COINS & CURRENCY OF
EAST EUROPE
A selection of historic coins and banknotes from
pre-communist,
communist
and post-communist Eastern Europe.
CHRIST FEATURED ON SILVER GROSH
OF THE LAST MEDIEVAL KING OF BULGARIA

Ivan
Sratsimir was the last king of the medieval Bulgarian
Kingdom. He reigned from Vidin from 1356 until he was
captured and killed by the Ottoman Turks in 1396.
One side of this 16mm silver Grosch depicts the bust of Christ,
blessing with his right hand and holding the Gospel in his
left. To his right and left is the Christogram "
IC –
XC". The other side depicts the king seated on
his throne
holding a scepter in his right hand. The coin shows little if
any wear, but is rather crudely struck.
Item
BG-SRATSIMIR BULGARIA SILVER GROSH OF IVAN
SRATSIMIR 1356-96 VF-crude
$85.00
FIRST COINS OF
COMMUNIST BULGARIA

These
seven coins are the
first coins issued by
Bulgaria following the bloody communist takeover at the end of World
War II.
Included are the 1951 dated 1, 3, 5, 10 and 25 Stotinki, the 1954 20
Stotinki
and the 1959 50 Stotinki in Uncirculated condition. The coins show the
denomination alongside a sprig of grain on one side and the Bulgarian
arms on
the other. With the exception of the 20 Stotinki, each of the coins
were
produced for only a single year
Item
S-BG-SET51
BULGARIA 7
COIN SET 1 - 50 STOTINIKI, 1951-59, KM50-56 UNC. $6.00
SERBIAN
KRAJINA &
CROATIA AT WAR
With the collapse of Yugoslavia, the Serbian portions of
Croatia declared independence from Croatia, even before Croatia
declared itself independent from Yugoslavia. The Serbs
formed the Republic of Serbian Krajina and had their capital at
Knin. A brutal war broke out, and both Croatia (Republika
Hrvatska) and Serbian Krajina suffered from severe inflation as
they tried to finance themselves by printing money.
Krajina was defeated in 1995 and reincorporated into
Croatia. From Serbian Kranina we have the 500,000 Dinara and
500,000,000 Dinara notes dated 1993. Both notes have similar
designs. The notes feature the Knin fortress on a hill on
one side, and the
Serbian arms on the other. The Croatia 50,000 Dinara and
100,000 Dinara are dated 1993. Both feature Croatian
astronomer, physicist, mathematician, and philosopher Roger
Joseph Boscovich. Boscovich is famous for his atomic
theory. In 1753 he discovered the absence of atmosphere
on the Moon. The reverse of the notes have the Statue
of
"Glagolica Mother Croatia", a marble statue created in 1932 by artist
Ivan Mestrovic. The sculpture is of a mother holding on her
lap a stone tablet with “History of Croatians” engraved in the old
Croatian script. The original sculpture has been in a
"temporary exhibition" in Belgrade, Serbia since 1934.
Serbia has refused to return the statue to Croatia.
A bronze copy is at Zagreb University in Croatia
Item
PM-KRAJ-500K SERBIAN
KRAJINA 500 THOUSAND DINARA NOTE 1993 PR23 AU-UNC $3.00
Item PM-KRAJ-5M SERBIAN
KRAJINA 5 MILLION DINARA NOTE 1993 PR24 UNC $3.00
Item PM-HR-SET2 CROATIA
50,000 & 100,000 DINARA NOTES 1993 P26 & 27 UNC.
$4.00
SILVER
COIN OF LEOPOLD THE HOGMOUTH


Leopold
I was the Holy Roman Emperor from 1658 to 1705. He had a
rather
pronounced lower lip, possibly brought on by his father’s marriage to
his cousin. He was described as a cultivated man of extreme
ugliness, hence the name "The Hogmouth". As Emperor of the
Holy
Roman Empire (which was neither Holy, Roman, nor an Empire) he ruled a
vast territory including Austria, Hungary, Bohemia, as well as parts of
Germany. He claimed the throne of Spain, leading to The War of Spanish
The Succession. Leopold fought a number of wars against the
Turks
and France. The engravers made no attempt to hide his
ugliness on
the coins, hence his protruding Hapsburg jaw is plainly visible on the
coin. His coins tend to have a slight curvature that was
caused
by the minting process which used "roller dies" rather than the coin
being struck flat. We offer a silver 15 Kreuzer coins of
Leopold
from Hungary featuring the Madonna and Child on the reverse and a
wonderfully ugly portrait of Leopold on the
obverse. The
coin is date between 1660 and 1696 and are approximately 30mm in
diameter.
Item
HU-LEO-15K HUNGARY SILVER 15 KREUZER LEOPOLD
THE HOGMOUTH 1660-1696 VG-F out
WWI
HUNGARIAN WAR BOND

