UNUSUAL COINS
What strange coins will they come up with next?
Odd shapes, odd sizes, design errors and other
unusual stuff.
SOMALIA
SPORTS CAR SHAPED COINS
These 2010 multi-colored coins from Somalia are shaped
like famous sports cars. The coins build on Somalia's other
popular series of odd shaped coins: guitar
coins, motorcycle coins,
and
wild animal coins.
The six coin set includes a green 1965
Ford Mustang, red Ferrari, yellow Porsche, blue and orange Lamborghini,
gray
Aston-Martin DB-5, as used in the James Bond films, and a black
Corvette. The obverse includes the Somali arms, date and
denomination. The coins are approximately 45mm (1.75 inches)
long.. Perhaps they were issued because are so many of
these fast sports cars have recently been purchased by the Somali
pirates. More likely however someone figured it they could
sell them to collectors. I expect the series to be popular
with both automobile enthusiasts, sports car fanatics and coin
collectors throughout the world.
Item
SO-MUST-GN
SOMALIA 1 DOLLAR GREEN MUSTANG 2010, BU
$12.50
Item
SO-FER-RD
SOMALIA 1 DOLLAR RED FERRARI, 2010 BU $12.50
Item
SO-PORS-YL
SOMALIA 1 DOLLAR YELLOW PORSCHE, 2010 BU
$12.50
Item
SO-LAM-BLU SOMALIA 1 DOLLAR BLUE
LAMBORGHINI, 2010 BU $12.50
Item
SO-AM-GY
SOMALIA 1 DOLLAR GRAY ASTON-MARTIN,
2010 BU $12.50
Item
SO-CORV-BK
SOMALIA 1 DOLLAR BLACK CORVETTE, 2010 BU $12.50
SPECIAL BUY ALL
SIX FAMOUS SPORTS CAR COINS AND SAVE!
Item SO-CARSET SET OF ABOVE 6
SPORTS CAR COINS, BU $49.95
3-D
GEOMETRIC SHAPE COINS
FROM SOMALIA
In the quest for something totally different in the way of coins,
Somalia issued a set of 3 Dimensional coins in five geometric
shapes: The coins are in the shape of a cone, sphere, cube,
pyramid and cylinder. The silver plated coins are embossed
with
the arms of the Somali Republic, dated 2008 and are denominated 1
Dollar each. Each coin is approximately 20mm to 25mm in each
dimension and are silver plated. Only 500 sets were
minted. They were sold in Europe for approximately $450 per
set,
however our price is much less. It is a most unusual and unique set,
that are obviously intended to sell to collectors rather than enter
circulation.
Item SO-GEOMETRY
SOMALIA SET OF 5 GEOMETRIC SHAPE 1 DOLLAR
COINS, 2008 UNC.
$99.95
TRISTAN
DA CUNHA COIN
CONTAINS PIECE OF THE CONCORDE
To celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the first test flight of the
supersonic Concorde, the tiny island of Tristan da Cunha issued this
38.6mm 5
Pounds. The gold-plated coin contains a small piece of the
titanium alloy heat shield from Concorde
aircraft. The 2009 dated coin pictures Queen Elizabeth on the
obverse. The reverse pictures the famous aircraft, which has
been
retired from service, along with its specifications and a small piece
of the aircraft. It is an interesting coin commemorating a great
aircraft from a place
where it never landed.
Item TDC-CONCORDE TRISTAN DA CUNHA 5 POUNDS
2009 WITH
PIECE OF THE CONCORDE BU
$24.50
A
SMELLY SURFER COIN
No, it is not the surfer that smells, it is the coin! This
38.6mm
sterling silver 5 Dollar coin from Palau is the second in their series
called the "Scent of Paradise". Each coin will have a
different
smell. Take the coin out of the capsule (they suggest rubbing
it,
I do not) and smell a Sea Breeze (reminds me of a fabric softener Lila
once used). The coin has a multi-color picture of a
female
surfer who has just ridden a giant tube. The word
"Onoliscious",
a surfer slang meaning something really great, appears above the
wave. The 2010 dated coin has a mintage of only 2500 pieces.
Item
PW-SURF
PALAU 5 DOLLARS 2010 SURFER SEA BREEZE SCENTED
COIN, BU
$69.95
2010
BLUE PEARL COIN FROM PALAU
This official 2010 Palau Pearl coin is titled “Treasures of
the Sea”
and contains a real embedded blue freshwater pearl.
