DEAD NATIONS
COINS FROM NATIONS THAT NO LONGER EXIST
COIN OF THE NAZI
PUPPET
STATE OF
BOHEMIA & MORAVIA
Nazi Germany invaded Czechoslovakia in 1938, splitting the
country in three. In one portion they created a puppet state
called the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia. Coins were
minted only from 1941 to 1944. The coins all feature the Bohemian Lion
on the obverse. The 1 Korun has the denomination and linden
branches on the reverse. The 20 Haleru has wheat ears, a
sickle and the denomination on the reverse. The coins were minted
in the Lysa nad Labem Metal Furniture Factory. The coins are
zinc, so may have some white spots. It is an historic set
from a nation that existed briefly during World War II.
Item
BOH-1K BOHEMIA & MORAVIA 1 KORUN
COIN, 1941-44 KM4 VF-spots $6.00
SCARCE COIN OF DEMAK
SULTANATE
The
Demak Sultanate was founded about 1475 by Sultan Pangeran al Patah,
also known as Raden Patah. He was of Javanese nobility and his mother
may have been a Chinese princess who had been exiled from China.
His Sultanate was the first Muslim state in Java.
He quickly expanded his Sultanate to include most of the
northern coast of Java and southern Sumatra. This was
an important step in bringing Islam to what is now Indonesia.
The Sultan ruled until his death in 1518. The Sultanate
lasted about another 30 years, until it collapsed in a dynastic
feud. The Sultanate prospered through trade in spices, rice
and its control over Javanese trading ports. This
Pitis of Sultan Pangeran al Patah is one of the few
affordable coins of the Demak Sultanate. The uniface tin coin
is approximately 19mm to 20mm in diameter and grades Very Fine.
Item
DEMAK
DEMAK SULTANATE, TIN PITIS, PANGERAN AL PATAH 1475-1518 VF $19.50
BRITISH EAST
AFRICAN COIN FROM
THE SHORT REIGN OF EDWARD VIII
Edward
VIII reigned for less than a year in 1936, before he renounced the
throne in order that he could marry Mrs. Wallace Simpson, an American
divorcee. This bronze 10 Cents from British East Africa is
one of the few coins that were issued in the name of Edward VIII during
his brief reign. One side of the 30mm coin shows four elephant
tusks. The other shows the imperial crown and the name of the
monarch. The coin has a center hole to make it easy for
natives to carry it on a string and to make it easily distinguishable
from other coins. British East Africa is now the independent
nations of
Uganda,
Kenya,
Tanzania and
Somaliland.
Item
E.AF-ED8 EAST AFRICA 10 CENTS 1936
EDWARD VIII
KM14 Fine-VF
$3.00
FIRST COINS OF
EAST GERMANY
East Germany issued its first coins in 1948 while it was still under
the occupation of the Soviet Army. The coins consisted of the
aluminum 1, 5 and 10 Pfennig. The coins featured an ear of
grain and a cogwheel, which symbolized a communist "Workers' and
Farmers' state". The denomination was on the other
side. In 1952 a new series of aluminum 1, 5 and 10 Pfennig
coins
was introduced. The obverse showing the denomination was
basically unchanged, however the new reverse designs featured a
compass, hammer and two ears of grain. The compass
represented the intelligentsia, who were supposed to be leading the
workers (hammer) and farmers (grain). Most of the workers and
farmers that I know do not like the idea of being led by a bunch
of intelligentsia who have little idea of what life is like
in
"the real world". Perhaps that is a clue as to why so many
wanted
to escape from East Germany and why it later
collapsed. The
new designs were
issued only
two years: 1952 and 1953. After the reunification of Germany,
the East German coins were withdrawn from circulation and melted.
Item
EGER-SET48 EAST GERMANY 3 COIN SET 1 - 10
PFENNIG 1948-50 KM1-3 VF
$4.00
Item
EGER-SET52 EAST GERMANY 3 COIN SET 1 - 10
PFENNIG 1952-53 KM5-7 VF-XF $3.00
EAST GERMAN 5 MARK
COMMEMORATIVES
East
Germany issued an annual series of popular and well struck
non-circulating copper-nickel 5 Mark commemorative coins honoring
famous Germans and their achievements. The 29mm coin feature the emblem
of the German Democratic Republic on the obverse. The
denomination is repeated on the lettered edges of the coins.