This
large (15.75" x 9.75", 25 x 40cm) bearer bond was issued by the Royal
Hungarian Ministry of Finance on May 12, 1917 for 50 Crowns (Krona).
The bond is written in four languages: Hungarian, German, French and
English. At the time Hungary, as part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire,
was engaged in World War I and needed funds to continue its war effort.
Only about 5% of the cost of Hungary's war effort was covered by
regular government revenue (taxes, etc.) Most of the rest came from
issuing bonds or borrowings from the Central Bank. All citizens and
soldiers were expected to purchase bonds to support the war effort. The
bond paid 6% annual interest, tax and duty free. Included with the bond
was a sheet of semi-annual coupons. The bond had no maturity,
but
was callable any time after August 1, 1922. That never
happened. With the defeat and breakup of the Austro-Hungarian
Empire in November 1918 and the enormous level of debt accumulated
during the war the value of the currency - and the bonds
collapsed. It is an historic World War I bond that
has never been redeemed.
Item
BND-HU-50KR HUNGARY 50 CROWNS (KRONA) 1917 WAR
BOND VF $10.00
HUNGARIAN
BI-METALLIC 200 FORINT FEATURES CHAIN BRIDGE

Hungary introduced this new
bimetallic 200 Forint coin in 2009 in order to replace the 200 Forint
banknote in circulation. The banknote will cease to be legal
tender. The coin pictures the famed Széchenyi Chain Bridge
one one side and has the date and denomination on the other.
The chain suspension bridge, completed in 1849, was the first
permanent bridge across the Danube to join Buda with Pest. In
1873 the two cities were united to form the Hungarian capital of
Budapest. At the time the bridge was built, its center span
of 202 meters (663 feet) was one of the largest in the world and was
considered by some to be a "Wonder of the World".
Item HU-200FT-09
HUNGARY 200 FORINT 2009 BIMETALLIC COIN KM826
BU $4.50
HUNGARY
COMMEMORATES THEIR
CURRENCY

Hungary
issued this circulating commemorative 50 Forint coin dated 2016 to
commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Hungarian Forint. The
Forint was introduced August 1, 1946 to replace the massively inflated
Pengo at a rate of 1 forint = 4×1029 Pengo, The name Forint
dates back to the gold Florin of Florence that was introduced in 1252AD
and circulated in Hungary in the 14th Century. The obverse of
the 27.4mm copper-nickel coin features the traditional arms of Hungary
depicting the Royal Crown of Hungary. The denomination is on
the reverse.
Item HU-50FT-16FORINT
HUNGARY 50 FORINT 2016, 70 YEARS OF THE FORINT UNC.
$3.00
HUNGARY
50 FORINT 2017 FINA AQUATICS COMPETITION

Hungary
commemorated the 17th FINA (Fédération internationale de natation or
International Swimming Federation) World Aquatics Championships held in
Budapest July 14-30, 2017 on their 2017 commemorative 50
Forint. The event brought 2000 swimmers and divers from
throughout the world together for over two weeks of competitions in 75
events. The 27.4mm copper-nickel coin depicts the
FINA-Budapest logo on one side and the denomination on the other.
Item HU-50FT-17FINA
HUNGARY 50 FORINT 2017, FINA AQUATICS
COMPETITION UNC.
$3.00
HUNGARY 50
FORINT 2018 ICE
HOCKEY CHAMPIONSHIPS

Hungary
honored the 2018 International Ice Hockey Federation Division I
Group A World Championship games held in Budapest April 22 to 28 on
this 2018 circulating commemorative 50 Forint. The reverse of
the 27.4mm copper-nickel coin features a player taking a shot on the
goal and the emblem of the Hungarian Ice Hockey Association.
The obverse features the denomination and the Budapest mintnmark.
Item HU-50FT-18HOCKEY
HUNGARY 50 FORINT 2018, ICE HOCKEY UNC.
$3.00
HUNGARY
2018 YEAR OF THE FAMILY 50 FORINT

In
January 2018 Hungarian Prime Minister declared 2018 to be Hungary's
Year of the Family in order to encourage more and larger families
because the nations birthrate is too low. (Wasn't it just a few years
ago the world was facing a "population bomb" and everyone was supposed
to have fewer children?) The reverse of the 27.4mm
copper-nickel coin includes the Year of the Family logo which features
a stylized family and the "Year of the Family" in Hungarian. The
obverse features the denomination and the Budapest mintnmark.
Item HU-50FT-18FAMILY
HUNGARY 50 FORINT 2018, YEAR OF THE FAMILY UNC.
$3.00
HUNGARY 2018 WORLD
WRESTLING
CHAMPIONSHIPS

