Hello everyone I thought I would start a new topic and im not sure if this has already been made but im interested in seeing everyone’s most historically significant coin. This is mine, it’s a Ceitil from the reign of Manuel I of Portugal and to me it’s most significant because he massively expanded the Portuguese Empire and really took over the age of exploration
I suppose probably one of my 1797 1p or 2p coins. (Numista image 1p)
These were the first coins struck using a steam-powered press. This is really the birth of today's modern mass-produced coins. A herald of the industrial revolution, which transformed the entire world.
And for banknotes (my own image):
A 1914 treasury bill, 1st issue. Although incredibly short-lived (the 2nd issue was released only months later, still in 1914), it marks the beginning of the end of the gold standard. Although it wasn't known or expected at the time.
Obviously the greater reason is WWI and it's subsequent fall-out. However, the three variations of £1 & 10/- notes issued during this time really opened the public's eyes to the benefits of small value paper money. Something which England largely resisted previously (Scotland had always retained £1 notes. In part for convenience, in part lack of specie) was largely accepted as a good idea for the future. And so paper notes began to replace precious metal throughout the UK and the Empire - with many other nations following suit.
As I say, the note itself isn't the reason at all. It just happened to be the first in an unexpected transformation of how we handle physical money.
As a piece of design and iconography, I think that this coin is hard to beat. It was made during a tumultuous time of change in the world, and coincides with Lenin's death.
They aren't really too hard to find, but hard to find in “perfect” condition. Copper is a very soft metal so prone to scratches. And if it was dropped, it'll almost certainly have a ding from where it hit the ground. Plus they were used extremely frequently so just general wear & tear. 🤷♂️
The 2p is a little rarer but still pretty common.
It also has the distinction of holding several records for UK (And predecessors) circulation coinage; Widest, Thickest, & Heaviest.
They aren't really too hard to find, but hard to find in “perfect” condition. Copper is a very soft metal so prone to scratches. And if it was dropped, it'll almost certainly have a ding from where it hit the ground. Plus they were used extremely frequently so just general wear & tear. 🤷♂️
The 2p is a little rarer but still pretty common.
It also has the distinction of holding several records for UK (And predecessors) circulation coinage; Widest, Thickest, & Heaviest.
They are absolute titans of coinage.
So what do you think is a fair price to pay for one in decent condition?
Just to preface - I'm not a professional & this isn't my era of interest, so take my prices with modest caution.
Fair condition to me would be the lettering would be largely easily readable, and the design on both sides should be distinct though with some loss of finer detail. Minor dents or scratches allowed. So not quite as good as the stock image from Numista I used earlier but not worn either. But not far off either.
Basically something good enough to show but cheap enough to be a curio.
The 1p around £10 - £15, 2p £15 - £25
You can of course get cheaper more-worn coins (but not down to “nearly blank disc” level). If you don't mind holed (in the blank areas), larger edge dings, and things like that. You can get 1p for under £5, 2p under £10.
Just to preface - I'm not a professional & this isn't my era of interest, so take my prices with modest caution.
Fair condition to me would be the lettering would be largely easily readable, and the design on both sides should be distinct though with some loss of finer detail. Minor dents or scratches allowed. So not quite as good as the stock image from Numista I used earlier but not worn either. But not far off either.
Basically something good enough to show but cheap enough to be a curio.
The 1p around £10 - £15, 2p £15 - £25
You can of course get cheaper more-worn coins (but not down to “nearly blank disc” level). If you don't mind holed (in the blank areas), larger edge dings, and things like that. You can get 1p for under £5, 2p under £10.
Well, I have a few coins that could be considered historically significant.
Starting with a half dozen ceitis just like the one at the first post. In Brazil, it means that they're from the very beginning of the country, the discovery of the land by the portuguese. I also have two copper coins of the king Dom Sebastião, which are the first legal tender circulation coins in Brazil due to a portuguese decree from 1568.
I also have some coins associated with a few of the greatest names of the history of mankind: a bronze of Alexander the Great; a bronze of Nero; and a bronze with a posthumous portrait of Julius Caesar.
But there's one that's related not only to one of the most important names but also one of the most important moments.
Here's my collection's cherry top:
A judean prutah from the time of Pontius Pilate, minted in time to witness a certain crucifixion that changed the course of history.
Well, I have a few coins that could be considered historically significant.
Starting with a half dozen ceitis just like the one at the first post. In Brazil, it means that they're from the very beginning of the country, the discovery of the land by the portuguese. I also have two copper coins of the king Dom Sebastião, which are the first legal tender circulation coins in Brazil due to a portuguese decree from 1568.