The 125th anniversary of the birth of Wilhelm Conrad Rontgen
commemorated this 1970 issue which depicts his X-ray tube. He
was awarded the inaugural Nobel Prize in Physics in 1901 for his
discovery of X-rays. The 1971 issue marked the 400th
anniversary of the birth of Johannes Kepler. The design
reflects Kepler's theories regarding heliocentric planetary motions.
The 75th anniversary of the death of composer Johannes Brahms is the
theme of the 1972 issue. The design features musical
notes. The 100th anniversary of the death of physicist
Philipp Reis is honored on the 1974 issue. Reis invented a
telephone in 1861, pre-dating Alexander Graham Bell's telephone by more
than a decade. However, Reis's telephone was delicate, tricky
and produced inconsistent results. An image of his telephone
apparatus appears on the coin. The 200th Anniversary of the
birth of military officer Ferdinand von Schill is commemorated on the
1976 issue. In 1809 he led an unsuccessful revolt to liberate
the portions of Germany that were controlled by Napoleon. The
coin features his sword and military hat. The 125th
anniversary of the death of Friedrich Ludwig Jahn, the father of German
gymnastics, is on the 1977 issue. His portrait appears on the
coin.
Item
EGER-RONT70 EAST GERMAN 5 MARK 1970 RONTGEN KM26 BU $15.00
Item
EGER-KEPLER71 EAST GERMAN 5 MARK 1971 KEPLER KM30 BU $20.00
Item
EGER-BRAHMS72 EAST GERMAN 5 MARK 1972 BRAHAMS KM36.1 BU $17.00
Item
EGER-KEPLER74 EAST GERMAN 5 MARK 1974 REIS KM49 BU $15.00
Item
EGER-SCHILL76 EAST GERMAN 5 MARK 1976 VON SCHILL KM60 BU $15.00
Item
EGER-JAHN77 EAST GERMAN 5 MARK 1977 JAHN KM64 BU $15.00
SCARCE, FINAL
BANKNOTES OF
EAST GERMAN NOTES
These scarce 200 and 500 Mark East German notes are rarely seen in any
collections.
They are the highest denominations ever printed by East Germany and
were some of the last banknotes ever printed by East Germany. The
notes
were dated 1985, however the East German government
collapsed
before the notes were released into circulation. After the
collapse of East Germany the notes were put into storage in old
Nazi
bunkers. A very limited number of notes were "liberated" from a
bunker
by teenagers who found a hidden entrance to the bunker, before
the German government destroyed all of the remaining
notes.
The front of 200 Mark note features a family standing in front of a
government apartment complex. The back pictures a group of young school
children and their teacher. The 500 Mark
pictures
the East German Arms and the Staatsrat building in Berlin.
Item
PM-EGER-SET2 EAST GERMANY 200 & 500
MARK NOTES, 1985 P32 & P33, AU-UNC. $45.00
SCARCE
SILVER
COIN OF THE KATHIRI STATE OF SEIYUN AND TARIM
The
Kathiri Sultans controlled the towns of Seiyun and Tarim in what is
now Yemen. After losing much of their territory to rival tribes they
agreed to become a British Protectorate. Seiyun was the capital, and
Tarim is a major center of Islamic learning. In 1897 they had
this silver 12 Khumsi coins struck at the Heaton Mint for their
territory. The coin is all in Arabic, except for the Heaton
mintmark and are dated AH1315. 12 Khumsi was
equivalent to
1/10 Riyal. The coin is 18mm in diameter. It is a rarely seen coin from
a now forgotten nation.
Item
SEIYUN-12K
KATHIRI STATE OF SEIYUN & TARIM 12
KHUMSI AH1315=1897AD KM216 F-VF
$45.00
KATANGA
COIN FEATURES TRADITIONAL FORM OF WEALTH
A bloody
civil war broke out in the
Belgian
Congo upon it gaining independence from Belgium in
1960. Katanga, a mineral rich province in the south, declared
itself independent from the rest of the
Congo.