Hungary
commemorated the 2018 World Wrestling Championships held in Budapest
from October 20 to 28, 2018. The event included Men and women's
freestyle and Men's Greco-Roman wrestling. Russia was the clear winner
with 10 gold medals. The 27.4mm copper-nickel 50 Forint depicts one
wrestler throwing the other. The denomination is on the obverse
Item HU-50FT-18WREST
HUNGARY 50 FORINT 2018 WRESTLING UNC.
$3.00
HUNGARY HONORS THE "HEROES OF THE
PANDEMIC"

Hungary
recently released 2020 dated circulating 10 and 20 Forint commemorative
coins honoring the "Heroes of the Pandemic".
Hungary's COVID-19 cases and death rates were well below that of
neighboring European nations, though recently there has been a spike in
the number of cases. Both coins have similar designs. The
obverses depict the images of those that contributed to control the
pandemic formed into the shape of a heart. The coins have the
same reverses as the regular issues which depict the denomination and
the Budapest mint mark.
Item
HU-COVID HUNGARY 10 & 20 FORINT 2020
HEROES OF THE PANDEMIC UNC.
$5.00
RARE
KOSOVO BANKNOTES



Kosovo
regular overprint notes


Kosovo
overprint error notes
Kosovo was a province of Serbia that is made up of primarily Muslim
ethnic Albanians. In 1998 fighting broke out between Serb
armed forces and ethnic Albanian militias that supported independence
or unification with Albania. Atrocities were committed by
both sides. United States and NATO forces finally stepped in
to stop the fighting. It was during all this chaos these
unusual banknotes were issued. The notes were printed on
obsolete 1992 Macedonian banknotes. The notes dated April 1,
1999 were issued by the Provisional Bank of the Republic of
Kosovo. The 25, 50 and 100 Dinare notes have a black Albanian
double-headed eagle printed on the front. The 10
Dinare does not have an overprint on the front. The backs of
all the notes have legends in both of the main Albania dialects; Gheg,
which is used by the ethnic Albanians in Kosovo, and Tosk, which is the
"official" dialect of Albania. The notes were sold to
collectors as fundraisers for humanitarian efforts in Kosovo.
They are the only notes of Kosovo as Kosovo has not yet issued any
coins or notes for circulation. They use Euros or Serbian Dinars.
Also available are a very limited number of notes with
various overprint errors (crooked, off-center, parially printed, etc.)
Item
PM-KOS-10D KOSOVO 10 DINARE NOTE 1999 UNC. $4.00
Item
PM-KOS-10DERR KOSOVO 10 DINARE OVERPRINT
ERROR NOTE 1999 UNC.
$8.00
Item
PM-KOS-25D KOSOVO 25 DINARE NOTE 1999 UNC. $5.00
Item
PM-KOS-50D KOSOVO 50 DINARE NOTE 1999 UNC. $6.00
Item
PM-KOS-50DERR KOSOVO 50 DINARE OVERPRINT
ERROR NOTE 1999 UNC.
$10.00
Item
PM-KOS-100DERR KOSOVO 100 DINARE OVERPRINT
ERROR NOTE 1999 UNC.
$16.00
Item
PM-KOS-500DERR KOSOVO 500 DINARE OVERPRINT
ERROR NOTE 1999 UNC.
$25.00
ATTRACTIVE
MACEDONIAN COIN SET INCLUDES WILDLIFE.

This six coin set from Macedonia includes the 50 Deni to the 50
Denari. The
50 Denari
portrays the head of Archangel Gabriel.. The 10 Denari has
the peacock. Both coins are copper-nickel. The
lower four
denominations all feature animals and are struck in brass. A lynx is on
the 5 Denari. An Ochrid Trout is on the 2 Denari. A Yugoslav
Shepherd Dog (Sarplaninac) is on the 1 Denar. The 50 Deni
features a seagull in flight. The reverses
of the coins feature the denomination and a 16-ray sun symbol
that was used by Alexander the Great. All six coins are
Brilliant
Uncirculated
Item
S-MK-SET6 MACEDONIA 6 COIN
SET 50 DENI-50
DENARI, 1993-2008 BU
$9.75
EARLY DATED
SILVER COIN OF
POLAND-LITHUANIA

Until
the 1600's most nations did not put dates on coins. These silver
1/2 Grossus (Groschen) coins of Sigismund II Augustus from the 1500's
are some of the earliest affordable coins bearing an AD date.
Sigismund was both the King of Poland and Grand Duke of
Lithuania. In 1569 he formally united the two countries with
the Treaty of Lublin to form the Polish-Lithuanian
Commonwealth. His coins reflect this dual
nationality. One side features his titles as Grand Duke of
Lithuania, and Vytas, the White Knight, which is the national symbol of
Lithuania. Below Vytas is the date. The other side
features the Polish Eagle and his titles as King of Poland.
The 19mm silver coins date from 1547 to 1572. In 1572
Sigsmund died childless, despite having three wives (two of which were
first cousins) and carrying on affairs with "two of the most beautiful
of his countrywomen". He was the last of the powerful
Jagiellonian dynasty controlled much of central Europe for almost 200
years.
Item
PL-LT POLAND-LITHUANIA 1/2 GROSSUS, SIGISMUND
II AUGUSTUS 1547-1572 F-VF $29.75
Item
PL-LTx5 5 DIFFERENT DATES OF
POLAND-LITHUANIA 1/2 GROSSUS 1547-1572 F-VF $129.75
POLAND HONORS
THE LIFE OF THEIR POPE

Poland
issued this 2 Zlote coin in 2005 shortly after the death of Pope
John Paul II. The Polish born Pope was the first the first
non-Italian Pope since 1523. One side depicts the
Pope ith an outline
of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome in the background. The other
side features a stylized Polish Eagle. The 27mm coin is
struck in a brass alloy called "Nordic Gold".
Item
PL-2Z-POPE05
POLAND 2 ZLOTE 2005
POPE JOHN PAUL II, KM525 BU
$4.00
POPULAR POLAND WILDLIFE COINS
Poland regularly
issues a 27mm
“Nordic gold” (brass alloy) 2
Zlote
honoring native endangered wildlife. The
attractive coins are always popular with collectors.The
2014 issue features the Konik Horse. The Konik Horse is a small, hardy,
semi-feral horse that originated in Poland. The European
Bison (Zubr) is on the 2013 issue. The European Bison was
hunted to
extinction in the wild in the early 20th Century. Since then
it has been reintroduced from captivity. In the past,
especially during the Middle Ages, it was commonly killed for its hide,
and to produce drinking horns. No wildlife coins
were issued for 2012. The 2011
issues featurew the European Badger. The 2010
issues feature the Lesser Horse-shoe
Bat. It is one of the world’s smallest
bats, weighing only 5 to 9 grams (less than a third of an ounce) and is
less
than a 44mm long (under 2 inches). The 2008 issue honors the
Peregrine Falcon.
Item
PL-2Z14-HORSE
POLAND 2 ZLOTE 2014 KONIK HORSE, Y896 UNC.
$3.00
Item
PL-2Z13-BISON
POLAND 2 ZLOTE 2013 EUROPEAN BISON, Y878 UNC. $3.00
Item
PL-2Z11-BADGER
POLAND 2 ZLOTE 2011 BADGER Y762 UNC. $3.00
Item
PL-2ZBAT10
POLAND 2 ZLOTE 2010 HORSESHOE BAT Y723 BU
$3.00
Item
PL-2ZFALCON08
POLAND 2 ZLOTE 2008 PEREGRINE FALCON Y627 BU
$3.00
POLAND HONORS HER NAVY
Poland recently started a series 2 Zlote coins honoring famous shops of
the Polish Navy. The 27mm "Nordic
Gold"
(aluminum-bronze) coins depict the Polish arms on one side and the ship
on the other.

The
guided-missile frigate ORP Generał
Kazimierz Pulaski is the latest Polish Naval vessel to be featured on a
2 Zlote coin of Poland. The ship was commissioned by the
United States Navy as the USS Clark in 1980. In 2000 she was
transferred to Poland, who renamed her after the hero of both Poland’s
and the United States’ independence. General Pulaski was one
of the leading military commanders of the Bar Confederation that fought
against Russian domination of the Polish–Lithuanian
Commonwealth. He was a brilliant and heroic commander,
however he often acted independently, disobeying or ignoring
orders. Following the defeat of the Confederation in 1772 he
ended up in debtors’ prison in France. In 1777 he was
recruited by the Marquis de Lafayette and Benjamin Franklin for service
in the American Revolutionary War. In the Battle of
Brandywine his cavalry actions most likely saved George Washington’s
life and saved the Continental Army from annihilation. He was
awarded the rank of Brigadier General and set about to reform the
Calvary. He became known as "father of the American cavalry".
He used his own funds in order to assure his forces had proper
equipment and to assure their personal safety. In 1779 he
died from wounds received during a Calvary charge during the Siege of
Savannah.
Item
PL-PULASKI POLAND 2 ZLOTE 2013
FRIGATE GENERAL PULASKI
BU
$3.50
POLAND 2
ZLOTE
COMMEMORATIVE SETS
Each year Poland produces a number of attractive
commemorative 2
Zlote
coins covering a wide variety of topics, including endangered wildlife,
historic cities, famous Poles, sporting events, etc. The
coins
are struck in an aluminum-bronze alloy called Nordic Gold.
The
issues are reasonably priced and popular with collectors, however
collecting them can be difficult due to the large number of
issues. Luckily we found someone that assembled
complete
sets of these popular and attractive 2 Zlote coins from original mint
bags. The 2005 series
consists of
19 issues. The 2006 and 2007 sets each contain 23
coins. The 2008 set contains 16 coins. The 2009 set
has 18 coins. The 2010 set has 20 coins. The 2011
set has 21 coins. The 2012 set has 15 coins. These
sets
are not
packaged.
Item
BK-PL-SET05 SET OF ALL 19
POLAND 2 ZLOTE
2005 UNC. $65.00
Item
BK-PL-SET09 SET OF ALL 18
POLAND 2 ZLOTE 2009
UNC. $59.50
Item
BK-PL-SET10 SET OF ALL 20 POLAND 2 ZLOTE 2010
UNC. $67.00
Item
BK-PL-SET11 SET OF ALL 21
POLAND 2 ZLOTE 2011
UNC. $69.50
Item
BK-PL-SET12 SET OF ALL 15
POLAND 2 ZLOTE 2012
UNC. $49.50
RECENT
BI-METALLIC COINS
FROM POLAND


Poland
recently introduced a series of circulating bi-metallic 5
Zlotych coins with the theme "Discover Poland". Each coin
features historic, but often not well known places.
The 24.5mm coins have a
copper-nickel ring around an aluminum-bronze
center. The arms of Poland are on the obverse.
Poland honored the Poznan Town Hall (Ratusz) on this 2015 bi-metallic 5
Zlotych. The mannerist style
building was completed in 1560 and served as the seat of local
government until 1939. Today it houses a museum.
Each day at noon two mechanical goats come out from the clock tower and
butt heads. The coin depicts the town
hall. The two goats can be seen in the shaded are next to the
town hall. The 2016 5 Zlotych features The Priest's Mill
(KSIĘŻY MŁYN) in Lodz. The mill is a vast housing and
industrial complex built in the 1870's on land which originally
belonged to the Rector of the Parish of Lodz. The almost completely
preserved complex includes a spinning mill, factory buildings, shops,
two hospitals, a school, workers housing and owners and directors
estates covering over 1200 acres (500 ha). Today it
is a monument to 19th century industrial designs and company
towns.
Item
PL-5Z-15POZAN 2015 POZNAN TOWN HALL
BU $6.00
Item
PL-5Z-16LODZ
POLAND 5 ZLOTYCH 2016 PRIEST'S MILL, LODZ, BU $6.00
COIN OF RIGA FOR
THE
UNCONVENTIONAL QUEEN CHRISTINA

Queen
Christina of Sweden was one of the most educated, wittiest, unorthodox
and unconventional women of the 17th century. She succeeded
her father on the throne of Sweden in 1632 when she was only six years
old. She took a deep interest in philosophy, religion, art,
mathematics and science. She was fond of books,
paintings and had a collection of over 33,000 coins and medals. She
frequently dressed as a man. She knew at least nine languages - and
could out-cuss a soldier. She was headstrong and often in conflict with
her own Chancellor. In 1638 the first Swedish settlement in
the New World was established and named after her: Fort Christina,
which is now Wilmington, Delaware. She founded Sweden's first
newspaper. Her efforts helped bring about the Peace of Westphalia,
ending the Thirty Years' War. She had an intimate relationship with her
handmaiden and in 1649 she announced that she decided not to
marry. In 1654 she abdicated her throne and left Sweden in
order to convert to Catholicism. She was warmly
received by Pope Alexander VII and for a time was given her own wing
inside the Vatican. Though often running short of money, she
was a major patron of the theater and the arts. She gave much
occasion for gossip as she did not follow the norms for women of that
era and freely socialized with men. She used her position to
protect the Jews of Rome. Missing politics, she attempted to
regain the throne of Sweden and gain the thrones of Naples and Poland,
all without success. She died in 1689, and is one of only
three women buried within St. Peter's Basilica. This Solidus of Queen
Christina was issued for Riga between 1634 and 1654. Riga,
now the capital of Latvia, was under Swedish control from 1621 to 1721.
It was given considerable autonomy, including the right to
issue its own coins. The copper or silver-washed Solidus of
Riga have Queen Christina's royal monogram on one side and the arms of
Riga on the other. The crudely made coins are 15mm in
diameter, typically are struck somewhat off center without a date.
Item
RIGA-CHR RIGA SOLIDUS OF CHRISTINA
(1634-1654)
Fine-VF-Crude
$10.00
WWII
FASCIST ROMANIA BANKNOTE
Romania came under the control of fascist dictator Ion Antonescu in
September 1940. The country officially joined the Axis powers
in November 1940. It was a major participant in the invasion
of the Soviet Union, contributing both troops and equipment, and was a
major supplier of oil for the German war machine. In 1943 the
Allies began heavy bombing of Romania. The Soviet Union invaded in
1944. Shortly thereafter young King Michael, who
had previously been little more than a figurehead, led a coup that
overthrew Antonescu. Romania then joined the Allies. Soviet troops
quickly occupied Romania, even though Romania was now on the same side
as the Soviet Union. This Romanian 500 Lei note is dated
between November 1940 and January 1943, the period when Romania was
under the control of the fascists and supporting Nazi
Germany. The brown note depicts two female farmers carrying
hoes on the front. The back features the Peles Castle. The
Neo-Renaissance castle was built as a royal residence for Carol I, the
first king of modern Romania, between 1873 and 1914. Today it
is a popular tourist attraction.
Item
PM-RO-500L ROMANIA 500 LEI 1940-1943 P51
AU-UNC.
$18.00
LAST COIN OF THE
KINGDOM OF
ROMANIA

This
1947 brass 50 Bani was one of the last coins of the Kingdom of Romania.
The denomination is on one side of this 16mm coin, and the Steel Crown
of Romania is on the other. Unlike most countries, Romania’s
royal crown was not made from gold, but from steel from cannon captured
from the Ottomans during its war of independence. On August
15, 1947, with no warning, Romania introduced new coins and currency,
replacing their previous, badly inflated currency. Citizens were
allowed to exchange only a very limited amount of money, effectively
wiping out the assets of the middle and upper classes. 1 On
December 30, 1947, the communists forced King Michael (Mihai) to resign
at gun point, bringing an end to the Kingdom of Romania and to this
short-lived coinage. The coin is
Uncirculated,
though has some spots.
Item
RO-50B KINGDOM OF ROMANIA 50 BANI, 1947 KM72
UNC.-spots $10.00
POLYMER
ROMANIAN BANKNOTE COMMEMORATES ECLIPSE
Reduced
size images
Romania issued this colorful polymer 2000 Lei banknote to
commemorate the Total Solar Eclipse on August 11, 1999. It
was their first, and so far, only commemorative banknote. One side has
a fanciful map of the Solar System. The other features the
Romanian flag within a map of Romania and the path of the eclipse. The
Uncirculated note has two transparent windows and is
143x63mm.
Item PM-RO-ECLIPSE ROMANIA
2000 LEI NOTE, 1999 ECLIPSE P111 UNC.
$3.00
ROMANIA
50 BANI CIRCULATING
COMMEMORATIVE COINS
These attractive circulating 50 Bani coins commemorate major events in
the history of Romania. All the coins are 23.75mm, struck in a
gold-colored nickel-brass alloy and have a lettered edge.

Romania
commemorated the
30th
anniversary of the December 1989 Romanian Revolution on
this 2019 dated 50 Bani coin. The revolution which overthrew
the 42 years of communist rule. The obverse shows a young man
holding a Romanian flag without the socialist emblem making a victory
sign. Above him is the arms of Romania. The reverse pictures
a of group men and women atop a tank.
Item
RO-REVOLT89 ROMANIA 50 BANI 2019 DECEMBER
REVOLUTION
BU $3.00

In
2016 Romania commemorated the
575th
Anniversary of John Hunyadi becoming the Voivode of
Transylvania, a
position he held from 1441 until his death in 1456. The Voivode was the
highest ranking official in Transylvania, which was under Hungarian
control. John Hunyadi was a brilliant military strategist and eminent
statesmen that inflicted considerable defeats against the
Ottomans. In 1447 his forces killed Vlad Dracul, the Voivode
of Wallachia. Vlad's son, Vlad Dracula, also known as Vlad the Impaler,
later became Voivode of Wallachia.
Item
RO-HUNYADI ROMANIA 50 BANI 2016 JOHN
HUNYADI OF TRANSYLVANIA, BU
$3.00

