Strange coins of the world

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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:



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

Talk about loose change.

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:



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.

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.

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

Two hexagonal francs from the Belgian Congo:

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



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

Danish krone.

Haïtian Gourde coin. That is the Citadel Laferriere constructed under the leadership of Henri Christophe after liberating the people from the French.

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

Soon to be the world's only currency.

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: