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Top Modern, Rare and Valuable Coins from South Africa

Top Modern, Rare and Valuable Coins from South Africa

The Royal Mint established operations in the African nation 13 years after the formation of the Union of South Africa in 1910. The British Empire fashioned a unified South African nation from a collection of four diverse colonies that had experienced wars between English and Boer settlers. The mint mark of the mint was designed by the letters SA. Pretoria Mint became the South African Mint in 1941. In 1961, the nation withdrew from the Commonwealth under duress and became an independent republic.

By thecanadiannumismatist | Tuesday, October 15, 2024

Chinese modern coins worth millions

Chinese modern coins worth millions

The cash or qian was a type of coin of China and the Sinosphere, used from the 4th century BC until the 20th century AD, characterised by their round outer shape and a square center hole. The first locally minted silver dollar or yuan accepted all over Qing dynasty China (1644–1912) was the silver dragon dollar introduced in 1889. Various banknotes denominated in dollars or yuan were also introduced, which were convertible to silver dollars until 1935 when the silver standard was discontinued and the Chinese yuan was made.

By thecanadiannumismatist | Wednesday, November 22, 2023

Rare and valuable gold coins from France

Rare and valuable gold coins from France

The name Louis d'Or derives from the depiction of the portrait of King Louis on one side of the coin; the French royal coat of arms is on the reverse. The coin was replaced by the French franc at the time of the revolution and later the similarly valued Napoléon.

By thecanadiannumismatist | Thursday, August 17, 2023

Rare and valuable old coins from Mexico

Rare and valuable old coins from Mexico

The currency system in use in Spanish America from the 16th to 19th centuries consisted of silver reales, weight 3.433 g, as well as gold escudos, weight 3.383. 15 or 16 silver reales were worth a gold escudo, and eight-real coins of 24.44 g fine silver were widely called pesos in Spanish America and dollars in Britain and its American colonies.

By thecanadiannumismatist | Friday, July 28, 2023

The Numismatist's Resource Guide to African Coins and Currency

The Numismatist's Resource Guide to African Coins and Currency

Before colonization, few areas of Africa used the kind of currency typically expected in the modern world. People traded items, but they rarely used abstract forms of money. Today, African nations use a variety of currencies that attract collectors. Some of the coins even challenge the modern understanding of Africa's history.

By Wakanow | Monday, March 31, 2014

World Coin Dimensions

World Coin Dimensions

The following content comes from Patrick Glassford website which no longer exist. To keep this information available to the public and for a perpetuity reason, we reproduced it here.

By Patrick Glassford | Monday, December 26, 2011

Collecting Ancient Athenian Coins

Collecting Ancient Athenian Coins

Coins issued by certain cities or empires took the leading role in dictating which coins were readily acceptable for trade in the Mediterranean lands. One such city was Athens, which established the "Attic standard" that was to be adopted later by Alexander the Great.

By Atlantic Provinces Numismatic Association | Tuesday, November 8, 2011

History of the Barber Half Dollar

History of the Barber Half Dollar

The Barber Half Dollar, once know as the "Liberty Head Half", was minted from 1892 to 1915. In 1887, Mint Director James P. Kimball noted in his annual report the "inferiority of our coinage" compared to other advanced nations and that in his opinion, the coinage of the U.S. was out of date and should be changed.

By Atlantic Provinces Numismatic Association | Tuesday, November 8, 2011

History of the Silver Morgan Dollar

History of the Silver Morgan Dollar

Perhaps no coin being collected today conjures up visions of the old west like the Morgan Dollar. Minted from 1878 to 1904 and then for one more year in 1921, the changes that took place in America during the span of the Morgan Dollar are startling.

By Atlantic Provinces Numismatic Association | Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Why Gold American Eagle Coins are Popular among Collectors

Why Gold American Eagle Coins are Popular among Collectors

Gold coins are a favorite of coin collectors with an eye toward investment. Not only are golden coins lovely to behold, but they also have a value that is guaranteed, due to their precious metal content. The value of gold coins is usually higher than the value of their weight in gold bullion, making them a better investment than the gold market alone.

By Atlantic Provinces Numismatic Association | Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Collecting Lincoln Cents

Collecting Lincoln Cents

You can still find the occasional mint errors, mint mark varieties, and relatively scarce modern dates such as the 1969P, 1974S, and 1960D Small Date. However, in today's world one can't expect to complete one-third of a Lincoln Cent Collection by finding them in circulation.

By Atlantic Provinces Numismatic Association | Tuesday, November 8, 2011

History of the Buffalo Nickel

History of the Buffalo Nickel

The buffalo nickel (also known as the Indian head nickel) was produced from 1913 through 1938 and was designed by James Earle Fraser. It is actually a bison, not a buffalo, on the reverse but more on that later.

By Atlantic Provinces Numismatic Association | Tuesday, November 8, 2011

History of the Barber Dime

History of the Barber Dime

In 1887, Mint Director James P. Kimball noted in his annual report the "inferiority of our coinage" compared to other advanced nations and that in his opinion, the coinage of the U.S. was out of date and should be changed.

By Atlantic Provinces Numismatic Association | Tuesday, November 8, 2011

History of the Standing Liberty Quarter

History of the Standing Liberty Quarter

The radical change in our coinage that was taking place in the early 20th century was not quite done by 1916. With the new Lincoln cent and Buffalo nickel now in circulation, and changes to gold coinage, it was now time for a change in silver, specifically, the dime, quarter and half dollar to undergo a facelift and eliminate the uninteresting Barber designs.

