Coins I Love...!

The Ethiopian Birr

2018-12-14T07:48:00.002-08:00

Learned somethings about Ethiopian currency today when my colleague gave me:

1 Birr Coin (with Lion)
5 Birr Bank note

Facts I learned today:

Ethiopia was also known as Abyssinia (though the name Ethiopia was used for a long time)
Indian Rupee and Mexican dollar was used in foreign trade.
The country is located near Somalia
The word Birr translates to Silver
Ethiopia is Africa's oldest independent country, and 2nd in terms of population.
Apart from Mussolini's Italy's invasion, it has never been colonized.

Quote:

The biggest brand is the ubiquitous Bajaj three-wheeler. The bulk of these vehicles are old, rickety and painted blue, but they outnumber cars. While Bajaj vehicles were the first to come here, Chinese three-wheelers have flooded the place. “But they are all called Bajaj"

Welcoming my 37th Country coin with great pride.

Coins of Egypt and Israel

2015-11-16T10:04:00.001-08:00

My colleague had been in a tour to the Christian holy land and he got me the below two coins.

1. One Pound Egypt
2. 1 new Sheqel from Israel

Unfortunately I don't have any coins to swap and being a passive coin collector these are the only sources for collection.

But added one country to my collection just because of this. Thanks to him.

Fiji, the coins I wont get otherwise

2015-03-16T06:43:00.002-07:00

Recently my colleague had been to Fiji Islands. Thanks to him, I now have all the following:

5 Cents (2009 and 2010)
10 Cents (2009 and 2010)
20 Cents (2009 and 2010)
50 Cents (2009)
1 Dollar (1995)
2 Dollars (2014)

Won South Korea - 1200th Coin

2014-03-17T00:00:00.001-07:00

Coin collection is going on smoothly for me. I am happy to add my 1200th coin today. To add celebration to it, its a new country coin. Its time for South Korea coin to come to me. I got a 100 Won coin through my colleague +Pradeep NV

100 Won - South Korea

Also got a 1 Presedential Dollar of United States, bearing portrait of John Adams (The second president of United States who was in office from October 30 1735 – July 4, 1826 [Information Courtesy: Wikipedia]). This coin also made way through +Pradeep NV. This is the 3rd Presidential coin I have collected so far.

Thanks a ton to you +Pradeep NV for helping me build the coin collection.

2007 Unity in Diversity 5 Rupees Coin

2014-02-05T03:15:00.001-08:00

It has been a tight schedule both on personal front as well as official front. Though I am keeping on getting new and new coins thanks to my friends, there was hardly a time when any update has happened with my collection perspective.

There was a big backlog, and I have decided to start one step at a time. Starting with a rare coin, which I purchased in ebay.in.

Only today the coin was delivered, in nicely packed postal cover. I had been eager to get this coin for so long and it only materialized today. It costs me a lot, but I think its going to be worth.

5 Rupees coin, Unity in Diversity (Cross Coin) 2007

I have to thank my wife for this, for I have not been keeping my promises of not buying any coins. I could not resist this though :)

Latest additions to US coins

2013-02-13T11:38:00.000-08:00

I have been really lucky to have got such great colleagues who help me in building my coin collection. I must really thank Mickey Hughes who while in India taught me a lot about US coins. He was the real inspiration for me that I started cataloging my coin collection which I have obtained from my father. Mickey was really enthusiastic in sharing some of his US coins, which were my first US.

Slowly in a span of about 3 years the collection has crossed 100 coins, yes its today. I must thank both +Pradeep NV and +jagadish hunagund, for their support to build my coin collection. Being so far away from US, I would have never got such an opportunity to collect this many coins in this short span. With the addition of the following unique coins, I have totally 113 coins, out of them 39 are unique.

Today there were three unique coins added (click on the coin to see more information about it in en.numista.com) :

Also it seems that God has shown mercy by connecting with such enthusiastic persons. God is great.

Mint Marks from India - Circulating Coins

2012-05-16T20:50:00.000-07:00

In India there are four mints:
1. Mumbai (Bombay) Mint
2. Kolkatta (Calcutta) Mint
3. Noida Mint
4. Hyderabad Mint

The circulating coins bear the marks below year:

1. Diamond shape below year - Mumbai Mint
2. No marks below year - Kolkatta Mint
3. A dot below the year - Noida Mint
4. A star below the year - Hyderabad Mint

The Proof coins/uncirculating coins bear differ in the marks shown, but these above are the marks from Mints in India.

Euro coins of Germany

2012-03-15T01:17:00.000-07:00

1 EURO CENT - OAK TWIG

Euro 1 Cent - Germany

The 1 Cent features German oak twig in the observe which symbolizes stability. The Oak twig is surrounded by 12 stars.

The number of stars represents completeness while their position in a circle represents unity. The stars do not vary according to the members of either organisation as they are intended to represent all the peoples of Europe, even those outside European integration. (Ref: European Symbols).

In the Reverse, A globe next to the facial value, shows Europe in relation to Africa and Asia.

Here are the features of the coin:

Country	Germany - Federal Republic
Year	2002-2012
Value	1 Euro Cent 0.01 EUR = 0.013 USD
Metal	Copper plated Steel
Weight	2.3 g
Diameter	16.25 mm
Thickness	1.67 mm
Engravers	R. Lederbogen (obverse) L. Luycx (reverse)
Shape	Round
Orientation	Medal alignment ↑↑

Coin Information Courtesy: Numista

Has govt got the date on Homi Bhabha coin wrong?

2012-02-24T08:43:00.000-08:00

There is a general misconception among general public about the dates of the Commemorative coin "Homi Jehangir Bhabha" issued in occasion of his Birth Centenary.

To view more about this coin, click here.

Homi J Bhabha was born on 1909, and the year 2009 is his Birth Centenary year. But the coin carries years 2008-2009.

Coin collecting numismatists thought they have found out a rare error coin. There was lot of discussions online and lot of people became more and more greedy. They began to sell this coin for whooping sum of rupees. Newspapers like DNA carried articles on this subject.

But unlike carrying hoax rumors DNA chose to investigate on this issue. It is highly applauding effort to bring out the truth in it rather than print some hoax news.

Here is an excerpt from RBI website about the design of the coin:

Design:
Obverse : The face of coin shall bear the Lion Capitol of Ashoka Pillar with the legend "sathyameva jayathe" in Hindi inscribed below, flanked on the left upper periphery with the word "Barath" in Hindi and on the right upper periphery flanked with the word "INDIA" in English. It shall also bear the denominational value "10" in International Numerals below the Lion Capitol flanked on the left lower periphery with the word "Rupye" in Hindi and right lower periphery with the word "RUPEES" in English.

Reverse : The face of coin shall bear the image of "HOMI BHABHA" with inscription "Homi Bhabha Janma Shatabdi Varsh" in Hindi, on the left periphery and in English "HOMI BHABHA BIRTH CENTENARY YEAR" on the right periphery and the Years "2008-2009" below portrait of Homi Bhabha at the bottom.

The new Rupee Ten Coin is a legal tender as provided in the Indian Coinage Act, 1906.

It is very clear even from this notification that it is not an error coin. Now there are people who tell this as a mistake rather than error.

To those, India was celebrating 100th Birth Centenary as Birth Centenary Celebrations and was kick started on October 20, 2008.

1909, October 30 is the birth date of Homi Bhabha. The celebrations started on his 99th Birth Year and continued for the next year. This is the reason for the inscription 2008-2009. It is not a mistake as assumed by people.

The source for this information can be seen from the Nuclear India Magazine VOL. 42/NO. 3-4/Sep.-Oct. 2008. [Government of India - Department of Atomic Energy].

If anyone tells the year in this coin is error/issue tell them with proof that they are wrong. This coin is worth its face value and there is no need to pay anything more.

Beware of Indian Fake Coins

2012-02-22T00:48:00.000-08:00

If you are a coin collector, a newbie like me you might certainly be fooled by people who sell Fake Coins. Fake coins are those coins made by persons with wrong intention of fooling people interested in buying coins. Mainly they are targeted for Foreign customers, but now-a-days that separation has ceased to exist.

I came to know about fake coins through the first coin I bought. Unfortunately it was a fake which I realized some time later. It was an EAST INDIA COMPANY coin HALF ANNA with one side having picture of Radha-Krishna. The year was marked as 1616. Click here for more information on the coin. There are coins marked with years 1818, 1616, 1717 with images of Lord Hanuman, Lord Shiva, Lord Balaji, Lord Panchmukhi Hanuman, Goddess Durga, Goddess Lakshmi etc which are also circulating among websites and dealers. Beware of such fake coins.

I bought this particular coin from Mysore when I went for sight-seeing. In Bangalore also there has been reports of fake coins being sold in the Brigade Road premises. But its not a verified information.

I was searching for some coins in eBay and came across this coin of Indira Gandhi wearing a Rudraksha Chain. By seeing the coin itself it is crystal clear that its 100% fake.

Public must also be vigilant against such fake coins. The first page in ebay.in for Indian Coins listed two of such fake coins. For more such coins visit this website.

If you are buying coins, always search Google before buying it. That it is the first and foremost advice that I can give now. Do not hurriedly buy any coin. You may never know where or how you may be cheated.

India - British - 1 Anna - Various Years

2012-02-16T03:52:00.000-08:00

Country	India - British
Year	1942-1945
Value	1 Anna (1/16)
Metal	Nickel-brass
Weight	3.89 g
Diameter	20.5 mm
Engraver	Percy Metcalfe (obverse)
Shape	Scalloped (with 12 notches)
Orientation	Medal alignment ↑↑
Demonetized	yes

Country	India - British
Year	1912-1936
Value	1 Anna (1/16)
Metal	Copper-nickel
Weight	3.9 g
Diameter	20.5 mm
Engraver	Edgar Bertram Mackennal (obverse)
Shape	Scalloped (12 notches)
Orientation	Medal alignment ↑↑
Demonetized	yes

Singapore - 1 Dollar - 2006 - Ribbon Downwards

2012-02-15T04:33:00.000-08:00

There are two varieties of the coin. It is easy to identify from the ribbon on the emblem below SINGAPURA written in the observe.

The first variety was minted between 1987 and 1991 wherein the ribbon was pointing upwards. Also the stars in the emblem was an outline.

In the second variety minted between 1992 and 2011 the ribbon was pointing downwards and the stars are fully filled with the shape.

Country	Singapore
Year	1992-2011
Value	1 Dollar 1 SGD = 0.79 USD
Metal	Aluminium-bronze
Weight	6.2900 g
Diameter	22.3 mm
Thickness	2.4 mm
Engraver	Christopher Ironside (reverse)
Shape	Round
Orientation	Medal alignment ↑↑

Coin Information Courtesy: Numista

Singapore - Cents - 10, 20, 50 - Copper Nickel

2012-02-14T03:59:00.000-08:00

Country	Singapore
Year	1992-2011
Value	10 Cents 0.10 SGD = 0.08 USD
Metal	Copper-nickel
Weight	2.85 g
Diameter	19.4 mm
Thickness	1.38 mm
Engraver	Christopher Ironside (reverse)
Shape	Round
Orientation	Medal alignment ↑↑

Country	Singapore
Year	1992-2011
Value	20 Cents 0.20 SGD = 0.16 USD
Metal	Copper-nickel
Weight	5.6500 g
Diameter	21.36 mm
Thickness	1.72 mm
Engraver	Christopher Ironside (reverse)
Shape	Round

Country	Singapore
Year	1992-2010
Value	50 Cents 0.50 SGD = 0.40 USD
Metal	Copper-nickel
Weight	7.1900 g
Diameter	24 mm
Thickness	2.06 mm
Engraver	Christopher Ironside (reverse)
Shape	Round
Orientation	Medal alignment ↑↑

Singapore - Cents - 5 - 2007

2012-02-09T18:48:00.000-08:00

Singapore is undoubtedly the foremost country I would love to visit once more.

