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…
Coins of Divided Vietnam: Understanding the Xu and Su
Illustrated Specimen Details: 5 Xu of the Republic of Vietnam (1975) Example Specimen: 5 Xu, ND circa 1975 (Republic of Vietnam) Authority & Design: This non-dated (ND) circulating coin was issued by the Republic of Vietnam…
From Portuguese Gold to Brazilian Steel: Cruzado Coin
Illustrated Specimen Details: 1 Cruzado of Brazil (1988) Example Specimen: 1 Cruzado, 1988 (Federative Republic of Brazil) Authority & Design: This circulating coin represents the national currency of Brazil from the late 1…
Haiti Coinage: Exploring the Gourde and Centimes
Illustrated Specimen Details: 1 Gourde of Haiti (2003) Example Specimen: 1 Gourde, 2003 (Republic of Haiti) Authority & Design: This circulating coin represents the national currency of the Republic of Haiti, minted in a di…
Dram Coin: History and Origins of the Armenian Currency
Illustrated Specimen Details: 1 Dram of Nagorno-Karabakh (2004) Example Specimen: 1 Dram, 2004 (Nagorno-Karabakh Republic) Authority & Design: This non-circulating coin was issued for the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (also kno…