BRONZE Coins
Sapeque Coin History: Square-Hole Money of Indochina
Illustrated Specimen Details: Bronze Sapèque Example Specimen: 2 Sapèque, 1887 (French Indochina / Protectorate of Annam) Authority & Heraldry: Issued during the French colonial administration for the protectorate of Annam …
Rin Coin: Empire of Japan; 1/1000 yen
Illustrated Specimen Details: Bronze Rin Example Specimen: 1 Rin, Year 16 of Meiji (1883) (Empire of Japan) Authority & Heraldry: Issued under Emperor Meiji (Meiji-tennō), the 122nd emperor according to the traditional orde…
Quadrans: The Smallest Fractional Coin of Ancient Rome
Illustrated Specimen Details: Bronze Quadrans Example Specimen: Quadrans, ND (41-54 AD) (Roman Empire) Authority & Heraldry: This bronze coin was struck under Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus — the fourth Roman …
New Penny Coin: UK Decimalisation and History
Illustrated Specimen Details: Bronze 1/2 New Penny Example Specimen: 1/2 new penny, 1971 (United Kingdom) Authority & Heraldry: This bronze coin was issued under Elizabeth II — Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwe…
Öre Coin Denomination: Swedish & Nordic History
Illustrated Specimen Details: Bronze 5 Öre Example Specimen: 5 öre, 1953 (Kingdom of Sweden) Authority & Heraldry: The obverse features the inscription GUSTAF VI ADOLF SVERIGES KONUNG (Gustaf VI Adolf King of Sweden) accom…
Rentenpfennig: Weimar Republic Stabilization Coinage
Illustrated Specimen Details: Rentenpfennig Coin Example Specimen: 2 Rentenpfennig, 1924 (Weimar Republic) Historical Context: The Weimar Republic was the government of Germany from 1918-1933, marking its first era as a constit…
Skilling Rigsmønt of Denmark: Pre-Decimal Coinage
Illustrated Specimen Details: Skilling Rigsmønt Example Specimen: 1 skilling rigsmønt, 1856 (Kingdom of Denmark) Authority & Heraldry: The obverse prominently displays the denomination 1 SKILLING RIGSMØNT framed by a tradi…
Sadagura Coins: Russian and Ottoman Currency Combined
Illustrated Specimen Details: Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia Example Specimen: 2 para and 3 kopecks, 1773 — Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia Design & Inscriptions: Sadagura coins are a fascinating type of …
Japanese Mon (Tenpō Tsūhō): Value & Cast Coin Guide
Illustrated Specimen Details: Japan 100 Mon (Tenpō Tsūhō) Example Specimen: 100 Mon, 1835–1870 — Japan (Edo Period) Design & Inscriptions: This distinctive oval-shaped cast coin with a square central hole is known natively …
Qian Coin — Ancient Ancestor of Chinese Cash
Illustrated Specimen Details: Chinese Empire (Northern Song) 10 Qian Example Specimen: 10 qian (or cash), 1102-1106 — Chinese Empire (Northern Song) Ruler: Emperor Huizong of Song (1100-1126). Design & Inscriptions: T…
Rial: From the Spanish to the Middle Eastern Coins
Illustrated Specimen Details: Mutawakkilite Kingdom of Yemen 1/40 Rial (Buqsha) Example Specimen: 1/40 Rial (Buqsha), 1949 (Mutawakkilite Kingdom of Yemen) Iconography & Inscriptions: Struck in bronze at the Sanaa Mint, the…
Satang Coin: Historic 1/100 Fractional Currency of Siam
Illustrated Specimen Details: Kingdom of Siam 1 Satang Example Specimen: 1 Satang, 1937 (Kingdom of Siam) Iconography & Design: Minted during the early reign of King Ananda Mahidol (Rama VIII, 1935-1946), this beautifully d…
Olbia Dolphin Coins: Ancient Bronze Proto-Money
Illustrated Specimen Details: Olbia Cast AE Dolphin Example Specimen: Olbia Cast AE Dolphin, 500-400 BC (Greek city-state Olbia) Iconography & Origin: This remarkable proto-coin is cast in bronze in the shape of a stylized …
Falus: The Universal Copper Coin of the Islamic World
Illustrated Specimen Details: Moroccan Falus Example Specimen: 4 falus, 1869 (Morocco) Authority & Symbolism: This 4 falus piece was struck during the reign of Sultan Muhammad IV of the 'Alawi dynasty. The obverse promi…
Larin: The Unique Trade Currency of the Indian Ocean
Illustrated Specimen Details: Maldivian Larin Example Specimen: 1 larin, 1913 (Maldives) Authority & Inscriptions: This specimen was issued during the reign of Sultan Muhammad Shamsuddeen Iskander III. The Arabic legend سلط…
French Denier: Charlemagne’s Silver vs Revolution Coins
Illustrated Specimen Details: 12 Deniers (France) Example Specimen: 12 deniers, 1791-1793 (French Revolution) Revolutionary Transition: This coin was minted during the turbulent years of the French Revolution (1789-1799). It fe…
Vietnamese Dong: From Bronze Coin to Paper
Illustrated Specimen Details: 2 Dong (Vietnam) Example Specimen: 2 dong, 1946 (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) Revolutionary Context: This early issue from North Vietnam is often classified in numismatic catalogs as "Rebel…