Fiji
recently issued this 2012 dated 38.6mm silver-plated mulit-colored
dollar coin
on commemorating Carnival in Rio. Carnival, whose roots go back to
ancient Rome, is celebrated by devout (and not so devout) Christians as
one last orgy of feasting and dancing before the long season of Lenten
fasting. One of the most famous Carnival celebrations takes
place in Rio, where thousands of participants take part in the dozen
parades. A multi-colored Samba dancer in full costume is
featured on the coin, with the famed Sugarloaf Mountain in the
background. The coin has a mintage of just 2,500 pieces. Queen
Elizabeth is on the obverse.
The
small Pacific island nation of Tokelau features the Orcas or Killer
Whales, on this multi-colored sterling silver 2012 5 Dollar coin. Two
Orcas, one in full color, are shown leaping from the ocean. The obverse
depicts Queen Elizabeth, and a Tuluma bearing a cross. The
Tuluma, the national symbol of Tokalu, is a traditional wooden tackle
box used by fisherman. Tokelau, once known as the Union
Islands,
consists of 3 small atolls with a population of only about
1,400.
Though governed by New Zealand, it occasionally issues coins for
collectors. The attractive 38.6mm coin weighs 20 grams and
has a
mintage of only 2500 pieces.
A
rare Dugon is featured on this multi-colored 2011 silver Proof 10
Dollar coin from the Solomon Islands. It is a stunningly
beautiful coin featuring a rather unattractive animal. The coin
features the Dugon in silver against a multi-color undersea background.
Queen Elizabeth is on the obverse. The Dugon is a
large
plant eating mammal that grazes on sea grasses found in coastal waters.
It can weigh 500kg (1000 pounds) and grows to about 3 meters long (10
feet). Due to its low reproduction rate, increased hunting
and
deterioration of the ocean meadows it has become an endangered
species. The 20 gram sterling silver coin
is 38.6mm
in diameter and has a mintage of only 2500 pieces.
In
early 2007 the United
States Defense Department issued an espionage warning about Canadian
coins with suspicious "nano-technology" that contained radio frequency
transmitters were being used to track U.S. defense
contractors.
The report turned out to be a major embarrassment to the
government. The coin in question turned out to be a regular
issue
2004 Canadian colored Poppy quarter. The Poppy quarter was
the
first colored coin issued for general circulation in the
world.
Apparently the person filing the report was not familiar with the coin,
and the report was not properly investigated before the warning was
released. (It makes me wonder about intelligence reports
about
terrorists.) The 25-cent coin commemorates the Veterans who
served in the Canadian armed forces. Featured on the reverse is a red
poppy. The Poppy is the symbol of remembrance, based on the
Lieut. Col. John McCrae timeless World War I poem "In Flanders
Fields" The Poppy is stamped in pressurized ink and has a
fluorescent security coating. Queen Elizabeth is on the
obverse
It is an attractive and historic coin, but I really doubt that a spy
would try to track someone from the United States with a Canadian coin
that would most likely soon be spent.
Palau was formerly a
United States Trust Territory in the South Pacific. This beautiful 38mm
silver Proof 1994 Five Dollar coin from Palau commemorates its
independence from the United States in 1994. It features multi-color
design of a nautilus rising above the coral in the moonlight on one
side and Neptune and a topless mermaid on the other. Palau is an independent nation made up of some 100 Islands in
the
Philippine
Sea. It has a population of less than 13,000. They
have
passed
through many hands. The Islands gained independence from the United
States
in 1994, who took them from Japan in World War II, who had taken them
from
Germany in 1914, who had purchased them from the Spanish in 1899.
In recent years it has issued a number of attractive multi-colored
coins. The coins are copper-nickel unles otherwise
indicated. One side of the coin usually features
colorful
tropical
fish, while the other usually shows a topless mermaid in various poses.
The series has become very popular with collectors.
All coins are approximately 38mm in diameter.
CANADA’S LEGENDARY NATURE
25 CENTS
MULTI-COLORED
AIRPLANE COIN SET
SPELLING ERROR ON COIN
FEATURING POSTAGE STAMP
MULTI-COLORED HEART SHAPED DEVIL AND ANGEL
COIN
ST. HELENA BIRD LIFE AND
SEA LIFE MULTI-COLOR COINS
MULTI-COLOR
DOG COINS FROM SOMALIA
BRITISH HEROES COINS
INCLUDE MULTI-COLORED BRITISH FLAG