Historically significant coins & notes

goldpelican

goldpelican

Well-Known Member
Silver Stacker
Something I've been tempted to do for a while is start an educational collection of historically significant coinage and banknotes in the history of currency - items that aren't necessarily particularly rare from a numismatic point of view, but items that are representative of particular times of the history of currency.

There's so many items that could be on the list... thought it would be a fun thread to start and see what items other stackers think belong in such a collection.

Items off the top of my head that might find it's way into such a collection...

Roma/Dioscuri Denarius (original Roman denarius from 211BC onwards)
Maria Theresa Thaler (global silver trade coin for several decades)
1717 George I Guinea (gold coin from the year Sir Isaac Newton fixed the GSR)
1817 George III Sovereign (the first of the "modern" sovereigns)
1893 Carson City Morgan Dollar (last iconic silver dollar, from the Panic of 1893 during the Sherman Silver Purchase Act)
1923 Weimar One Billion Mark note (hyperinflation currency - relatively common)
1932 Saint Gaudens $20 gold piece (iconic last circulating gold coin of the US)
1957B USA silver certificate (last series of issue)
1966 50c (last circulating silver coin of Australia)
2008 Zimbabwe 100 Trillion Dollar note (the 21st century equivalent of the Weimar)

Must be others to add to the list...
 
The Venetian Ducat (has a vesica piscis on one side)

Byzantine Solidus/Bezant

Spanish Silver Dollar 8 reales "Pieces of Eight"

were all international money for centuries. Same with the MTT which was centuries long in its influence.

The "crown" sized silver coins are all pretty amazing.
 
This one .America's first Commemorative dollar. Perhaps the beginning of coinage as historical record ,rather than Currency?

Ahem..the Lafayette Dollar.

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I can see this thread getting a little out of hand GP so I thought I'd help it on it's way.

1976 releases of the the Hutt River coins featuring H.R.H Prince Leonard, Sovereign of the Principality of Hutt River and all its Territories.

http://www.imperial-collection.net/hutt_river_coins_01.html

According to the above, "The Hutt River Province is without doubt the most prolific coin-issuing secessionist state in history"
 
Australian 1988 commemorative $10 note (world's first polymer banknote).
South African 1967 Krugerrand (first modern bullion coin with legal tender value of "one ounce of gold", first modern bullion coin designed for private investment).
 
Big A.D. said:
Australian 1988 commemorative $10 note (world's first polymer banknote).
South African 1967 Krugerrand (first modern bullion coin with legal tender value of "one ounce of gold", first modern bullion coin designed for private investment).
Click to expand...

Thats two that I have :)

I have the proof 1967 Krugerrand.

I'm sure Australia was first with bimetallic coins too, but not sure which one it was.
 
Big A.D. said:
Australian 1988 commemorative $10 note (world's first polymer banknote).
South African 1967 Krugerrand (first modern bullion coin with legal tender value of "one ounce of gold", first modern bullion coin designed for private investment).
Click to expand...

Funny they were both ones that occurred to me after posting the thread :)
 
The 1994 $5 Women's enfranchisement commemorative was our first bimetallic, and I believe the first true bimetallic that does not rely on cladding.
 
Actually, the first year set of Euro coins is probably pretty significant (minted in 1999 I think).
 
Big A.D. said:
Actually, the first year set of Euro coins is probably pretty significant (minted in 1999 I think).
Click to expand...



ECU COINS

Before the Euro, was the Ecu. It was created in 1979 in preparation for a common European currency. It stood for European Currency Unit. It was renamed the Euro in 1999, after some members objected as the Ecu was also the name of an 18th century French coin. Though there were no circulating national Ecu coins, it was used in international transactions and there were a number of local Ecu denominated coins issued
Click to expand...

http://www.joelscoins.com/nationsnon.htm
 
8 reales hasto be one. Americas history was pretty much changed because a few hundred thousand of them sunk to the ocean floor...
 
I was thinking:

Electrum - the first coins used by Lydian Greeks (maybe just as priest or high trade value tokens rather than as coinage) fashioned from a gold/silver alloy

Shekel - Used by the jewish people to pay temple tax etc.. something famous happend with them in a story i read.
 
Eisenhower US Dollar Coin....struck to commemorate Dwight D. Eisenhower, who died in 1969 and the Apollo 11 moon landing of the same year(which was probably the most significant achievement of mankind)
 
For Australia's history what about the Hay internment note from the WW2 camps. They have an excellent design as well with the writing in the barb wire and all.


"As the internees were not allowed to possess money, they resorted to bartering for commodities. Eventually, the artist and engraver Georg A. Teltscher designed camp money that was used by the internees at Camp number seven. The serial numbers of the notes corresponded to the registration numbers of the internees. The notes contain some hidden messages, such as the text written in the barbed wire at the border of the notes: "We are here because we are here because we are here" The wording hidden in the barbed wire entanglement at the foot of the fencing in the centre of the front contains "HMT Dunera Liverpool to Hay."

The camp notes were recognised as official money by the Commonwealth Bank. The short-lived circulation began in March 1941. Today, there are only few notes left. They were withdrawn from circulation by the Department of the Treasury in May 1941."
Source: http://www.sydneyjewishmuseum.com.au/Collection/Hay-Money/default.aspx
 
Big A.D. said:
Actually, the first year set of Euro coins is probably pretty significant (minted in 1999 I think).
Click to expand...

On similar logic, will 2013 be a relevant date also?

Birth ---- Death
 
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