By Atlantic Provinces Numismatic Association | Tuesday, November 8, 2011

How Is A 1963 Half Dollar Coin Valued

How Is A 1963 Half Dollar Coin Valued

Between 1948 and 1963 the silver half dollar was known as the Franklin Half Dollar and on one side could be seen a picture of Benjamin Franklin and on the reverse side was the Liberty Bell with a small eagle. At the time of it first being minted this coin was required to have a small eagle to the right of the Liberty Bell by law. But what is ironic is that Benjamin Franklin actually opposed the use of the eagle as the USA's national symbol and would have preferred that they turkey (a more noble bird) was used instead.

By Atlantic Provinces Numismatic Association | Tuesday, November 8, 2011

How Much Gold Is In Fort Knox?

How Much Gold Is In Fort Knox?

This question, to my surprise, has two different answers from two different sets of people who don't seem to get convinced with each other's views.

By Atlantic Provinces Numismatic Association | Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Coins and coin collecting

Coins and coin collecting

The following content comes from the Coins and collecting website, which not longer exist several years. To keep this information available to the public and for a perpetuity reason, we reproduced it here. The following were written to discover tips and tricks to help grow your coin collection and present your coins to their best advantage. Most of it was written in 2006.

By Coins and coin collecting | Wednesday, May 17, 2006

France: Louis XV, Gold Louis, 1721

France: Louis XV, Gold Louis, 1721

By the first quarter of the 18th century, costly and unsuccessful wars had brought France almost to the brink of bankruptcy, and the economic strain was reflected in both the metallic and paper currencies. Most coins issued at this time bore no indication of denomination, leaving it to the authorities to proclaim the rate at which each was to be current.

By Library and Archives Canada | Monday, March 29, 2004

France: Louis XV, Gold Louis, 1720-23

France: Louis XV, Gold Louis, 1720-23

The louis d'or illustrated was issued in France under the authority of John Law, a Scottish banker, who was the chief financial adviser to Louis XV. First issued in 1720, it appeared at a time when France was nearly bankrupt, having engaged in costly and unsuccessful wars in the first quarter of the 18th century.

By Library and Archives Canada | Monday, March 29, 2004

Spain, 2 reales (pistareen), 1723

Spain, 2 reales (pistareen), 1723

The pistareen, a silver coin struck in Spain between 1707 and 1771, was first issued by the rival claimants to the throne during the Spanish Wars of Succession (1701-1713). This coin provided much of the small change in the British Colonies of the West Indies until 1825 and was also used extensively in Canada and the United States until the early part of the 19th century.

By Library and Archives Canada | Monday, March 29, 2004

Mexico, 8 reales (pillar dollar), 1747

Mexico, 8 reales (pillar dollar), 1747

When the Spaniards came to the New World they found much that aroused their cupidity, particularly the rich gold and silver mines of Mexico and South America. Soon great treasury fleets began sailing regularly from the New to the Old World, and for the first time in its history Europe had an abundant supply of both metals.

By Library and Archives Canada | Monday, March 29, 2004

Mexico, 8 escudos (doubloon), 1799

Mexico, 8 escudos (doubloon), 1799

Between 1492 and 1825 Spain enjoyed a virtual monopoly in the world's gold production, with nearly 70 per cent coming from the Spanish colonies in the Americas. A substantial amount of the gold mined was used in the production of gold coins by the various mints established in the Spanish colonies.

By Library and Archives Canada | Monday, March 29, 2004

Sacagawea struggling south of the border

Sacagawea struggling south of the border

The U.S. government could potentially save up to $500 million annually (all figures are in U.S. dollars), but that won't happen for quite a few reasons. The report reveals the U.S. Mint spent at least $67.1 million to promote the new dollar coin, including expenditures for a marketing and advertising program; publicity programs; 23 partnerships with banking, entertainment, retail, grocery and restaurant chains; and promotional events with transit agencies.

By George Manz | Tuesday, January 14, 2003

Cuba has long history of commemoratives

Cuba has long history of commemoratives

Christopher Columbus and his fellow sailors first caught a glimpse of Cuba in October 1492. Searching for the Orient in pursuit of spices and gold, Columbus instead found a large island that historians believe was inhabited by approximately 100,000 aboriginal people. Less than 20 years later, when Spain decided to conquer the inhabitants, Diego Velazquez de Cullar, a Spanish army veteran, took the task to heart.

By George Manz | Tuesday, May 1, 2001

Trip to Cuba turns collector into distributor

Trip to Cuba turns collector into distributor

Compared to the bitter blizzards, ice storms and snow storms that were causing havoc over much of the United States and Canada, it was a warm December morning in Havana, Cuba. But the reception I got at Casa de la Moneda de Cuba, the Cuban Mint, was event warmer. The Commercial Office of the Cuban Mint is located on the second floor of the Sierra Maestra Building in Miramar, one of the prettier sections of Havana. The office is just across the street from the shores of the turquoise-blue Caribbean Sea.

By George Manz | Thursday, March 1, 2001

The gold rouble (1897-1914)

The gold rouble (1897-1914)

During a very short period of its contemporary history, less than two decades, Russia had one of the strongest currencies in the world. The gold rouble then had nothing to envy of the very honorable pound sterling and the Federal Treasury of the United States of America looked like a poor relation compared to the metallic balance of the Russian State Bank.

By Jean-François Ostermann | Monday, December 7, 1998

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