Batzen Coin: From the Bernese Bear to Swiss Billon
Illustrated Specimen Details: 1 Batzen (10 Rappen) Example Specimen: 1 batzen or 10 rappen, 1810 (Canton of Lucerne, Switzerland) Authority & Heraldry: Issued by the Canton of Lucerne, a German-speaking canton in central Sw…
Collecting African Coins: The Story of the Nigerian Naira
Illustrated Specimen Details: 2 Naira Example Specimen: 2 naira, 2006 (Federal Republic of Nigeria) Authority & Heraldry: Issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). The coin features the National Assembly Complex in Abuj…
German East Africa Monetary System: From Pesa to Heller
Illustrated Specimen Details: 1 Pesa Example Specimen: 1 pesa, 1890 (German East Africa) Authority & Heraldry: Issued under the reign of Wilhelm II, the last German Emperor. The obverse features the small ("lesser"…
Malaysian Ringgit: From Spanish Dollars to Modern Coins
Illustrated Specimen Details: 1 Ringgit Example Specimen: 1 ringgit, 1992 (Malaysia) Authority & Heraldry: Issued by BANK NEGARA MALAYSIA (Central Bank of Malaysia). The coin features the hibiscus flower blossom ( bunga ra…
Ancient Chinese Currency: The Zhu and Wu Zhu Coinage
Illustrated Specimen Details: 50 Zhu (Daquan Wushi) Example Specimen: 50 zhu (Daquan Wushi), 9-23 AD (Chinese Empire, Xin dynasty) Authority & Heraldry: The coin features the stylized hieroglyphs 大 泉 五 十 (read right to lef…
Nigerian Kobo: Transition from Pound to Decimal Coin
Illustrated Specimen: 10 Kobo, Nigeria (1973) The specimen in the photo: 10 kobo, 1973 (Federal Republic of Nigeria) Obverse: Features two oil palm trees (Elaeis guineensis), the principal source of palm oil. The species origin…
Georgian Lari: From Ancient Colchis to Modern Currency
Illustrated Specimen: 1 Lari, Georgia (2006) The specimen in the photo: 1 lari, 2006 (Georgia) Obverse and Reverse: On both sides of the coin, an ancient Colchis coin is reproduced in the form of microelements — the image of a …
What is a Real? The 14th-Century Roots of a Royal Coin
Illustrated Specimen: 5 Réis, Azores (1901) The specimen in the photo: 5 réis, 1901 (Azores, Portuguese administration) Obverse: In the center, the denomination is indicated by the numeral 5 . The value of the coin is displayed…
Vatu: Vanuatu's Unique Coin Without Subdivisions
Illustrated Specimen Details: 10 Vatu of Vanuatu (1999) Example Specimen: 10 Vatu, 1999 (Republic of Vanuatu) Authority & Design: This circulating coin represents the national currency of the Republic of Vanuatu, an island …
Eswatini Currency Explained: The Lilangeni and Cents
Illustrated Specimen Details: 2 Emalangeni of Swaziland (2003) Example Specimen: 2 Emalangeni, 2003 (Kingdom of Swaziland) Authority & Design: This circulating coin represents the national currency of the Kingdom of Swazila…