It is a country you should visit before you die. Though the country is small, it has got something to offer for everyone. I still cherish the memories of Merlion and places which I could not forget very easily.

Check the 1967-85 series of 5 cents here.

The coins features are:

Country	Singapore
Year	1992-2011
Value	5 Cents 0.05 SGD = 0.040 USD
Metal	Aluminium-bronze
Weight	1.6000 g
Diameter	16.25 mm
Thickness	1.22 mm
Engraver	Christopher Ironside (reverse)
Shape	Round
Orientation	Medal alignment ↑↑

Coin Information Courtesy: Numista,

Homi Bhabha Birth Centenary Year - Rs. 10 - 2010 - India Republic

2012-02-08T19:13:00.000-08:00

Homi Jehangir Bhabha, (Hindi: होमी भाभा; October 30 1909 – January 24 1966; FRS) was an Indian nuclear physicist, founding director, and professor of physics at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research. Colloquially known as "father of Indian nuclear programme", Bhabha was the founding director of two well-known research institutions, namely the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) and the Trombay Atomic Energy Establishment (now named after him); both sites were the cornerstone of Indian development of nuclear weapons which Bhabha also supervised as its director.

In January 1966, Bhabha died in a plane crash near Mont Blanc, while heading to Vienna, Austria to attend a meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency's Scientific Advisory Committee.

After his death, the Atomic Energy Establishment at Trombay was renamed as the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre in his honour. In addition to being an able scientist and administrator, Bhabha was also a painter and a classical music and opera enthusiast, besides being an amateur botanist. He is one of the most prominent scientists that India has ever had. Bhabha also encouraged research in electronics, space science, radio astronomy and microbiology. The famed radio telescope at Ooty, India was his initiative, and it became a reality in 1970. The Homi Bhabha Fellowship Council has been giving the Homi Bhabha Fellowships since 1967 Other noted institutions in his name are the Homi Bhabha National Institute, an Indian deemed university and the Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education, Mumbai, India.

Read more about Homi Jehangir Bhabha and his life.

The Rupees 10 Bimetallic coin in honour of the eminent scientist was in 2010.

Read RBI Press Release here.

Shape and outside diameter - Circular 27 mm (Bi-metallic)
Metal Composition -
Outer Ring : (Aluminium Bronze):
Copper - 92%, Zinc - 6%, Nickel - 2%

Centre Piece: (Cupro Nickel):
Copper - 75%, Nickel - 25%

I got the coin with plain edge.

There is a general misconception regarding the date printed in this coin. Years 2008-2009 is printed in this coin. Though the year 2009 is the centenary of Homi Bhabha. But RBI has issued this coin as 2008-2009 because it is celebrated as centenary year.

Just because 2008 is printed it is not an error coin. Check the RBI Press release for more details of the coin.

Rupee Symbol - Rupees 5 - India Republic - 2011

2012-02-08T03:47:00.000-08:00

The Indian rupee sign is the currency sign used for the Indian rupee, the official currency of India. It is relatively new, the design only having been presented to the public by the Government of India on 15 July 2010, following its selection through an open competition among Indian residents. Before its adoption, the most commonly used symbols for the rupee were Rs, Re or, if the text was in an Indian language, an appropriate abbreviation in that language.

Upon the symbol's adoption in July 2010, the Indian government said it would try to adopt the sign within six months in the country and globally within 18 to 24 months. The Indian rupee sign is now used in all leading newspapers and can be seen on price tags for products, and for various articles in papers where currency is used, this new sign being adopted instead of previous sign (Rs). Major banks have also started printing cheques with the Indian rupee sign where the traditional "₨" sign was used. The Indian Postal Department has also started printing postage stamps with the Indian rupee sign, when it issued the Commonwealth Games commemorative stamps on 3 October 2010.