I also have some coins associated with a few of the greatest names of the history of mankind: a bronze of Alexander the Great; a bronze of Nero; and a bronze with a posthumous portrait of Julius Caesar.
But there's one that's related not only to one of the most important names but also one of the most important moments.
Here's my collection's cherry top:
A judean prutah from the time of Pontius Pilate, minted in time to witness a certain crucifixion that changed the course of history.
I’m jealous of that collection wow. Do you mind if I could I could see pics of the ceitils I love Portuguese and Portuguese colonial coins!
The first D. Sebastião coin is really cool. Thanks for sharing with me. Also I believe the first ceitil in the third photo is the same as mine that I posted
This is a hard question to answer. But I come up with this. And many coins I own were potential, but in the study of numismatics and eras of coins I just find totally fascinating, we have to visit the reign of good Queen bess, that era of Shakespeare, heart shaped ruffs and codpieces.
This is a 1562 milled sixpence made by Eloi Mestrelle (I have heard 900 kabillion spellings of his name, but I will go with that). He was a French man from the Monnaie de Paris mint and came to England to offer screw press made coins with edges to stop clipping and ensure the right weight of silver meant the coin would pass for its value.
In 1561 the English at the Tower allowed it and milled shillings and sixpences were made. Some were dated, some were not. They went down well and as you can see, even heavily worn, a pretty and very modern looking coin. But it angered the people hammering coins, although helped them lift their game as well, shown below.
They are relatively round and well struck for hammered coins and no doubt it was keeping up with the Frenchman's coines.
But by 1567, the inefficency was showing, the machines kept breaking down and not enough coins were made to sustain production. It did not happen that after years of religious ructions, wife killing maniac rulers and uber Catholics, England had someone with half a brain on the throne and the country prospered, so coin needs shot up and all types of coin needed to be made and fast. Coin hammerers made them well and fast as you can see. Mestrelle slowed down and was fired in 1572. He could not find more work in France and the Netherlands was wracked with a war against its Catholic Spanish overlords, so Mestrelle did what he did best, made more coins, except they were uttered coins and in 1579 he paid the ultimate price.
In 1631 another Frenchman bought milling back, but again it was half hearted, unlike in the 1560s, the hammered coins of the 1630s and 1640s were just awfully made and no one cared as England slid into war.
Finally in 1662 with yet another Frenchman (Peter Blondeau) - England started the slide into total milling with Crowns in 1662, Halfcrowns in 1663 and then the rest of the line up by 1670. Mestrelle had a great idea, it was just he was 100 years too early.
1662 the first year of the modern milled coinage in England. This was a crown
1663 saw the turn of the halfcrown, however striking was an early teething issue as the date is misty. But these 17th century coins are much better examples of milling, higher rims, more durable impressions and even lettering on the edge of the high value coins. The 1562 piece of Mestrelle, has an edge, but its still wafer thin and details wore off fast, plus by 1662 actual screw presses were much better made and more efficient. Not many Mestrelle or Briot coins survive, but Charles II ones do.
I love coins. Especially silver, gold and anything really old.
Member of the Royal Numismatic Society of New Zealand and the Auckland Numismatic Society
NZ $50?!? That is an absolute bargain of a bargain! Such a lucky find. 😲 Although Ireland isn't a particular area of interest, I've always kept an eye out for that year. No luck (yet…)
CitKane - A beautiful design & certainly very politically apt for the time. Very striking piece.
Turi - a lovely video (even if I don't speak the lingo, I can appreciate the effort of the video itself & designs on the coins)
GioBruno - An excellent choice, and some very big name drops there!
Somewhere I've got a slightly earlier prutah from about 100bc. Alexander Janneaus. If I ID'd it properly anyway. Not my speciality. 🙃
Moneytane - Some beautiful coins there, and some wonderful history. Thanks for sharing that, genuinely enjoyed it.
I can see we both picked “revolutionary” by means of production.
NZ $50?!? That is an absolute bargain of a bargain! Such a lucky find. 😲 Although Ireland isn't a particular area of interest, I've always kept an eye out for that year. No luck (yet…)
CitKane - A beautiful design & certainly very politically apt for the time. Very striking piece.
Turi - a lovely video (even if I don't speak the lingo, I can appreciate the effort of the video itself & designs on the coins)
GioBruno - An excellent choice, and some very big name drops there!
