French Regional Issues: The Miniature Silver Carolus Coin
Illustrated Specimen Details: Billon Half Carolus Example Specimen: ½ carolus, 1576 (Free City of Besançon) Authority & Heraldry: The obverse features a crowned portrait of the Emperor surrounded by the legend CAROLVS V IMP…
First Unified Chinese Coin: Ban Liang History and Value
Illustrated Specimen Details: Bronze Ban Liang Example Specimen: Ban liang, 180-157 BC (Chinese Empire - Western Han) Authority & Heraldry: This uniface round coin with a square hole in the center was issued during the reig…
Tauride Coins (1787-1788): The Rare Copper Kopecks
Illustrated Specimen Details: Tauride Coins Example Specimen: 2 kopecks, 1788 (Russian Empire — Tauride Mint) Visual Assessment & Rarity: At first glance, the photo shows an extremely common Russian copper coin of the 18th …
Nuevo Peso: Transitional Coin (Uruguay & Mexico)
Illustrated Specimen Details: Nuevo Peso Example Specimen: 5 nuevos pesos, 1980 (Oriental Republic of Uruguay) Heraldry & Design: This copper-nickel coin is dedicated to the national symbols of Uruguay. The obverse features…
Chinthe Lion on Coins: Identifying the Burmese Pe
Illustrated Specimen Details: Pe Example Specimen: 1/4 pe, 1879 (Burmese Empire / modern Myanmar) Authority & Heraldry: This copper coin was struck under Thibaw Min (also spelled Thebaw), the last reigning monarch of the Ko…
World's Most Popular Denomination: Cent Coin
Illustrated Specimen Details: Cent Example Specimen: 1 cent, 1908 (Canada) Authority & Heraldry: This bronze cent was struck during the reign of Edward VII, King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor …
From Persia to Afghanistan: Evolution of the Shahi Coin
Illustrated Specimen Details: Shahi Example Specimen: 3 shahi, 1920 (Emirate of Afghanistan) Authority & Heraldry: This copper coin was issued under Ghazi Amanullah Khan, the sovereign of Afghanistan who ruled first as Emir…
Pre-Decimal Half Crown: British Commonwealth Coinage
Illustrated Specimen Details: Half Crown Example Specimen: Half crown, 1958 (United Kingdom) Authority & Heraldry: This specimen features the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, who ruled the United Kingdom and other Commonweal…
Cuarto Denomination: Regional Coins of Catalonia
Illustrated Specimen Details: Cuarto Example Specimen: 3 cuartos, 1837 (Principality of Catalonia, Spain) Authority & Heraldry: This copper coin originates from the Principality of Catalonia, a medieval and early modern sta…
Taiwanese Currency: Understanding the New Dollar
Illustrated Specimen Details: New Dollar Example Specimen: 10 new dollars, 2011 (Republic of China, Taiwan) Authority & Heraldry: This copper-nickel coin from the Republic of China (Taiwan) features the portrait of Sun Yat-…