In his budget speech on 28 February 2011 the finance minister Pranab Mukherjee announced that the sign will be incorporated on future coin issues. Coins of denomination of Rupees 1,2,5 and 10 with the new Rupee Symbol have been put into circulation. As of January 2012, the new Indian rupee sign has been incorporated in the currency notes in the denomination of s 10, 100, 500 and 1000.

The new sign is a combination of the Devanagari letter "र" (ra) and the Latin capital letter "R" without its vertical bar (similar to the R rotunda). The parallel lines at the top (with white space between them) are said to make an allusion to the tricolor Indian flag and also depict an equality sign which symbolizes the nation's desire to reduce economic disparity. The final selected symbol was designed by D Udaya Kumar, a B.Arch and student of visual communication at the Industrial Design Centre, IIT Bombay. The thoughts and philosophy behind the design can be seen in a presentation.

The Rupees 5 information is as below:

Country	India - Republic
Year	2011
Value	5 Rupees 5 INR = 0.10 USD
Metal	Nickel-brass
Diameter	23 mm
Shape	Round
Orientation	Medal alignment ↑↑

Information Courtesy: Wikipedia, Coin Information Courtesy: Numista

Rare coins recently issued by India

2012-02-07T09:54:00.000-08:00

The coin series Unity in Diversity was intended to be defining coin series one would have had from this country. Unity in Diversity is an important theme in history of India Republic wherein varied cultural and linguistic regions was united to call a single nation called Republic of India.

However the outcry of the design behind the theme "Unity in Diversity" coins bore a cross which was described by RBI to symbolize "Four parts of the country coming together under one banner and identifying as one nation". The outcry was mainly from the political parties aligned with Hindu thoughts. They opposed the coin and due to this the coin series was put to rest.

The coins were minted between 2004 and 2007.

"Press Release for Re. 1, Rs. 2, Rs. 5 and Rs. 10."

Re. 1 and Rs. 5 had one cross with four dots on each side of the cross. Whereas Rs. 2 and Rs. 10 had two cross with four dots on each side.

The following in this series are rare:

The Re. 1 of 2004
The Rs. 5
The Rs. 10 of 2007

If anyone has these coins, grab them. I love the Rs. 5 design most importantly the font in which 5 has been minted is what I love in the coin set as a whole.

I have collected from circulation Re. 1, Rs. 2, Rs. 5 & Rs. 10.

Singapore - Cents - 5 - 1976

2012-02-07T05:28:00.000-08:00

A common coin from Singapore, which I collected when I was there in this lovely country.

Country	Singapore
Year	1967-1985
Value	5 Cents 0.05 SGD = 0.040 USD
Metal	Copper-nickel
Weight	1.4000 g
Diameter	16.25 mm
Thickness	0.96 mm
Engraver	Stuart Devlin (obverse)
Shape	Round
Orientation	Medal alignment ↑↑

Coin Information Courtesy: Numista

India - Republic - Anna - 1 - 1925

2012-02-06T01:24:00.000-08:00

I bought this coin from Sapna Book Store , Bangalore. This coin was pasted to a board with information.

I must confess I bought this coin when I was just a novice (well I am still a novice but just knows to buy coins in good form not a pasted one). This one is intended for school-students to teach our rich history.

From my understanding (of various websites) this is not such a rare coin. It can be easily procured for Rs.50 from even ebay website.

It is very good for us to educate our new generation of such coins minted in past, particularly the British Indian coins. This will make learning of history very easy, and make our future generation understand the importance of our history.

This particular coin was minted in Mumbai mint (as it does not have a mint mark), the same coin was also minted from Calcutta (dot mark below the year).

The coin contains observe with portrait of George V King Emperor who was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War (1914–1918) until his death in 1936.

