United Kingdom

Switzerland

The Swiss monetary unit is
1 franken = 100 rappen (German)
1 franc = 100 centimes (French)
1 franco = 100 centesimi (Italian).
It was introduced in 1850 to replace the currency issued by the cantons, the states that the Swiss Confederation consists of. Up to 1926, Switzerland was a member of the Latin Monetary Union, which included France, Belgium and Italy. The currencies of these countries were interchangeable in an 1:1 ratio.

As far as coins are concerned, the Swiss monetary system did not undergo any major changes since 1850, except for the change from silver to copper-nickel for all denominations from ½ franc to 5 francs in 1968 and the cessation of the 2 rappen coin in 1974 and the 1 rappen coin in 2006. So the remaining denominations are 5 rappen, 10 rappen, 20 rappen, ½ franc, 1 franc, 2 francs, and 5 francs. On the reference page, you can find the technical details and the dates of coinage for each design.

From 1883 to 1949, gold coins with the denominations of 10 francs, 20 francs, and 100 francs have been minted. They have never been taken out of circulation, but they are not used for payment anymore, since their bullion value is considerably above their face value. A list of them can be found on the reference page, too.

Commemorative coins were introduced in 1936, equal to the 5 francs coin in size and material. At least one per year is issued since 1974. In 1991, they were replaced by 20 francs silver coins.

Pakis Coin

This volume is being distributed free of charge by the Pakistan Numismatic Society. It is divided into four sections. The first provides brief overviews of each of the dynasties and series of coins from the early punchmarked until the British annexed India. Each series is accompanied by black and white illustrations (of variable quality). The second section covers the same material again with some additional discussion of the history and the coins. This is followed by a set of essays and a fourth section of maps, chronologies and genealogical information.

So how does the content compare to Khan's stated aim of producing a 'handbook' of the regions coins? The answer is that Khan falls somewhat short of this goal. The black and white illustrations are usable and the text is clear and concise. The chronologies and tables of kings are simple and convenient, though I am at a complete loss as to why the chronology begins halfway through the period covered by the book. In a handy and easy to use format the book provides an overview of the coins of Pakistan. So in its own terms the book is broadly successful.

Norfolk coin

n recent years, complaints that Congress is too careless in authorizing commemorative
coin issues are frequently heard. It’s been said that too many events and causes of only
limited national importance have been honored and funded through the sale of such coins.
Obviously, Congress has a knack for repeating its mistakes, since the same complaints were
voiced 60 years earlier and ultimately led to legislation that greatly restricted the approval
of new coin issues. Among the coins that prompted this action during the 1930s was the half
dollar honoring the bicentennial of Norfolk, Virginia’s elevation to the status of borough in 1736.
This commemorative marked an event of purely local interest, and its design bore no less than
five different dates, none of which was the actual date of coinage! Much maligned at the time of issue,
the Norfolk half dollar realized poor sales. In the irony that often attends such initial failure, it is now
among the scarcer and more costly coins in the commemorative series.

Bangladesh - coin

Europeans began to set up trading posts in the area of Bangladesh in the 16th century; eventually the British came to dominate the region and it became part of British India. In 1947, West Pakistan and East Bengal (both primarily Muslim) separated from India (largely Hindu) and jointly became the new country of Pakistan. East Bengal became East Pakistan in 1955, but the awkward arrangement of a two-part country with its territorial units separated by 1,600 km left the Bengalis marginalized and dissatisfied. East Pakistan seceded from its union with West Pakistan in 1971 and was renamed Bangladesh. A military-backed caretaker regime suspended planned parliamentary elections in January 2007 in an effort to reform the political system and root out corruption; the regime has pledged new democratic elections by the end of 2008. About a third of this extremely poor country floods annually during the monsoon rainy season, hampering economic developmen

Florin Coins of England

In 1966, a decision was made in Great Britain to adopt a decimal system of money and this system went into effect on 15 February 1971. There was, however, an earlier attempt at going to a decimal system back in 1849 during the reign of Victoria with the introduction of a coin bearing the name florin. The florin of 1849 was worth two shillings or one-tenth of a pound. Victoria's coin was not the first to bear this name, however. The first florin was the Italian one struck in gold in 1253 in Florence from which the name is derived.
1849 Godless FlorinPlace Mouse on Imageto View Reverse The Italian coin was very popular and quickly imitated in Europe. In 1344, Edward III of England issued his own gold coin valued at six shillings and having a weight of 108 grains. This coin was also called a florin and also a double leopard from the two leopard heads that are on either side of the seated figure of the king on the obverse. It was also struck in a half which was also known as a leopard from the leopard with banner on the obverse. Finally, there was struck also a quarter, also called a helm after the helmet on the obverse. With the exception of a very rare (and unpopular) penny (worth 20 silver pennies) struck in 1257 under Henry III, the coins of Edward III were the first gold ones struck in England in about 350 years

