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Strange coins of the world

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Darmok
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13 Jun 2016, 6:09 pm

Most coins are simple round pieces of metal, but not all are. Perhaps an amusing thread can be made from strange coins around the world.

The latest, from the Canadian mint:

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http://www.mint.ca/store/coins/1-oz.-pu ... rod2690162

Talk about loose change. :D


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DeepHour
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14 Jun 2016, 4:48 pm

Well, this is not the strangest-looking coin ever produced, but it could well be the heaviest one that was ever in regular use, especially if the weight to value ratio is taken into account:

Image

It's a British twopenny piece, which became known as the 'Cartwheel Twopence', and was only minted for one year (1797). It consisted of two ounces of pure copper, ie twice the weight of a Krugerrand.



lostonearth35
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16 Jun 2016, 11:13 pm

One and two dollar coins in Canada are nicknamed loonies and toonies, respectively. That alone is pretty strange.
The 1$ coin has a picture of loon on it, but there might be a deeper, more satirical reason for the nickname. A lot of political stuff I didn't understand or remember well, or people just acting loony over the change at first, as people always tend to do.



Darmok
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18 Jun 2016, 8:18 pm

^^ That was probably from a time when tuppence could actually buy something!


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Darmok
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18 Jun 2016, 8:19 pm

Two hexagonal francs from the Belgian Congo:

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Darmok
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24 Jul 2016, 1:19 pm

Here's a Mongolian silver owl coin that has tiny crystals for eyes:

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http://www.apmex.com/product/72931/mong ... ngered-set


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Ichinin
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24 Jul 2016, 2:20 pm

Danish krone.

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Darmok
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24 Jul 2016, 5:37 pm

Ichinin wrote:
Danish krone.
Image


I always think of Chinese coins as the ones with holes, but I know they have been produced by many countries. It certainly makes it easier to store them.

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Ichinin
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24 Jul 2016, 5:47 pm

Darmok wrote:
I always think of Chinese coins as the ones with holes, but I know they have been produced by many countries. It certainly makes it easier to store them.

Image


Lots of countries have done that, i remember some old coins in a museum from the 1500's that had holes in them, i think it was mostly because it was easy to thread them and carry them around your neck.

Chinese currency today looks like any other:
Image


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24 Jul 2016, 9:30 pm

Haïtian Gourde coin. That is the Citadel Laferriere constructed under the leadership of Henri Christophe after liberating the people from the French.
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Redxk
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25 Jul 2016, 12:58 am

I love the British 20p coin because it has seven sides. More things should have seven sides.



Darmok
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26 Jul 2016, 7:35 pm

Soon to be the world's only currency.

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Ichinin
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28 Jul 2016, 4:54 am

Darmok wrote:
Soon to be the world's only currency.

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If you change that to this, i can agree.
Image


Banks are looking into the bitcoin technology, so it may not be bitcoin implicitly, but something like it.


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Darmok
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29 Jul 2016, 8:16 pm

A lot of people don't realize that the US issued a tiny silver three-cent piece for a number of years in the mid-19th century. I think they look neat:

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MarbleRye
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30 Jul 2016, 1:21 am

lostonearth35 wrote:
One and two dollar coins in Canada are nicknamed loonies and toonies, respectively. That alone is pretty strange.
The 1$ coin has a picture of loon on it, but there might be a deeper, more satirical reason for the nickname. A lot of political stuff I didn't understand or remember well, or people just acting loony over the change at first, as people always tend to do.


Reminds me of a song from school (to Tiny Toons theme music):

We're tiny, we're toony, we can't afford a loonie,
Cause Brian Mulroney invented GST.