In
2015 Romania
commemorated the
10th
anniversary of Redenomination of the
Leu. In 2005 Romania did an 10,000 to 1 revaluation of their
currency. The coin depicts the National Bank of Romania
building. All the coins are 23.75mm, struck in a
gold-colored nickel-brass alloy and have a lettered edge.
Item
RO-LEU ROMANIA 50 BANI 2015 REDENOMINATION
OF
THE LEU, BU
$3.00
BEAUTIFUL
BANKNOTES OF GERMAN
OCCUPIED SERBIA
On April 6, 1941 Axis Forces under Nazi Germany invaded
Yugoslavia.
They promptly conquered and divided the nation along ethnic
lines. Serbia was placed under the control of the German
military. Serbia issued some beautiful, multi-color
banknotes while under Nazi German control. The notes were printed by
the Serbian Institute for Manufacturing Banknotes and Coins in
Belgrade. The 50 Dinara banknote dated May 1, 1942 depicts
Serbian King Peter I on the front. Peter died in
1921. The back features the Serbian coat of arms. It is 150 x
75mm. The 500 Dinar dated November 11,
1941 depicts a woman
with
gold coin jewelry on the front and a bricklayer on the back. The 500
Dinar dated May 1, 1942 features the Serbian arms and a bare chested
man sowing seads on the front. The back depicts a bare
chested man harvesting wheat with a sythe. The notes have the
watermark of King Alexander I. They are
impressive, large size,
colorful notes from a time when Serbia was under Nazi domination.
Item
PM-RS-50D-42 NAZI SERBIA 50 DINARA NOTE 1942
P29 AU $9.00
Item
PM-RS-500D-41 NAZI SERBIA 500 DINARA BANKNOTE
1941 P27 F-VF $5.00
Item
PM-RS-500D-42U NAZI SERBIA 500 DINARA
BANKNOTE
1942 P31 AU-UNC $18.00
SERBIA
HONORS TESLA ON SILVER COINS
Nikola
Tesla was a Serbian American inventor, electrical engineer, physicist,
and futurist. He is said to have over 300 patents covering a
wide range of
technologies including alternating current, electric motors, remote
control, television, radio, x-rays, cell phones, robotics, lasers,
turbine engines, magnetic propulsion, drones, solar power, weather
manipulation, particle beams and electromagnetic energy (the Tesla
coil). Recently Serbia instituted a series of 100
Dinara coins honoring Tesla and his many inventions. The 39mm
coins each contain 1 troy ounce and are
struck by the Serbian Mint. The 2018 and 2019 issues are
struck in
.999 fine silver, the 2020 issue is .9999 fine silver. The
obverses of the
coins depict Tesla. The Serbian arms, weight, purity, silver
content, date, denomination and one or more of his inventions are on
the reverses. I
expect the series to
be popular due to Tesla's fame and the automobile named in his
honor. The first two issues are sold out at the mint and
at major distributors. We have a small quantity which we set
aside.
The first issue in the series is a 2018 coin
honoring his contributions to the design of
the alternating current (AC) electricity supply system. The
coin features one
of Nikola Tesla’s
greatest inventions: the Induction Motor. Only
50,000 pieces were
struck in Brilliant Uncirculated (BU).
The second coin in the series is a 2019 dated coin
commemorating the 120th anniversary of his invention of remote
control and wireless transmission. In 1898 Tesla demonstrated
the technology with a radio-controlled four-foot long stealth boat,
which is depicted on the coin. He expected the
technology to be picked up by the United States Navy, but the Navy
brass would have none of it. Ironically, less than two
decades later the German navy used remotely controlled boats loaded
with explosives to attack Allied ships during World War I.
Only recently has the United States Navy started serious work with
remote control ships. The coin has a mintage of
50,000 pieces.
The third coini in the series is the 2020 dated
piece honoring Tesla's early work with X-rays.
Nikola Tesla was one of the early discoverers of
X-rays. His first X-ray images, which he called shadowgraphs,
were done in 1894, a year before Wilhelm Röntgen published his
discovery of X-rays in 1895. He was one of the first to recognize some
of the benefits of X-rays, such as the finding of foreign objects
within a body and the detection of lung diseases. He was also
one of the first to recognize the hazards of X-ray radiation.
Unfortunately, most of his work was lost when his laboratory burned
down in
1895. The coin has a maximum mintage of 55,000 pieces.
Item
RS-TESLA-AC SERBIA 100 DINARA 2018
TESLA-ALTERNATING CURRENT-MOTOR BU OUT
Item
RS-TESLA-REMOTE SERBIA 100 DINARA 2019
TESLA-REMOTE CONTROL BU $33.00
Item
RS-TESLA-XRAY-BU SERBIA 100 DINARA 2020
TESLA-X-RAYS BU OUT
NATIVE WILDLIFE ON OBSOLETE COINS
OF SLOVENIA
With the introduction of the Euro, Slovenia's attractive wildlife coins
are now obsolete and have been withdrawn from circulation. All six of
the Tolar denominated coins feature native wildlife. The 10 Stotinov
pictures an Olm salamander, an unusual blind aquatic salamander found
in the caves of Slovenia. A barn owl is on the 20 Stotinov. A bee is on
the 50 Stotinov. The 1 Tolar features salmon, the 2 Tolar shows a
swallow in flight, and an ibex is on the 5 Tolar.
The lower three
denominations are aluminum, the top three are brass. It is an
attractive animal coin set. The coins date from 1992 to 2002
and are
Uncirculated.
Item
S-SI-SET6 SLOVENIA 6 COIN ANIMAL SET 10
STOTINOV - 5 TOLAR, 1992-2002 KM3-7 UNC $4.50
SLOVENIA EURO
COIN SET
In 2007 Slovenia, once the northernmost part of
Yugoslavia,
became the
first of the former east European nations to adopt the Euro as their
currency. It
replaced the Slovenian Tolar.
Because of the expansion of European Union the common side
of
the Euro
coins have been redesigned to show the expanded European Union. The Slovenian Euro coins
are the first to
use the new design. The
national side
of the coins highlight Slovenian history culture.
The
bi-metallic 2 Euro coin features national poet France
Prešeren and the first line of the Slovenian national anthem which was
written
by him. The
bi-metallic 1 Euro pictures
Primož Trubar, a 16th century Protestant reformer, superintendent of
the
Protestant Church of Slovenia and the author of the first book printed
in Slovenian. Mount
Triglav, Slovenia's
highest mountain
and the constellation of cancer is featured on the 50 euro cent coin. Two Lipizzaner
horses are on the 20 euro
cent coin. The 10 euro cent coin features the "Katedrala Svobode"
(Cathedral of Freedom), a national parliament building that has never
been
built! A man sowing
stars and seeds is
featured on the 5 euro cent coin.
The
design is based on Ivan Grohar painting
"The
Sower". The
2 euro cent shows the Prince's Stone.
The stone was the base of an ancient Roman
column. It was used to install the medieval prince's of Karatania. A stork is on the 1 euro
cent. Every coin
has 12 stars around edge interspersed with letters spelling
“SLOVENIJA”. The
coins are the
first of what will be a
major expansion of the Euro coin series.
Item
SI-EUSET
SLOVENIA 8 COIN EURO SET, EUROCENT - 2 EUROS,
2007-09
UNC. $15.00
SLOVENIA
WORLD BOOK CAPITAL BI-METALLIC 3 EURO
Slovenia regularly issues circulating bi-metallic 3 Euro commemorative
coins. The 32mm coins have a brass outer ring, a
copper-nickel center and a reeded edge. They
are legal tender within Slovenia and available at
their face value. The
2010
issue commemorates Slovenia's capital,
Ljubljana, as the UNESCO's World Book Capital 2010. It
features the
facade of Plecnik’s National Library and the outline of a scroll and a
book.
Item
SI-3E10
SLOVENIA 3 EUROS 2010 LJUBLJANA WORLD BOOK
CAPITAL, KM95 UNC. $9.95
LASTCOIN OF THE
KINGDOM OF YUGOSLAVIA