Us CoinS

U.S. coins have changed many times since the Coinage Act of 1792, which adopted the dollar as the standard monetary unit.
Silver dollars have been minted and issued at various times since 1794. Dollar coins were discontinued in 1935, then resumed in 1971 with the introduction of the silverless Eisenhower dollar. The silverless Susan B. Anthony coin, honoring the famed women's suffrage advocate, replaced the Eisenhower dollar in 1979. A new dollar coin authorized in 1997 replaced the Susan B. Anthony coins in 2000. The new coin depicts Sacagawea, the Native American woman whose presence was essential to the success of the Lewis and Clark expedition. The coin has a copper core clad in an alloy of copper, zinc, manganese, and nickel, which gives the coin a golden color

MILITARY COINS

Just about every new author to take on this subject adds a new take to “The History of Challenge coins”. Indeed many articles have been written on the subject. Here’s what we know of Military Coins and Challenge coins.
The use of metal tokens to commemorate special events dates back many centuries. From Military Medals to locally produced tokens the practice is as old as metal work itself.

As a practical matter we can see the use of custom coins in the USA dating back at least as far as 1824. There are Campaign Coins from the 1824 election supporting Andrew Jackson for President. It is fair to assume that this practice didn’t originate in that year so custom coins may date back even further.
Many organizations produced custom coins from very early in our history. There are Masonic Coins sometimes called Masonic Tokens dating back to the 19th century. Some Lodges are currently minting Masonic Coins so the tradition continues.

Pakistani Coins

oins first appeared in the late Eighth Century B.C. in the Lydia district in Asia Minor. Their appearance was undoubtedly a major economic revolution. In addition,they have proved to be a valuable source of history by furnishing clues to cultural,economic, and political conditions of the time. In the case of ancient Pakistan, the importance of coins as a source of history is further underscored by the paucity of written indigenous historical literature.

Thus it is the find of coins bearing Greek legends in the markets of Rawalpindi in the last century that led to the discovery of Greeks rulers in Pakistan. Long after Alexander the Great, some 39 Greek kings and two queens ruled this land. Their history is preserved only in their coins which are occasionally discovered in the country. In fact, until the coming of the Muslims in the Eighth Century A.D., coins prove a primary source to students of history.

To areas which comprise modern Pakistan, coins were brought by Achaemenian Persians as thet extended their empire eastward up to River Indus. Struck in the reign of Darius I (521-486 B.C.), the Persian coins were in two denominations, the daric of pure gold and the sigloi or shekel of silver.

The early Persian cons carried the same picture - the likeness of King Daruis I in a kneeling position, eith a bow in his left hand and a spear in his right. The reverse side had only a rough incuse caused in the striking. The coins were otherwise uninscribed, and oval in shape, circulating throughout much of Asia until the fall of the Persian Empire.

Alexander the Great swept eastward from Greece, conquered the Persians and marched on through Afghanistan to capture in 326 B.C. the ancient city of Taxila in the Punjab. He brought his own coins, along with other artifacts of Greek culture. The Bactrian Greeks, who ruled briefly after Alecander's invasion and again for about a century following the decline of the Muryas, laid the foundation of minted coins. From then on every dynasty that came to power in Pakistan was to mint its own coins. The money economy had come to stay.

Afghanistan Coin Necklace

Three elements make up the jewelry of the Kuchi tribes of central Asia; lapis lazuli, carnelian & coin silver. The Kuchis are a tribe of Sunni Muslim Nomads of Pashtun origin living mostly in what is now the Shomali Plain in Afghanistan ( Summer ) - Pakistan ( Winter ).Although the Kuchis' reputation for toughness is hidden behind their brightly colored clothing and attractive coin jewelry, they are none the less considered a strong and highly independent group. When the Taliban ruled, they never forced Kuchi women to wear the burqa. The wealth of a family is noted in their livestock and their coin jewelry which ( as mentioned above ) consists mainly of; Lapis lazuli ( Latin=lapis, meaning stone and the Arabic azul, which refers to blue ) or literally, 'blue rock', traditionally was revered in middle eastern societies as an amulet of great power. The red stone, Carnelian was embedded into a silver ring worn by the prophet Mohammed and is esteemed for its great warmth and beauty. And most important, silver coins which maintains its whitish patina and does not turn other colors with age.All of this handcrafted tribal jewelry is original and consists of coins, silver amulets, beads, glass, pendants etc. and due to this, the pictures posted above are only representative of styles and sizes available, with no two pieces exactly alike ( unlike modern machine made items ).