The 5 Dollar partially colored Proof coin contains 25 grams of sterling
silver and is 38.6mm in diameter. The obverse features the
arms of Palau. It has a mintage of just 2500 pieces
The attractive Pearl series is very popular with collectors and always
sells out.
Item PW-PRL10
PALAU $5 2010 PEARL, PROOF
$85.00
"BORN FREE" ELSA THE LION ON SILVER
&
CRYSTAL COIN FROM SIERRA LEONE
To honor the 100th anniversary of the birth of author and naturalist
Joy
Adamson, Sierra Leone issued this commemorative 10 Dollar silver and
crystal Proof coin. Adamson is most famous for her
heartwarming
book "Born Free",
tells
the story of Elsa, an orphaned lion cub that Adamson raised in
Kenya. The book later went on to become an Academy award-winning
film. The coin features Elsa the lion etched into yellow crystal,
surrounded
by a sterling silver ring with scenes from Elsa's life. The
arms
of Sierra Leone are on the bottom of the obverse. The 2010
dated
coin is the third in a series of silver and crystal coins
issued by the Pobjoy mint. The 38.6mm coin has a mintage of
only
5000 pieces
and
comes in a case with a Certificate of Authenticity. £1 from
every
coin sold will go to the Born Free Foundation to help save lions in
Africa.
Item SL-BORN
SIERRA LEONE 10 DOLLARS JOY ADAMSON-BORN FREE
SILVER &
CRYSTAL COIN, PROOF
$99.00
ALSO
SEE:
AFRICAN
WILDLIFE COINS FROM SIERRA LEONE
NOCTERNAL
AFRICAN CREATURES ON BLACK COINS FROM SIERRA LEONE
TURTLE
ON SILVER & CRYSTAL BRITISH INDIAN OCEAN COIN
This
2 Pound coin from the
British Indian Ocean Territory features a turtle etched into blue
crystal and surrounded by a sterling silver ring. The 38.6mm
sterling silver ring features Queen Elizabeth on one side and a series
of pictures showing the life and development of a sea turtle on the
other. The coin was struck four times
to create a brilliant Proof finish. The 38.6mm coin is dated 2009 and
has a
mintage of only 5000 pieces. It comes in a case with a
Certificate of Authenticity. The British
Indian Ocean
Territory is also known as the Chagos Archipelago and includes Diego
Garcia, the site of a
joint
military facility of the United Kingdom and the United
States.
Item BIOT-TURT
BRITISH INDIAN OCEAN TERRITORY 2 POUNDS 2009
SILVER & CRYSTAL TURTLE COIN PROOF
$99.00
ALSO
SEE:
SOUTH
GEORGIA & SOUTH SANDWICH ISLANDS FEATURES NATIVE WILDLIFE
SOUTH
GEORGIA & SOUTH SANDWICH ISLANDS HONORS SHACKELTON
FIRST COIN OF THE
BRITISH INDIAN OCEAN TERRITORY
PENGUINS
ON WORLD'S FIRST CRYSTAL
AND SILVER COIN
South Georgia and The South Sandwich Islands, the home of many
penguins, issued this beautiful silver and crystal Proof 2 Pound coin
in 2007. It is a most unusual coin. The
Proof sterling silver outer ring features King Penguins and their
chicks waddling, jumping, playing and sliding on the Antarctic
ice. The center shows a King Penguin chick engraved
in genuine crystal. It is the world's first silver and
crystal coin. Due to the difficulty of making the coin, only
5000 pieces were made. The coin is 38.6mm in diameter and
comes
in a
presentation box with a Certificate of Authenticity.
Item GS-PENG
SO. GEORGIA & SO. SANDWICH IS. 2
POUNDS
2007 SILVER &
CRYSTAL PENGUIN COIN, PROOF
$99.00
BEAUTIFUL
MULTI-COLOR PRISMATIC SUNBIRDS SET FROM TOGO
These
attractive 2010 coins from the African nation of Togo feature
multi-color prismatic images of Sunbirds (Honey Suckers). The
brilliant colors flash and change as the coin is moved in the
light. The obverse has the Togo arms. The coins were struck in two
denominations, both with the same designs. The three 100
Franc coins
are copper-nickel, while the three 1000 Franc coins are sterling
silver. All are 38.6mm in diameter and are Proof and have a mintage of
only 2500.