Various factions were
supported by the United States and the Soviet Union, while the United
Nations tried to negotiate a truce. This Uncirculated 1961 1
Franc 1961 was issued only a single year. Shortly thereafter
Katanga was
forcibly reunited with the Congo. The coin displays the
country's traditional form of money, the Katanga Cross, on one side of
the coins. A bunch of bananas is shown on the other.
Item
KAT-1 KATANGA 1 FRANC
KM1 1961 UNC. $5.00
UNUSUAL FIBER
COINS FROM WWII JAPANESE OCCUPATION OF CHINA
Manchukuo was a Japanese puppet state carved out of Northeastern China
prior to World War II. Due to a severe metal shortage towards
the end of the war, it issued these unusual 1 Fen and 5 Fen coins
struck in a thick, red material rather than metal. The coins are dated
in the year of the reign of Emperor Kang Te of
Manchukuo. Kang Te was formerly known as Pu Yi, who
was the last Emperor of China until he was deposed in 1911. The
Japanese used him as the figurehead leader for Manchukuo. The
1 Fen struck only a single year; 1945. The 5 Fen was struck
in 1944 and 1945. Because the material used was relatively
soft, the
coins show considerable wear. These historic World War II coins are
some of the few circulating non-metallic coins of the 20th century.
Item
MAN-5F MANCHUKUO 5 FEN 1944-45 YA13a AG-G $5.00
Item
MAN-1F MANCHUKUO 1 FEN 1945 Y13a
AG-G $5.00
WORLD WAR II SILVER DIME FROM
NEWFOUNDLAND
These
silver 10 cents were struck for Newfoundland during World War II. At
the time Newfoundland was in a state of political and economic
turmoil. It was without a functioning
parliament. The Newfoundland 10 Cents features King
George VI on the obverse. The denomination, date and name of
the nation are on the reverse.
Item
NEWF-10C NEWFOUNDLAND 10 CENTS 1941-1945 VF $7.00
TIN PITIS FROM THE
SULTANATE OF
PALEMBANG
Palembang
is one of the oldest cities in Indonesia. It is located on
the Musi river on the island of Sumatra. The Sultanate of
Palembang was established in the early 17th century by Javanese nobles
fleeing from dynastic intrigues after the collapse of the Sultanate of
Demak. It soon
became the
one of the greatest agricultural and trade centers in the Malay
area. This undated tin Pitis was issued by the Sultanate of
Palembang between 1710 and 1778. The uniface coin has crude
Malay-Arabic inscriptions around a center hole.
Item
PALEMBANG
PALEMBANG TIN PITIS 1710-1778 (Millies 202) Fine-VF
$5.00
UNCIRCULATED
1927 PALESTINE
COINS
This
set includes the first coins issued by the British Mandate of Palestine
in Uncirculated condition.
Great
Britain gained control of Palestine from the
Ottoman Empire after
World War I. It
issued its first coins for Palestine in 1927, including these
1 and 2 Mils
coins. Both coins are bronze and have similar designs. In
order to satisfy the Jews and Arabs in the territory, as well as their
British rulers, the coins have their legends in three different
languages, Arabic, English and Hebrew and the date in both the AD and
AH calendar. An olive branch, representing peace, is on the
reverses of both coins. In 1948 the Mandate was dissolved
with most of the territory going to the newly declared
State of Israel.
The 1
Mil is 21mm and the 2 Mils is 28mm. Both coins still retain
most of their original bright mint luster.
Item
PS-SET2U PALESTINE 1 & 2 MILS 1927 KM1
&
2 UNC.
$55.00
TRI-LINGUAL COIN OF BRITISH
PALESTINE
Great
Britain gained control of Palestine from the Ottoman Empire after World
War I. It did not issue issue its first coins for Palestine until
1927. In order to satisfy the Jews and Arabs in the
territory, as well as their British rulers, the bronze 1 Mil coins have
their legends in three different languages, Arabic, English and Hebrew
and the date in both the AD and AH calendar. An olive branch,
representing peace, is on the reverse. In 1948 the British
Mandate of Palestine was dissolved and most of the territory became the
newly declared State of Israel. Britain only sporadically
minted the 1 Mil coin for Palestine: 1927, 1935, 1937, 1939, 1940
(rare), 1941, 1942, 1943, 1944, 1946 and 1947 (very rare - all but 5
melted). We are pleased to offer the 1939 1 Mil, minted the
year World War II started in Europe and Palestine was being flooded
with Jewish refugees fleeing the Holocaust in Europe. We also
offer a set of nine different dates of Palestine 1 Mils:
1927, 1935, 1937, 1939, 1941, 1942, 1943, 1944 & 1946, no 1940 or
1947.