Somewhere I've got a slightly earlier prutah from about 100bc. Alexander Janneaus. If I ID'd it properly anyway. Not my speciality. 🙃
Moneytane - Some beautiful coins there, and some wonderful history. Thanks for sharing that, genuinely enjoyed it.
I can see we both picked “revolutionary” by means of production.
A friendly dealer bought a collection of Irish coins in my home town of Wanganui a few months ago.
He was going to put them up on TradeMe as 1 lot, but he decided to check them out.
That is when he found it.
As soon as he saw me, I told him,"I will give you 50 Dollars for it".
I've enjoyed watching the various interpretations of “historically significant coin” on this thread. Although I'm not a coin collector, I can certainly appreciate how difficult several of these examples must have been to source. Great historical eye candy!
I also enjoyed reading @A Collector's summary b/c it made me take a gander at Turi's fascinating video link. I also appreciate his scarce Bradbury Treasury note (I only wish I had one & any variety)! It is in great shape too! Congrats on that note @A Collector!
So this led me to think of my own historically significant banknotes. I certainly don't have many as the note should be somehow connected to history (at least IMO). I don't want this to be just a "show & tell."
So my #1 would be this 1935 FRENCH FIVE featuring Prince Edward who refused to be king:
Next in line is this 1935 TWENTY which features his niece, Princess Elizabeth, before they knew she'd be queen:
The 1935 series only lasted 2 years because Princess Elizabeth's grandfather passed away & her father had to “take the reins” after her uncle Edward abdicated (as we all know). It is the Bank of Canada's first series & comes with English colour conventions (orange for FIVE & pink for TWENTY) & had both a separate English & French issue. These colours were dropped in the 1937 series (traditional blue for FIVES & olive green for TWENTIES) & the notes became bilingual. Early coin/banknote enthusiasts were notorious for pressing their banknotes (to make them appear better) so it was very difficult to find original (or EPQ) banknotes from this (& the next 2 Bank of Canada series).
My 3rd most historically significant note would have to be this LARGE English “White Fiver” BoE note produced on thin paper. It was massively counterfeited by POW's during WW2 (Operation Bernhard). It has an extensive watermark and many hidden security features despite the fact it was copied so successfully. It is supposed to be more common than the thick paper version but I have found both types to be pretty tough in EPQ or with original paper. I also believe my example was produced later (1947 & they kept producing them till 1956):
Whilst I don't know the true historical significance of the Canadian series (though my own lack of knowledge), I have always loved the earlier Canadian notes artistically. Especially the 25c notes with their allegorical Britannia on them.
The 1935 series is a particularly beautiful series, and has the unusual $25 commemorative.
If I had the funds to burn, Canada's 1870 - 1937 runs would definitely be something I'd enjoy.
Always a delight to see them out & about. 😃
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I got quite lucky with my Treasury 1st Series £1. £235 if I remember rightly. It does have a tear on the top centre (near the word “are”) but that's really the only issue. Still enjoy seeing it - it sits right at the very front of my entire collection.
I also find the serial pleasing ("D24"). D happens to be my first name initial and born on a 24th. Spooky eh? Didn't notice until it arrived!
The 1870 Dominion of Canada (DOC) shinplasters (or $0.25 banknotes) you refer to actually came about due to Canada's appetite for US silver. It was the brainchild of Canada's first Finance Minister Hinks. Keep in mind, that Canada, as a nation was only 3 years old by this time. Canadians were actively hoarding US silver and making a profit by selling it back to the banks. The “Dominion of Canada” banknotes were simply a name created by the Minister of Finance & the shinplasters (backed by gold) put an end to the silver drain occurring from the silver hoarding trend. The popularity of those little 25 cent notes spurned on the development of the higher denominations while all of Canada's Chartered banks produced their own notes too (Bank of Montreal, Bank of Commerce, Nova Scotia, etc).
Most Canadians refer to these pre-central banknotes as “horse-blankets” since they're jumbo sized (& that makes them highly prized). Here's a good read from the BoC Museum which gives a snapshot of what happened. While I do see these notes as desirable I set a hard line (not to cross) in order to save my bank account. Nevertheless, I have bought a few low grade examples during a few moments of weakness 😀. One of my favourite Chartered banknotes would be the Canadian Bank of Commerce & either the $10 or $20 would be a fantastic addition to any person's collection (IMO). From what I can tell, DOC currency circulated alongside the Chartered notes. It must have been confusing but then again any banknote was worth a lot of money & many Canadian citizens actually preferred using silver or gold for transactions (notes only when needed).