Item
TG-CN-SUN TOGO SET OF 3 100 FRANCS, 2010
COPPER-NICKEL PROOF
$99.50
Item
TG-AR-SUN TOGO SET OF 3 1000 FRANCS, 2010
SILVER PROOF
$199.50
2008 PALAU
MULTI-COLOR
PRISMATIC BUTTERFLY COINS
These attractive 2008 coins from Palau feature a multi-color prismatic
images of native butterflies. The brilliant colors flash and
change as the coin is moved in the light. The blue
butterfly is the Papilio Pericles, the orange and yellow butterfly is a
Hebomoia Leucippe, while the green butterfly is the Graphium
Agamemnon. The obverse of all the coins features the Palau
coat-of-arms. The coins were struck in two denominations,
both
with the same designs. The three 1 Dollar coins are Proof
copper-nickel coins. The three 5 Dollar coins are 25 gram
sterling silver Proof coins. The coins are all are 38.6mm in
diameter, have mintages of 2500 each and are quite attractive.
Item
PW-BFLY1DPALAU SET OF 3 $1 BUTTERFLY COINS,
2008 COPPER-NICKEL PROOF $99.95
Item
PW-BFLY5DPALAU SET OF 3 $5 BUTTERFLY COINS,
2008 SILVER PROOF out
BATTLE OF GRUNWALD ON THREE SQUARE
COINS FROM
PALAU
The former German colony of Palau commemorated the 600th
anniversary of the Battle of Grunwald (Tannenberg) on three 35mm square
1 Dollar coins. The battle took place on July 15, 1410 and
was
one of the most important battles in Medieval Europe and the largest
battle to involve knights. The Teutonic Knights had been
given a
mission by the Pope to lead a crusade to Christianize against the pagan
regions of Northern Europe. They successfully conquered and
controlled Prussia and Livonia. Lithuania and Poland
adopted
Christianity, thus removing much of the rationale for the Knights
crusade against them, however that did not stop the Knights from
invading. The Knights were decisively defeated by the
combined
forces of Poland and Lithuania in the Battle of Grunwald, thus
crippling the Knights ability to carry on further expansion and causing
them to enter into a long period of decline. One
coin
features a multi-colored Polish knight on horseback in the heat of
battle. The next shows Vyautas the Great, Grand Duke
of
Lithuania, and his cousin, King Jagiello of Poland, who lead the
victorious forces of Lithuania and Poland. The third shows a
multi-colored Teutonic Knight in full armor with two swords. The
coins are dated 2010 and have the arms of Palau on the obverse. The
coins are silver plated and have a Proof-Like finish. Only 2,500 of
each coin were issued.
Item
PW-GRUN PALAU
SET OF 3 SQUARE 1 DOLLAR COINS, BATTLE OF GRUNWALD, 2010 PROOF-LIKE $75.00
Also see:
LITHUANIA COMMEMORATES THE BATTLE OF GRUNWALD
TEUTOBURG FOREST
BATTLE ON THREE SQUARE
COINS FROM PALAU 
The Battle of Teutoburg Forest in 9AD was a turning point in Roman and
German history. The 25 year old Hermann, also known as
Armanus,
united the warring Germanic tribes to ambush and destroy the Roman
army. The 16th, 17th and 18th Legions, plus three cavalry
detachments and six cohorts of auxiliaries were completely annihilated.
The devastating defeat effectively put an end to Roman
expansion
into northern Europe at the Rhine river. In later years the
battle served as a rallying point for German nationalism and
unification. In 2009 Palau, once a German colony, issued a
series
of three 35mm square 1 Dollar coins to commemorate the 2000th
anniversary of the historic battle. One coin features a
multi-color image of a doomed Roman legion in the forest, with the gold
Legionary eagle above. The next features a multi-color German warrior
holding a sword and shield. The third coin features the
Walhalla
monument and the Hermannsdenkmal, or Hermann monument. The
design of the Walhalla monument in Regensburg, Germany
is based on
the Parthenon in Athens. The Hermannsdenkmal is near Detmold,
Germany, and a copy of it is in New Ulm, Minnesota. The arms
of
Palau are on the obverse. The coins are silver plated and have a
Proof-Like finish. Only 2,500 of each coin was issued, most
of
which were distributed in Germany.
