INTERESTING MODERN WORLD COINS

COIN FROM TINY ANDORRA

The Principality of Andorra is a tiny nation on the border of France and Spain that is nominally ruled by the Bishop of Urgell and the President of France.  It was originally granted a charter by Charlemagne.  In 988 Andorra was given to the Bishop of Urgell.  In 1095, in exchange for military protection, the Bishop signed a treaty with the Lord of Caboet, making them both co-sovereigns of Andorra.  Eventually that part of the title passed to President of France. In 1999 Andorra issued this 22mm aluminum 1 Centim coin as part of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization’s coin program. One side depicts the winged figure of Ceres delivering wheat.  The other side has the denomination and the titles of the Bishop of Urgell.  Though Andorra is not a Euro member, it has the right to issue a limited number of Euro coins due to pre-existing treaties with Spain and France.  

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MORE COINS FROM TINY ANDORRA

The Principality of Andorra is a tiny nation on the border of France and Spain that is nominally ruled by the Bishop of Urgell and the President of France.  It was originally granted a charter by Charlemagne in 805AD in exchange for providing 5000 troops to fight the Moors in Spain.  In 988 Andorra was given to the Bishop of Urgell.  In 1095, in exchange for military protection, the Bishop signed a treaty with the Lord of Caboet, making them both co-sovereigns of Andorra.  Eventually that part of the title passed to President of France.  In 2002 it issued aluminum 27mm aluminum 1 Centim coins.  One coin depicts Charlemagne.   The other coin depicts the native Pyrenean Chamois (Isard in French). The Chamois was almost hunted to extinction for the production of chamois leather by the 1940’s, but since then the population has recovered.   The arms of Andorra are on the obverse of both coins.

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CAMEROON COIN CAN HONOR YOUR WEDDING OR ANNIVERSARY 

A pair of wedding rings and Champaign glasses are featured on these Cameroon 7500 Franc coins dated 2006. Below the rings is a blank area where you can engrave names, initials or dates to honor your engagement, wedding or anniversary. The reverse features an elephant head and a map of Africa. The 30mm coin is available both in silver-plated or gold-plated brass. It is an interesting “customizable” coin.

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LAST COINS OF FRANCE'S 4th REPUBLIC

France's 4th Republic lasted from only 1946 until 1958. It was a period of political instability due to the nature of its parliamentary system.  There were 21 administrations during its short twelve-year history. In 1958, Charles DeGaulle, with support of the Army, dissolved the 4th Republic and created the 5th Republic with a strong President.  He then served as its first President until resigning in 1969.  This 1957 1 Franc and 1958 2 Franc are some of the last coins of France's Fourth Republic.  The designs are the same as those of the pre-war World War II 1 and 2 Franc coins of the Third Republic which featured the head of Marianne, the national symbol of France on the obverse, and two cornucopias, the denomination and date on the reverse. In 1960 France did a 100 to 1 revaluation of the Franc and the coins were withdrawn from circulation.

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OLD UNCIRCULATED GREEK COINS

In 1953 Greece did major currency reform that included a 1000 to 1 revaluation of their currency.  In 1954 Greece issued their first coins since 1930. These coins included the aluminum 5 and 10 Lepta.  The obverses of both coins feature a wreath around a center hole.  The royal crown sits above the hole.  The reverse of the 5 Lepta includes wheat ears next to the hole.   The 10 Lepta depicts a bunch of grapes above the hole.  Both coins were struck at the Bern mint in Switzerland.

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LAST COINS OF THE KINGDOM OF GREECE

On April 21, 1967 a group of colonels overthrew the civilian Greek government.  The right wing military junta, also known as "The Regime of the Colonels" placed restrictions on civil liberties, and imprisoned, tortured and exiled political opponents They claimed they were doing it to stop communism.  Initially Greek King Constantine did little to oppose the coup.  In December he attempted a poorly executed counter coup which failed and the king fled the country.  In an effort to claim some legitimacy, the military junta continued to rule the country in the king's name.  In 1973 a referendum abolished the monarchy and established Greece as a Republic.  This 9-coin set dating from 1971 to 1973 contains the last coins struck while Greece was still officially a kingdom, though one without the king in the country.  The aluminum 5, 10 and 20 Lepta dated 1971 continued the same designs that had been used since 1954.  The aluminum coins have a center hole. The royal crown and a wreath are on the obverse.  The 5 Lepta has wheat ears; the 10 Lepta grapes and the 20 Lepta has an olive branch on the reverse, reflecting some of Greece's major agricultural products.   The 1, 2 and 5 Drachma dated 1971 or 1973 portray king Constantine on the obverse, and the junta's soldier and phoenix emblem on the reverse.  Below the emblem is the date of the coup.  The 1973 20 Drachma features the emblem of the junta on one side and Selene, goddess of the Moon, riding sidesaddle on a horse that is rearing up and a dolphin jumping out of the water on the other side.   New aluminum 10 and 20 Lepta coins were issued in 1973.  Both feature the junta's "soldier and phoenix" emblem on the obverse.  The 10 Lepta has two dolphins and a trident on the reverse, the 20 Lepta has an olive branch on the reverse.   New designs were introduced for all the coins during 1973 after the monarchy was formally abolished.   The coins are now difficult to find.