This 1938 10 Dinara is
one of the last coins of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. The
obverse of the 23mm nickel coin depicts the head of young King Peter
II. The reverse has the royal crown, denomination and date
within a wreath. Peter became king in 1934 at age 11 upon the
assassination of his father, King Alexander I. Though he was
opposed to Nazi Germany, his regent signed a pact that allied
Yugoslavia with the Nazis in 1941. Two days later a British
supported coup overthrew the regency and proclaimed the 17 year old
Peter to be of age and in control of Yugoslavia. Hitler
responded by attacking and quickly conquering Yugoslavia.
Peter escaped by climbing down a drainpipe. He never returned
to his homeland. He made his way to London, then after the war lived in
the United States, eventually working in a Los Angeles Savings and Loan
before he died in 1970.
Item
YU-10D38 YUGOSLAVIA 10 DINARA 1938 KM22 XF-AU
$3.50
FEDERAL
PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF
YUGOSLAVIA

Following World War II, Yugoslavia
changed its name to The Federal People’s Republic of
Yugoslavia. The communist nation, under the control of Josip
Tito, steered an independent course from the Soviet Union. It
issued one series of coins before changing its name to the Socialist
Federal Republic in 1963. Starting in 1991 the country
completely collapsed into the independent nations of
Serbia,
Slovenia,
Croatia,
Macedonia,
Bosnia-Herzegovina,
and
Montenegro. The coins
include the aluminum 50 Para, 1, 2 and 5
Dinars dated 1953 and the attractive aluminum-bronze 10, 20 and 50
Dinars dated 1955. The coin features the emblem of Yugoslavia
on the obverse of each coin. All coins are Uncirculated.
Item
YUGO-SET55 YUGOSLAVIA 7 COIN SET, 50 PARA- 50
DINARS, 1953-1955, UNC. $6.00
COINS
FROM YUGOSLAVIA'S HYPER-INFLATION
In the 1990's Yugoslavia
underwent a complete collapse as the country broke into five separate
nations and inflation soared. Prices sometimes more than doubled within
a day! To keep up with inflation Yugoslavia had to keep
introducing new coins and currency. In early 1993 more new
coins and currency were introduced, with 1 new Dinara equal to 1
Million 1992 Dinara. The new coins featured the national
emblem on one side and the denomination on the other. 1, 2, 50, 10, 50
and 100 Dinara coins were issued, however they circulated only briefly.
Due to raging inflation they were soon virtually worthless.
Item
YU-SET93 YUGOSLAVIA
6 COIN SET, 1 - 100 DINARA 1993 KM154-159 BU $5.00
ALSO SEE:
COINS &
CURRENCY OF EAST GERMANY
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