Item
PW-TEUT PALAU
SET OF 3 SQUARE 1 DOLLAR COINS, TEUTOBURG BATTLE, 2009,
PROOF-LIKE $75.00
BEAUTIFUL CLOISONE
PANSY COIN FROM THE COOK
ISLANDS
Cloisonné is a
difficult, expensive
and time consuming process. A thin silver wire pattern is
soldered onto a sheet and each compartment is then filled with an
enamal color. The form is fired in the oven with
700 to
900°C. Because the enamel in the little compartments will
sink
down a bit after firing, the process must be repeated until each
compartment is completely filled. Finally the piece is
carefully
polished and the surfaces are gilded with gold. As far as I
know,
this 2009 sterling silver Cook Island 5 Dollar coin is the first
Cloisonné coin. The base is a 38.6mm, .999 fine silver coin,
upon
which a beautiful blue, white, purple and yellow Cloisonné pansy has
been applied. Queen Elizabeth II is pictured on the obverse
of
this stunning Proof coin. The coin is the first of a what I
expect to be a very popular series of Cloisonné coins
featuring
flowers. It coin has a mintage of only 2500 pieces, of which
I
was only able to obtain a few.
Item
CK-PANSY COOK
IS. 5 DOLLARS CLOISONE PANSY 2009 PROOF
$75.00
TELEVISION
COIN - WITH A MOVING
IMAGE!
To commemorate the 80th anniversary of the first television, the Cook
Islands issued this 39mm copper-nickel 1 Dollar coin in
2006. Pictured on the coin is a black and white picture of John L.
Baird, the
first successful inventor of electronic television, and a moving
recreation of his first broadcast; a hand moving in front of a
puppet. The obverse pictures Queen Elizabeth. It is an unusual coin -
and
ideal for those who like to watch television and collect coins.
Item
CK-TV
COOK IS. 1 DOLLAR 2006 TV COIN, BU $9.50
YELLOW
TITANIUM BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS
COIN
This 36.1mm 5 Dollar
coin from
the British Virgin Islands was struck in an unusual bright yellow
titanium alloy. The 2008 dated coin commemorates the Beijing
Olympics. The reverse features two tennis players hitting a
tennis ball over the Great Wall of China. At the top the five
stars from the flag of China appear next to an image of a
dove. In the foreground the Chinese symbol for lucky number
eight appears on the left and a rat appears on the right, as 2008 is
the Year of the Rat. The obverse pictures Queen
Elizabeth. The coin has a mintage of only 7500 pieces.
Item
BVI-YELLOW
BRITISH VIRGIN IS. $5 2008 YELLOW TITANIUM,
PROOF
$69.00
HUGE WORLD CUP SOCCER
COINS
To commemorate the World Cup Soccer games held in Germany in 2006,
Liberia issued a pair of huge 5 Dollar coins. The coins are 65mm (over
2.5 inches) in diameter an weigh 120 grams (over 1/4 pound ). One coin
is antiqued silver plated copper-nickel that features players being
carded by a referee. The other has an antiqued copper finish
and
features a player kicking a ball, a map of Germany and pictures of each
of the stadiums in Germany where matches were played. The
reverse
of both coins features the Arms of Liberia. The coins have a
mintage of only 5000 pieces each, most of which were sold in Europe at
a fancy price. We got a few leftover sets which we can offer
at a
greatly reduced price.
Item
BK-LR-BIG2 LIBERIA SET OF 2 HUGE 5 DOLLAR
SOCCER COINS, UNC. $59.95
ANIMAL SHAPED COINS
FROM
SOMALIA
Somalia continues to issue some of the wildest coins around. In
2008 they released a set of six multi-colored coins depicting North
American wildlife - in the shape of the animals. The
silver-plated coin 1 Dollar coins include a Polar Bear, wolf, buffalo,
moose, mountain lion and Grizzly Bear The animals are depicted in color
on one side of the coins. The denomin-ation, date and arms of the
Federal Republic of Somalia is on the other.