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BIRTH OF CHRIST

Isle of Man celebrated the 2000th anniversary of the birth of Christ with this attractive 1997 1 Crown.  The coin depicts Mary holding baby Jesus surrounded by angels. The Raphael David Maklouf portrait of Queen Elizabeth is on the obverse of the 38.6mm copper-nickel coin. 

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ITALY'S FAMOUS "FLYING NUDE WOMAN"

At the urging of King Victor Emmanuel III, who was an active numismatist, Italy introduced a new nickel 20 Centesimi in 1908.  It is considered one of the most aesthetically stunning and innovative coin designs of the early 20th century.  The design by celebrated artist Leonardo Bistolfi was done in the flowing Italian Art Nouveau style.  The obverse of the features the head of Italia, the personification of Italy, holding a wheat sprig, a traditional symbol of agriculture and abundance.  The reverse features a flying figure of Liberty, with her few remaning clothes billowing off.  Below is the arms of the House of Savoy.  The coin was minted for circulation in Rome mint from 1908 to 1914 and 1919 to 1922

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UNUSUAL PALAU GOLD COINS

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STAR TREK COIN FEATURES CAPTAINS KIRK & PICARD

Star Trek Captains James T. Kirk and Jean-Luc Picard are featured on this 1995 Liberian 1 Dollar coin.  The coin was supposed to be released as part of the merchandising connected with the Star Trek Generations movie. Due to a problem connected with distribution rights, the coin was never officially released in the United States. The movie featured both Captain Kirk in The Original Star Trek television series and Captain Piccard of the Star Trek Next Generation television series.  The movie attempted to serve as a connection between the two series. The reverse of the 38.6mm copper-nickel coin depicts the Liberian coat of arms that includes a sailing ship.

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LEONARDO DA VINCI ART ON SIERRA LEONE DOLLAR

Art of Leonardo da Vinci is featured on this copper-nickel 1 Dollar coin of Sierra Leone.  At the center is his famous Vitruvian Man, which depicts the portions of a perfect man.   To the right is his signature.  Surrounding the Vitruvian Man is a depiction of The Last Supper.  Beneath are the hands from his famed Mona Lisa painting.  The obverse of the 38.6mm coin features the Sierra Leone coat of arms.

Item SL-VINCI SIERRA LEONE 1 DOLLAR 2006 LEONARDO DA VINCI KM405 BU $9.75

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500th ANNIVERSARY ST. PETER'S BASILICA

The 500th anniversary of the laying the foundation stone of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome is commemorated on this 2006 copper-nickel 1 Dollar coin from Sierra Leone.   The coin depicts the basilica framed by two angels with Pope Benedict XVI and St. Peter in the background.  Architect Donato Bramante and a stonecutter are in the foreground. It is built over the grave of St. Peter and is considered the largest most important church of the Catholic faith.  It was started in in 1506 but not completed until 120 years later in 1626, after undergoing numerous design changes during its construction.     The 38.6mm coin features the Sierra Leone coat of arms on the obverse.

Item SL-PETER06 SIERRA LEONE 1 DOLLAR 2006 ST. PETER'S BASILICA KM403 BU $7.50

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OLD UNCIRCULATED SPANISH COIN WITH ANCIENT HORSEMAN

This Uncirculated aluminum 1953 Spanish 10 Centesimos features a warrior carrying a lance on horseback.  The design, called the Iberian Horseman or Iberian Rider, is based on ancient Celtic silver coins struck by a number of cities on the Iberian Peninsula from the mid-2nd Century through the early 1st Century BC.  The reverse has the Spanish coat of arms and the denomination.  1953 was the last year the coin was minted.

Item ES-10C53 SPAIN 10 CENTESIMOS 1953 KM766 UNC. $4.00

Item ES-10C53x10 10 of the above SPAIN 10 CENTESIMOS 1953 UNC. $20.00

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BRITISH HEROES COINS INCLUDE MULTI-COLORED BRITISH FLAG 

Heroes of Great Britain are featured this five coin set from the tiny British possession of Tristan da Cunha.  Each of the five gold-plated 38.6mm 1 Crown coins includes an embedded red, white and blue Union Jack of the United Kingdom. The 5 coin set contains an individually serial numbered coin featuring “The Lone Soldier”, a memorial to the fallen.  Battle of Britain pilots Douglas Badar and Keith Parks, along with their airplanes, are each featured on their own coin.  British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, along with World War II aircraft is on the fourth coin.  Horatio Nelson, hero of the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, and his ship, is on the fifth coin.  Queen Elizabeth is on the obverse of each of the 2010 dated coins. The coins are Brilliant Uncirculated.

Item TDC-HEROES5 TRISTAN DA CUNHA 5 COIN BRITISH HEROES SET, BU $39.50

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THE TRUMP DOLLAR

This 2026 United States 1 Dollar coin depicts President Donald Trump on the obverse.  The reverse is based on the Frank Gasparro's design for the reverse of the half dollar used since 1964, but with 250 emblazed on the shield. The coin is of questionable legality because the United States has laws preventing living people appearing on its currency.  The coin is not being released into general circulation nor included in the annual mint or proof sets. It is sold by the mint in rolls and bags at a large premium above face value.  The coin was  struck only at the Philadelphia mint.

TRUMP 2019 DOLLARS FANTASY BANKNOTE

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