Item
PS-1M-39 PALESTINE 1 MIL 1939 KM1 VF-XF
$4.00
Item
PS-1M-SET SET OF 9 PALESTINE 1 MIL 1927-1946 KM1 VF-XF
$29.75
PORTUGUESE
GUINEA CELEBRATES ITS DISCOVERY
In
1946 Portuguese Guinea, now Guinea-Bissau,
issued this bronze 1 Escudo
commemorating the 500th anniversary its "discovery" in 1446 by
Portuguese slave trader Nuno Tristao. It was the first and one of the
only commemorative coins for any of Portugal's many colonies.
The coin features the arms of Portuguese Guinea. The reverse
had the denomination and dates 1446-1946. Until the mid-19th century
slave trading was the primary business of Portuguese Guinea. . The
local African rulers sold slaves to the Portuguese who had two outposts
on the coasst. The Portuguese would then ship them to Brazil. Portugal
granted Guinea-Bissau independence in 1974. The coin is
Uncirculated, though may have some minor toning or tiny spots.
Item
PORTGW-7 PORTUGUESE GUINEA 1 ESCUDO 1946 KM7 UNC.
$12.00
THE END OF PORTUGUESE INDIA
Portuguese
explorer Vasco da Gama first visited India in 1498. Portugal was the
first European nation to establish colonies in India, and for many
years enjoyed a profitable monopoly on European trade with
India. With the coming of the British and Dutch in the 17th
century, Portuguese power declined, until all that was left were three
minor outposts.. In 1961 India forcibly annexed
them. The copper-nickel 60 Centavos 1n 1 Escudo were struck
only two years: 1958 and 1959. Both coins have
similar designs, with the arms of Portugal on one side and the arms of
Portuguese India on the other. They are some of the last
coins of Portuguese India.
Item
IN-PORT-SET2 PORTUGUESE INDIA 60 CENTAVOS & 1 ESCUDO
1958-59 KM32 & KM33 VF-XF
$6.00
KISSING GIRAFFES AND DANCING
ELEPHANTS
FROM RHODESIA & NYASALAND
Great
Britain issued a joint coinage for their African colonies of Rhodesia
and Nyasaland, which are now the independent countries of
Zambia,
Malawi and
Zimbabwe.
The 1958 Rhodesian and Nysaland bronze Half Penny
depicts a pair of giraffes which appear to be kissing. The
bronze 1962 penny a pair of elephants that appear to be dancing!
Both coins are made with a center hole. The
reverses
have the name of the colonies, denomination and date.
Item
R+N-1/2P RHODESIA &
NYASALAND 1/2 PENNY 1958 KM1 BU
$4.00
Item
R+N-1/2Px5 5 of the above
RHODESIA
&
NYASALAND 1/2 PENNY 1958 KM2 BU
$14.00
Item
R+N-1P RHODESIA &
NYASALAND 1 PENNY 1962 KM2 BU
$5.00
Item
R+N-1Px5 5 of the above RHODESIA
&
NYASALAND 1 PENNY 1962 KM2 BU
$18.00
UNCIRCULATED 1/2
CENT OF THE WHITE
RAJAH OF SARAWAK
Sarawak
was a privately-owned nation ruled by the Brooke family. The Sultan of
Brunei awarded it to the English adventurer James Brooke in 1841 for
his help in putting down a rebellion, thus he became the first "White
Rajah" of Sarawak. The throne eventually passed down to his
grand-nephew Charles Vynar Brooke in 1917. In 1933 he issued
this bronze 1/2 Cent. The coin was stuck only a single
year. The 18mm coin depicts his head on the obverse and the
denomination on the reverse. The coin was struck at the Heaton mint in
England and has a mintage of 2 Million pieces. Due to the
heavy destruction suffered during World War II, Charles ceded the
country to Great Britain in 1946. It is now part of Malaysia.