Country	India - British
Year	1912-1936
Value	1 Anna (1/16)
Metal	Copper-nickel
Weight	3.9 g
Diameter	20.5 mm
Engraver	Edgar Bertram Mackennal (obverse)
Shape	Scalloped (12 notches)
Orientation	Medal alignment ↑↑
Demonetized	yes

Coin Information Courtesy: Numista

India - Republic - Anna - 1/2 - 1943

2012-02-03T03:07:00.000-08:00

This coins is also from my fathers coin collection. Below mentioned are its features:

Country	India - British
Year	1942-1945
Value	1/2 Anna (1/32)
Metal	Nickel-brass
Weight	2.92 g
Diameter	17.3 mm
Engraver	Percy Metcalfe (obverse)
Shape	Quadrangular
Orientation	Medal alignment ↑↑
Demonetized	yes

Fake East India Company Coin - Half Anna - 1616

2012-02-02T08:01:00.000-08:00

I bought this coin two years back from Mysore. I liked the coin for the Krishna and Radha depiction. I bargained and bought this coin for Rs. 100.

But later when came back, googled and found out this one was a fake. But I have no hard feelings for this one, because I like this coin very much.

Whoever faked this coin, are perfect coin designers. Be aware of any such coins particularly with dates 1616, 1818 etc. East India Company has not issued such coins.

This is to inform any budding coin collectors like myself.

India - Republic - Anna - 1/2 - 1950

2012-02-01T07:51:00.000-08:00

I exactly do not remember how I obtained this coin. It could be from my father's collection, or from some coins I bought from book store.

The following gives the complete information about the metal and make of the coin:

Country	India - Republic
Year	1950 - 1955
Metal	Copper Nickel
Weight	2.85 g
Edge	Smooth
Shape	Quadrangular (4-Sided)
Orientation	Medal alignment ↑↑
Observe	Lettering: HALF ANNA in English and Hindi with Year 1950 in circle around a bull.
Reverse	GOVERNMENT OF INDIA in circle around the Ashoka Symbol

Information Courtesy: Numista

Hungary - Forint - 100 - 1998

2012-01-24T00:47:00.000-08:00

I owe credits to my friend and colleague for the coins from Hungary. I have never visited this country, but am fascinated to know more about the country after seeing the coins.

The following gives the complete information about the metal and make of the coin:

Country	Hungary
Year	1996-2010
Metal	Bi-Metallic Brass plated Steel center in Stainless Steel ring
Weight	8 g
Diameter	23.8 mm
Thickness	2.2 mm
Shape	Round
Orientation	Medal alignment ↑↑
Observe	Lettering: MAGYAR KÖZTÁRSASÁG 1997
Reverse	Lettering: BP. 100 FORINT

Information Courtesy: Numista

India - British - Anna - 1/4 - 1940

2012-01-23T02:05:00.000-08:00

One Quarter Anna - British India.

Here is the coin features:

Country	India - British
Year	1940-1942
Value	1/4 Anna (1/64)
Metal	Bronze
Weight	4.6 g
Diameter	25.33 mm
Engraver	Percy Metcalfe (obverse)
Shape	Round
Orientation	Medal alignment ↑↑
Demonetized	yes
Obverse	Lettering: GEORGE VI KING EMPEROR
Reverse	Lettering: ONE QUARTER ANNA INDIA 1940
Edge	Smooth

India - Republic - Pice - 1 - 1954

2012-01-20T04:14:00.000-08:00

Though this coin is called PICE, my father vouched that they used to call the coin "Chilli Kaasu". This probably meant the lower denomination post Indian Independence.

This is one of the coins which were issued by Government of India after 1950 when India became Republic. This coin was minted during 1950-1955.

It should be noted that the coin was introduced when Indian Coinage was not decimal in nature. 64 Pice constituted 1 Rupee. The Pice was equal to 1/4 Anna which was in circulation.

The following are the details of my coin:

Country	India - Republic
Year	1950-1955
Value	1 Pice = 1/4 Anna = 1/64 Rupee (1/64)
Metal	Bronze
Weight	2.95 g
Diameter	21 mm
Shape	Round
Orientation	Medal alignment ↑↑
Demonetized	yes
Mint	Calcutta (No Mint Mark)
Observe	Three lions emblem, Lettering: GOVERNMENT·OF·INDIA
Reverse	Prancing horse facing left, Lettering: ONE PICE * एक पैसा 1951

Information Courtesy: Numista