sol
A Peruvian coin with interesting details Early history (Map of South America, with Peru highlighted. From Wikipedia). The Republic of Peru in western South America is bordered (Clockwise from North) by Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil, Bolivia and Chile. Some of the earliest societies in South America developed in northern Peru over 5,000 years ago. Caral One…
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1906 China 10 Cash – Fukien
An early-modern Chinese coin Cast and Milled coins The end of the Chinese Empire in 1912 was the end of a 2,300 year old system of government in the country. It came at a time of great change. Along with the Emperor, China had used cast “Cash” coins for around the same amount of time.…
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1961 Afghanistan 2 Afghanis
A mighty bird from a rugged country. Kingdom of Afghanistan The land that is now Afghanistan has a long history of domination by foreign conquerors and strife among internally warring factions. At the gateway between Asia and Europe, this land was conquered by Darius I of Babylonia circa 500 B.C., and Alexander the Great of…
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1830 Guernsey 1 Double
Guernsey Guernsey is one of three British Crown Dependencies. These are three island territories within the British Isleself-governing, offshore territories: the Bailiwick of Jersey, the Bailiwick of Guernsey, and the Isle of Man. We have featured a coin from Jersey and Isle of Man previously, so today is Guernsey’s turn. The Bailiwick of Guernsey is…
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1956 Spain 50 Centimos
A wonderfully intriguing coin Spanish Seafaring Spain in Dark-Green, the rest of the European Union (EU) in light green. The rest of Europe in dark grey and the surrounding region in light grey. From Wikipedia. Spain is in western Europe, just north of Morocco in northern Africa. Given their location and large coastline, it is…
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2010 Cook Islands $2
A circulating triangular coin Cook Islands (Map of the Pacific highlighting the location of the Cook Islands, from Wikipedia). The Cook Islands are a group of 15 islands in the Pacific. On a map, look east in line with the northern tip of Australia, and south in line with Hawaii. The first explorers arrived on…
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1993 Namibia 5 Dollars
An African fish eagle from south-western Africa Namibia (Map of Africa highlighting Namibia, from Wikipedia). Painted stone plates discovered in the Ai-Ais Huns Mountains are amongst the oldest works of art globally, dating back to 25,000 B.C. By 6,000 years ago, the San (also known as the Bushmen) created some remarkable galleries of rock engravings…
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1975 Iraq 10 Fils
A beautiful landscape on an interesting coin Iraq (The ziggurat of Ur, one of the oldest temples in Iraq. Image from cibiq.com.iq). Last time we looked at Iraq, we touched on Iraq being the cradle of civilization, and on the Ottoman empire. The image above is a temple from the Sumerian civilisation, generally considered, the…
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1835-1910 Bhutan 1/2 Rupee
An interesting piece from the top of the world Bhutan (Map showing the location of Bhutan in between China (above) and India (below). From Wikipedia). Bhutan is a small Buddhist kingdom in the Himalayas. It is the highest country in the world averaging 3,279 meters (10,760 feet) above sea level. Tibet / China is to…
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1973 Nigeria 1 Kobo
Nigeria The name of the country coined in the late 19th century by British journalist Flora Shaw. The name was taken from the Niger river which runs through the country, although the origin of Niger is uncertain. The word is likely an alteration of the Tuareg name egerew n-igerewen used by inhabitants along the middle…
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1988 Ecuador 50 Centavos
A coin from a country with a picturesque coat of arms Ecuador (Map of the world showing Ecuador, from Wikipedia) Ecuador is a country which straddles the equator on the north-west coast of South America (the name means “Equator” in Spanish). It is bordered by Colombia, Peru and the Pacific Ocean. Ecuador also encompases the…
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1975 Iceland 1 Króna
A coin referring to some old legends, from one of the younger landmasses. Iceland is an island nation 280km (170 mi) off the coast of Greenland towards Scotland. The country lies where the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates meet, which is what causes a lot of its geologic activity. Despite this, the country is…