This is a scarce, high-grade coin issued by an English family that
controlled an entire Asian nation.
Item
SAR-20 SARAWAK 1/2 CENT 1933 KM20 UNC.-toned $49.75
OLD
COIN FROM FAR OFF TIBET
Tibet is a fabled and
isolated country located
high in the Himalayas that is now controlled by China. This copper 1
Sho coin was issued from 1918 to 1928. It features a snow
lion on one side and inscriptions on the other. The
Snow Lion is a mythological animal that represents cheerfulness and
clarity of thought.
Item
TIB-SHO TIBET 1 SHO 1918-1928
Y21variety F-VF $5.00
Item
TIB-SHOx10 10 pieces of TIBET 1 SHO
1918-1928 F-VF $39.75
SUN AND MOON TIBETAN
COINS
These copper 5 Sho coins were some of the last coins minted by Tibet
before they were invaded by China. The coin features a Snow
Lion standing in front of the mountains on one side and inscriptions on
the other. The coin comes in two major
varieties. The first, dating 1947 to 1949 features two suns,
one on either side of the tallest mountain. The second,
dating 1950 to 1953 shows a moon and the sun next to the
mountain. Both are a reminder of this fabled and isolated
nation located high in the Himalayas.
Item
TIB-5S-SS TIBET 5 SHO 1947-49, 2 SUNS, Y28.1
F-VF out
Item
TIB-5S-MS TIBET 5 SHO 1950-53, MOON &
SUN, Y28a F-VF
$12.00
SILVER DENAR OF TRANSYLVANIA
This
silver Dener of Transylvania was struck for Gabriel Bethlen. Bethlen
became the Prince Transylvania in 1613 with support from the Ottoman
Empire. His reign marked the start of a golden age for
Transylvania. He developed mines and industry, founded a
college and supported the arts. He nationalized much of the foreign
trade, profits of which helped support his many programs. He
was Calvinist, and waged three wars against the Catholic
Hapsburgs. In 1620 he was elected King of Hungary.
After a string of military defeats by Hapsburg forces, he renounced the
title in 1621 in return for guarantees of religious freedom for
Hungarian Protestants.. The obverse depicts the Madonna and
Child. The reverse has the arms of
Hungary. The slightly irregular coin is approximately 13mm. The coins dated
1620 or 1621 were struck at struck at the Kremnica Mint (KB) and
show virtually no wear.
Item
TRANSY-1620 TRANSYLVANIA 1 DENAR 1620 KM120
XF-AU $75.00
Item
TRANSY-1621 TRANSYLVANIA 1 DENAR 1621 KM120
XF-AU $75.00
Item
TRANSY-1626 TRANSYLVANIA 1 DENAR 1626 KM162
VF $65.00
LAST
COIN OF SOUTH VIETNAM
This 1974 10 Dong coin was the last
circulating coin issued by South Vietnam before it fell on April 30,
1975. The 24mm brass-plated steel coin was issued as part of
the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization's (F.A.O.) Coin
program. The program created awareness of the F.A.O.,
encouraged people to work towards eliminating food insecurity and raise
funds for F.A.O. and related programs. The reverse of the
coin features two farmers in a rice paddy with an inscription which
translates "Increase in food production of agricultural
products". The obverse features the denomination.
Item
SVN-10D SOUTH VIETNAM 10 DONG FAO 1974 UNC. $4.00
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
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The
Demak Sultanate was founded about 1475 by Sultan Pangeran al Patah,
also known as Raden Patah. He was of Javanese nobility and his mother
may have been a Chinese princess who had been exiled from China.
His Sultanate was the first Muslim state in Java.
He quickly expanded his Sultanate to include most of the
northern coast of Java and southern Sumatra. This was
an important step in bringing Islam to what is now Indonesia.