Item
C-SO-SETWILD SOMALIA SET OF 6 ANIMAL SHAPED
COINS, 2008, UNC. $49.95
GUITAR
COINS FROM SOMALI REPUBLIC
The multi-colored silver-plated Guitar coins have proved unbelievably
popular with
coin collectors, guitar enthusiasts, Rock 'n Roll fans and the general
public. These multi-color guitar coins are designed after
famous
electric guitars. The coins are dated 2004 and were issued to
commemorate the 50th anniversary of Rock 'n Roll. The designs
include the classic red and white Fender Stratocaster, an American Flag
Stars and Stripes Gibson Flying V, a black Gibson Flying V, a pink star
Guitar used by various rock stars including Gary Glitter and
Abba, a blue Gibson X-Plorer and a yellow Klein.
The coins are 1 Dollar legal tender coins issued by the
Somali
Republic (though I seriously doubt any have ever circulated in
Somalia). They are approximately 45mm (1.75 inches) long.
The following six Guitar coins are Silver-plated
Item
SO-STATO-SP
RED & WHITE
STRATOCASTER GUITAR COIN, UNC, Silver-plated
$13.50
Item
SO-FLAG-SP
AMERICAN FLAG GUITAR COIN, UNC.,
Silver-plated $13.50
Item
SO-BLACK-SP
BLACK GIBSON FLYING V GUITAR
COIN, UNC. Silver-plated
$12.00
Item
SO-STAR-SP
PINK STAR GUITAR, UNC.
Silver-plated $12.00
Item
SO-XPLOR-SP
BLUE X-PLORER GUITAR COIN, UNC.
Silver-plated $12.00
Item
SO-KLEIN
YELLOW KLEIN GUITAR COIN, UNC.
Silver-plated $12.00
SPECIAL BUY ALL
SIX Silver-plated GUITAR COINS AND SAVE!
Item GUITARSET SET OF ABOVE 6
GUITAR COINS, Silver-plated, UNC. $49.95
GOLD PLATED
GUITAR COINS FROM
SOMALIA
Not long
after Somalia
came out with their set of six SILVER-plated Guitar coins in 2004, a
major promoter requested “something different” that he could promote,
so they came out with a limited issue set of six GOLD-plated Guitar
coins. The designs are the same as the silver-plated version,
the
only difference is that the coins are gold-plated rather than silver
plated. The designs include the classic red and white Fender
Stratocaster, an American Flag Stars and Stripes Gibson Flying V, a
black Gibson Flying V, a pink star Guitar used by various rock
stars including Gary Glitter and Abba, a blue
Gibson
X-Plorer and a yellow Klein. The coins are 1 Dollar legal
tender
coins issued by the Somali Republic (though they never actually
circulated in Somalia). They are approximately 45mm (1.75
inches)
long and are dated 2004. Only a limited number of the
gold-plated
version was issued. When they were minted the original dies
were
starting to wear out, so some coins may show minor die
cracks. It
is an attractive and unusual set of coins.
Item
GOLDGUITAR SET
OF 6 GOLD-PLATED GUITAR COINS, UNC. $55.00
MULTI-COLORED
MOTORCYCLE COINS
Based on the success of their
Guitar
Coin
program, the Federal Republic of Somalia recently issued a set of six
silver-plated multi-colored coins shaped like motorcycles! The
designs are based on Harley-Davidson and other popular
motorcycles. The coins are dated 2007 and carry the
denomination
of 1 Dollar. Each coin is approximately 45mm (1.75 inches)
long
and 25mm (1 inch) high. The coins are legal tender
issues
that do not actually circulate (considering Somalia has been involved
in civil wars for over a decade, I doubt any coins
circulate). I
expect these coins to be popular with both coin collectors and
motorcycle enthusiasts.
Item L-SO-BIKE SOMALIA SET OF 6
MULTI-COLORED MOTORCYCLE DOLLAR COINS, UNC.
$49.95
Item L-SO-1BKE SINGLE
MOTORCYCLE COIN OF JOEL'S CHOICE FROM ABOVE SET, UNC. $10.00
COIN FROM BBASIL?
Brazil
issued this
aluminum-bronze 1000 Reis in 1922 to commemorate the 100th Anniversary
of their independence from Portugal. The coin pictures Emperor Pedro I
who proclaimed Brazil's independence and Epitacio Pessoa who was
Brazil's President in 1922. Unfortunately, somehow the "R" in
the
name of the country got changed to a "B" so the legends "BBASIL" rather
than "BRASIL", leading to a very unusual and very popular error coin.
