The
Mediterranean island of Crete is home to one of the worlds oldest
civilizations, the Minoan, which flourished from about 3000BC to
1100BC. Yet since that time it has been ruled by outside
powers. In 1898 the Ottoman Turks, who had ruled the Island
for over 200 years were expelled by the Greeks and Crete was set up as
an autonomous territory under the authority of the King of
Greece. In 1900 Crete issued its first modern
coins. Included was this scarce copper-nickel 10 Lepta coin.
The coin was struck only a single year: 1900. Though the
designs were similar to the circulating Greek 10 Lepta coin, the coin
was intended for use on Crete. In 1913 Crete was formally
united with Greece, bringing to an end the short-lived coinage of
Crete.
ELEPHANTS
FROM THE BELGIAN CONGO
KATANGA COIN FEATURES TRADITIONAL FORM
OF WEALTH
A
bloody civil war broke out in the Congo
(Zaire) upon gaining
independence from Belgium in 1960 when the copper rich province of
Katanga declared independence from the Congo. After a bloody
civil war it was forcibly reunited with the Congo. This
bronze 1961 1 Franc coin was issued by Katanga during its brief period
of independence. The coin displays the country's
traditional form of money, the Katanga Cross, on one side of the coin.
A bunch of bananas is on the other.
After
Belgian Congo gained its independence in 1960, Belgium issued a coin
for what was left of its African territories: Rwanda and
Burundi. Only a single coin was issued for the joint
territory of
Rwanda-Burundi: a brass 1 Franc coin picturing a lion. The
1960
issue is rare due to its low mintage and few were saved from
circulation. We are pleased to offer this hard-to-find coin
at
almost half off of its $17.50 catalog value. The 1961 issue
is
much more widely available, so it costs less. In 1962, Rwanda and
Burundi were each granted independence.
EAST AFRICA & UGANDA
PROTECTORATES CENT
East Africa and Uganda
Protectorates was an administrative grouping of Great Britain’s
colonies in East Africa, including what is today Kenya, Tanzania,
Uganda and Somaliland.
The name was used on coins from 1907
until 1919. This copper-nickel 1 Cent of East Africa
& Uganda Protectorates of King George V was made from 1911
until 1919. One side has the royal crown. The other
side features four elephant tusks.
British West Africa was a
currency
union for Britain’s colonies in western Africa, including Nigeria,
Gambia, Gold Coast
(now Ghana) and Sierra Leone.
This 1938
copper-nickel 1/10 Penny was struck at privately owned Heaton Mint in
Birmingham, England. A small "H" mintmark appears just below the center
hole. It is one of the scarcest coins in the
series. Our price is less than half of its $40.00 catalog
value.
COINS
FROM
BRITISH EAST AFRICA
The
Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland was formed in 1953 by
combining Britain's colonies in central Africa. This attractive bronze
penny pictures a pair of elephants that are standing on their hind legs
and appear to be dancing! The coin was struck with a hole to
make
it easy to distinguish from other denominations and to allow natives
without pockets to easily carry the coins in strings. The coin is dated
1962 and is Brilliant Uncirculated. Tensions between the former
colonies mounted over the governance of the Federation. The short-lived
Federation was dissolved in 1964, becoming the independent nations of Zambia, Malawi,
and Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe).
The British Caribbean Territories - Eastern Group, was a
monetary
union
created in 1950 to provide a common currency for a number of Britain’s
colonies
in the Caribbean. Included were British Guiana (now Guyana),
British
Virgin Islands, Anguilla, Antigua, St. Kitts, Nevis, Grenada, St.
Lucia,
St. Vincent and Dominica. The British Carribbean Territories was
replaced
by the East Caribbean States
when the
territories
gained independence from Great Britain in the 1960's and
1970's.
This
bronze 1955 half cent was one of the first coins issued for the
Territories.
Pictured on the coin is Queen Elizabeth. 
UNUSUAL
SARAWAK RUBBER EXPORT COUPON
Trengganu,
now part of Malaysia,
was once an
independent sultanate. They
issued this 1 Pitis, or Keping coin during the 19th century.
The
crude, uniface coins is undated. Because the coin is made out
of
tin, a soft medal that corrodes easily, few coins have
survived. We are pleased to offer this
scarce coin
for far less than its $50 catalog value.
Malacca is located on the West
Coast of Malaysia.
During the 15th
Century it was the preeminent
commercial center in Southeast Asia. Its fine harbor helped
make
it the wealthiest and most powerful nation in the region, with traders
coming from India, Persia, Arabia and China. Almost all of
the
coins of the Sultanate were struck in Tin. This undated 15th
century tin Pitis is struck in the same in the name of Al Sultan Al
Adil, which translates as "The Just Sultan" The coins tend to
be
crude. Most were either melted or deteriorated in the tropical climate
making them very difficult for collectors to locate today.

Tibet is a fabled and isolated country
located high in the Himalayas that is now controlled by
China. Tibet issued two series of the copper 1 Sho
coins. The first was issued from 1918 to 1928. It
features a snow lion on one side and inscriptions on the
other. The second, issued from 1932 to 1942, has finer
engraving. It features a snow lion and the sun, and has
inscriptions on the reverse. The Snow Lion is a mythological
animal that represents cheerfulness and clarity of thought.
THE
UNUSUAL TIBET SILVER RUPEE
TINY GOLD
COIN FROM DUTCH INDIA
SCARCE
PORTUGUESE INDIA COIN SETS
NETHERLANDS
INDIES 1945 LIBERATION COINS MADE IN THE U.S.A.
ONLY COIN
OF TONKIN
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