The Sultan ruled until his death in 1518. The Sultanate
lasted about another 30 years, until it collapsed in a dynastic
feud. The Sultanate prospered through trade in spices, rice
and its control over Javanese trading ports. This
Pitis of Sultan Pangeran al Patah is one of the few
affordable coins of the Demak Sultanate. The uniface tin coin
is approximately 19mm to 20mm in diameter and grades Very Fine.
Edward
VIII reigned for less than a year in 1936, before he renounced the
throne in order that he could marry Mrs. Wallace Simpson, an American
divorcee. This bronze 10 Cents from British East Africa is
one of the few coins that were issued in the name of Edward VIII during
his brief reign. One side of the 30mm coin shows four elephant
tusks. The other shows the imperial crown and the name of the
monarch. The coin has a center hole to make it easy for
natives to carry it on a string and to make it easily distinguishable
from other coins. British East Africa is now the independent
nations of Uganda,
Kenya, Tanzania and Somaliland. 
East
Germany issued an annual series of popular and well struck
non-circulating copper-nickel 5 Mark commemorative coins honoring
famous Germans and their achievements. The 29mm coin feature the emblem
of the German Democratic Republic on the obverse. The
denomination is repeated on the lettered edges of the coins.
The 125th anniversary of the birth of Wilhelm Conrad Rontgen
commemorated this 1970 issue which depicts his X-ray tube. He
was awarded the inaugural Nobel Prize in Physics in 1901 for his
discovery of X-rays. The 1971 issue marked the 400th
anniversary of the birth of Johannes Kepler. The design
reflects Kepler's theories regarding heliocentric planetary motions.
The 75th anniversary of the death of composer Johannes Brahms is the
theme of the 1972 issue. The design features musical
notes. The 100th anniversary of the death of physicist
Philipp Reis is honored on the 1974 issue. Reis invented a
telephone in 1861, pre-dating Alexander Graham Bell's telephone by more
than a decade. However, Reis's telephone was delicate, tricky
and produced inconsistent results. An image of his telephone
apparatus appears on the coin. The 200th Anniversary of the
birth of military officer Ferdinand von Schill is commemorated on the
1976 issue. In 1809 he led an unsuccessful revolt to liberate
the portions of Germany that were controlled by Napoleon. The
coin features his sword and military hat. The 125th
anniversary of the death of Friedrich Ludwig Jahn, the father of German
gymnastics, is on the 1977 issue. His portrait appears on the
coin.
The
Kathiri Sultans controlled the towns of Seiyun and Tarim in what is
now Yemen. After losing much of their territory to rival tribes they
agreed to become a British Protectorate. Seiyun was the capital, and
Tarim is a major center of Islamic learning. In 1897 they had
this silver 12 Khumsi coins struck at the Heaton Mint for their
territory. The coin is all in Arabic, except for the Heaton
mintmark and are dated AH1315. 12 Khumsi was
equivalent to
1/10 Riyal. The coin is 18mm in diameter. It is a rarely seen coin from
a now forgotten nation.
These
silver 10 cents were struck for Newfoundland during World War II. At
the time Newfoundland was in a state of political and economic
turmoil. It was without a functioning
parliament. The Newfoundland 10 Cents features King
George VI on the obverse. The denomination, date and name of
the nation are on the reverse. 
Palembang
is one of the oldest cities in Indonesia. It is located on
the Musi river on the island of Sumatra. The Sultanate of
Palembang was established in the early 17th century by Javanese nobles
fleeing from dynastic intrigues after the collapse of the Sultanate of Demak. It soon
became the
one of the greatest agricultural and trade centers in the Malay
area. This undated tin Pitis was issued by the Sultanate of
Palembang between 1710 and 1778. The uniface coin has crude
Malay-Arabic inscriptions around a center hole. 
This
set includes the first coins issued by the British Mandate of Palestine
in Uncirculated condition. Great
Britain gained control of Palestine from the Ottoman Empire after World War I. It
issued its first coins for Palestine in 1927, including these
1 and 2 Mils
coins. Both coins are bronze and have similar designs. In
order to satisfy the Jews and Arabs in the territory, as well as their
British rulers, the coins have their legends in three different
languages, Arabic, English and Hebrew and the date in both the AD and
AH calendar. An olive branch, representing peace, is on the
reverses of both coins. In 1948 the Mandate was dissolved
with most of the territory going to the newly declared State of Israel.