Item
BR-522.1 BRAZIL 1000 REIS 1922 BBASIL ERROR
(KM522.1) AU-UNC. $20.00
UNUSUAL
MACEDONIAN "MULE" COIN
A "mule"
coin is a coin struck with dies intended for two
different coins. Recently a small hoard of "mule" 1 Dinar
coins
appeared on the market. The obverse of the coin is from the
commemorative 1 Denar issued in 2000 commemorating 2000 years
of
Christianity (KM9). It features an
ornamented
cross. The
reverse is from the regular issue 1 Dinar coin that has was last minted
in
2001 (KM2). Presently it is one of the most affordable "mule"
coins available. I am not sure how long that will last.
Item
L-MK-MULE MACEDONIA 1
DENAR "MULE" 2000 (KM27) UNC. out
Also see:
MACEDONIA
4 COIN SET FEATURES NATIVE ANIMALS
MACEDONIA
ANIMAL COIN SETS COMMEMORATE FAO
RARE SPELLING
ERROR ON KURDISTAN COIN
In expectation of Kurdistan gaining independence from
Iraq after the
second Gulf War, Kurdish groups in exile authorized the first modern
coins of Kurdistan. After the initial batch of 10 Dinar coins
were
struck, Kurdish officials discovered that the name of the country was
misspelled using the Arabic alphabet. To the untrained eye,
the
difference is that the correct version has two squiggly marks in the
bottom of the legend on the coin while the error version has only one
mark. Only 300 pieces of the error version were
struck. A new die was prepared and a corrected version was
issued. Unfortunately the United States did not allow Kurdish
independence, so this remains a government in exile issue. The 10 Dinar
coins are 39mm in diameter, are struck in copper-nickel and picture a
Persian Fallow Deer. It has a
catalog value of $45.00, however our price is MUCH less.
Item
L-KURD10ERR KURDISTAN 10
DINARS 2003 ERROR VERSION, (Br.X2.1) UNC.
$15.00
Also see:
NEW
KURDISTAN COINS
Also See:
RECTANGULAR
COIN FROM CABINDA
WHALE ON RECTANGULAR GALAPAGOS
$8 COIN
MULTI-COLOR TUVULU TURTLE COIN
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YOU WOULD LIKE TO VISIT:
Cloisonné is a
difficult, expensive
and time consuming process. A thin silver wire pattern is
soldered onto a sheet and each compartment is then filled with an
enamal color. The form is fired in the oven with
700 to
900°C. Because the enamel in the little compartments will
sink
down a bit after firing, the process must be repeated until each
compartment is completely filled. Finally the piece is
carefully
polished and the surfaces are gilded with gold. As far as I
know,
this 2009 sterling silver Cook Island 5 Dollar coin is the first
Cloisonné coin. The base is a 38.6mm, .999 fine silver coin,
upon
which a beautiful blue, white, purple and yellow Cloisonné pansy has
been applied. Queen Elizabeth II is pictured on the obverse
of
this stunning Proof coin. The coin is the first of a what I
expect to be a very popular series of Cloisonné coins
featuring
flowers. It coin has a mintage of only 2500 pieces, of which
I
was only able to obtain a few. 
This 36.1mm 5 Dollar
coin from
the British Virgin Islands was struck in an unusual bright yellow
titanium alloy. The 2008 dated coin commemorates the Beijing
Olympics. The reverse features two tennis players hitting a
tennis ball over the Great Wall of China. At the top the five
stars from the flag of China appear next to an image of a
dove. In the foreground the Chinese symbol for lucky number
eight appears on the left and a rat appears on the right, as 2008 is
the Year of the Rat. The obverse pictures Queen
Elizabeth. The coin has a mintage of only 7500 pieces. 
Brazil
issued this
aluminum-bronze 1000 Reis in 1922 to commemorate the 100th Anniversary
of their independence from Portugal. The coin pictures Emperor Pedro I
who proclaimed Brazil's independence and Epitacio Pessoa who was
Brazil's President in 1922. Unfortunately, somehow the "R" in
the
name of the country got changed to a "B" so the legends "BBASIL" rather
than "BRASIL", leading to a very unusual and very popular error coin.