The 1
Mil is 21mm and the 2 Mils is 28mm. Both coins still retain
most of their original bright mint luster.
Great
Britain gained control of Palestine from the Ottoman Empire after World
War I. It did not issue issue its first coins for Palestine until
1927. In order to satisfy the Jews and Arabs in the
territory, as well as their British rulers, the bronze 1 Mil coins have
their legends in three different languages, Arabic, English and Hebrew
and the date in both the AD and AH calendar. An olive branch,
representing peace, is on the reverse. In 1948 the British
Mandate of Palestine was dissolved and most of the territory became the
newly declared State of Israel. Britain only sporadically
minted the 1 Mil coin for Palestine: 1927, 1935, 1937, 1939, 1940
(rare), 1941, 1942, 1943, 1944, 1946 and 1947 (very rare - all but 5
melted). We are pleased to offer the 1939 1 Mil, minted the
year World War II started in Europe and Palestine was being flooded
with Jewish refugees fleeing the Holocaust in Europe. We also
offer a set of nine different dates of Palestine 1 Mils:
1927, 1935, 1937, 1939, 1941, 1942, 1943, 1944 & 1946, no 1940 or
1947. 
In
1946 Portuguese Guinea, now Guinea-Bissau,
issued this bronze 1 Escudo
commemorating the 500th anniversary its "discovery" in 1446 by
Portuguese slave trader Nuno Tristao. It was the first and one of the
only commemorative coins for any of Portugal's many colonies.
The coin features the arms of Portuguese Guinea. The reverse
had the denomination and dates 1446-1946. Until the mid-19th century
slave trading was the primary business of Portuguese Guinea. . The
local African rulers sold slaves to the Portuguese who had two outposts
on the coasst. The Portuguese would then ship them to Brazil. Portugal
granted Guinea-Bissau independence in 1974. The coin is
Uncirculated, though may have some minor toning or tiny spots. 
Portuguese
explorer Vasco da Gama first visited India in 1498. Portugal was the
first European nation to establish colonies in India, and for many
years enjoyed a profitable monopoly on European trade with
India. With the coming of the British and Dutch in the 17th
century, Portuguese power declined, until all that was left were three
minor outposts.. In 1961 India forcibly annexed
them. The copper-nickel 60 Centavos 1n 1 Escudo were struck
only two years: 1958 and 1959. Both coins have
similar designs, with the arms of Portugal on one side and the arms of
Portuguese India on the other. They are some of the last
coins of Portuguese India.
Sarawak
was a privately-owned nation ruled by the Brooke family. The Sultan of
Brunei awarded it to the English adventurer James Brooke in 1841 for
his help in putting down a rebellion, thus he became the first "White
Rajah" of Sarawak. The throne eventually passed down to his
grand-nephew Charles Vynar Brooke in 1917. In 1933 he issued
this bronze 1/2 Cent. The coin was stuck only a single
year. The 18mm coin depicts his head on the obverse and the
denomination on the reverse. The coin was struck at the Heaton mint in
England and has a mintage of 2 Million pieces. Due to the
heavy destruction suffered during World War II, Charles ceded the
country to Great Britain in 1946. It is now part of Malaysia.
This is a scarce, high-grade coin issued by an English family that
controlled an entire Asian nation.
Tibet is a fabled and
isolated country located
high in the Himalayas that is now controlled by China. This copper 1
Sho coin was issued from 1918 to 1928. It features a snow
lion on one side and inscriptions on the other. The
Snow Lion is a mythological animal that represents cheerfulness and
clarity of thought.
This 1974 10 Dong coin was the last
circulating coin issued by South Vietnam before it fell on April 30,
1975. The 24mm brass-plated steel coin was issued as part of
the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization's (F.A.O.) Coin
program. The program created awareness of the F.A.O.,
encouraged people to work towards eliminating food insecurity and raise
funds for F.A.O. and related programs. The reverse of the
coin features two farmers in a rice paddy with an inscription which
translates "Increase in food production of agricultural
products". The obverse features the denomination. 
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