So flash forward to 1935 & that is when currency is downsized to our current dimensions & an actual Central Bank was formed. This was when cash was much more accepted by the general population. There was an actual building in Ottawa and a number of employees working separately from government interference. We had JAC Osborne on loan from the Bank of England (first signature as Deputy Governor) & Graham Towers as Governor. The Chartered banks were still allowed to print/issue their own currency with the understanding that it would be phased out gradually (they would distribute both currencies for the BoC). I believe they had to wrap up operations by 1937.
The first 1935 series was not only unilingual series but also had different Royalty featured on each denomination (besides the $500 & $1000 which featured Mcdonald & Laurier). This first short lived series was a bit of a flop too because English Canadians were often defacing the French versions & certain denominations were unpopular. TWOS were being mixed up for FIVES (since blue was a $5 convention) and the orange FIVES were getting mixed up for TWOS. The $25 wasn't released until much later & given its high/odd value ($25 had a lot of buying power but never seen) few Canadians would accept one. French Canadians saw English currency (& vice versa) so they were also impractical. I'm always amazed whenever I see an UNC example of any of these first series (especially the lower denominations of $1 to $20) which would have been our “workhorses.”
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BTW: that is an incredible serial number 000260 & the price you paid was a “steal”
The 1870 Dominion of Canada (DOC) shinplasters (or $0.25 banknotes) you refer to actually came about due to Canada's appetite for US silver. It was the brainchild of Canada's first Finance Minister Hinks. Keep in mind, that Canada, as a nation was only 3 years old by this time. Canadians were actively hoarding US silver and making a profit by selling it back to the banks. The “Dominion of Canada” banknotes were simply a name created by the Minister of Finance & the shinplasters (backed by gold) put an end to the silver drain occurring from the silver hoarding trend. The popularity of those little 25 cent notes spurned on the development of the higher denominations while all of Canada's Chartered banks produced their own notes too (Bank of Montreal, Bank of Commerce, Nova Scotia, etc).
Most Canadians refer to these pre-central banknotes as “horse-blankets” since they're jumbo sized (& that makes them highly prized). Here's a good read from the BoC Museum which gives a snapshot of what happened. While I do see these notes as desirable I set a hard line (not to cross) in order to save my bank account. Nevertheless, I have bought a few low grade examples during a few moments of weakness 😀. One of my favourite Chartered banknotes would be the Canadian Bank of Commerce & either the $10 or $20 would be a fantastic addition to any person's collection (IMO). From what I can tell, DOC currency circulated alongside the Chartered notes. It must have been confusing but then again any banknote was worth a lot of money & many Canadian citizens actually preferred using silver or gold for transactions (notes only when needed).
So flash forward to 1935 & that is when currency is downsized to our current dimensions & an actual Central Bank was formed. This was when cash was much more accepted by the general population. There was an actual building in Ottawa and a number of employees working separately from government interference. We had JAC Osborne on loan from the Bank of England (first signature as Deputy Governor) & Graham Towers as Governor. The Chartered banks were still allowed to print/issue their own currency with the understanding that it would be phased out gradually (they would distribute both currencies for the BoC). I believe they had to wrap up operations by 1937.
The first 1935 series was not only unilingual series but also had different Royalty featured on each denomination (besides the $500 & $1000 which featured Mcdonald & Laurier). This first short lived series was a bit of a flop too because English Canadians were often defacing the French versions & certain denominations were unpopular. TWOS were being mixed up for FIVES (since blue was a $5 convention) and the orange FIVES were getting mixed up for TWOS. The $25 wasn't released until much later & given its high/odd value ($25 had a lot of buying power but never seen) few Canadians would accept one. French Canadians saw English currency (& vice versa) so they were also impractical. I'm always amazed whenever I see an UNC example of any of these first series (especially the lower denominations of $1 to $20) which would have been our “workhorses.”
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BTW: that is an incredible serial number 000260 & the price you paid was a “steal”
The last Canadian chartered bank notes were released in the 1940's.
The last Canadian chartered bank notes were released in the 1940's.
-Thanks Aidan, that would make sense with WW2 going on. I believe the intent was they were to be phased out in the next 2 years but with the war (& introduction of the 1937 series), it likely got postponed.
The other significant occurrence (for collectors) was that JAC Osborne abruptly resigned from his post & that created a very short lived “Osborne Towers” 1937 variety which was very tough for collectors to obtain (even back in the day) since only a few prefixes had his signature on them. With 1937 series, all the designs had the king & the back plates designs were juggled (eg: the $10 reverse was moved to the TWO, etc).
@Serial_Number_8 Just to say thanks for typing all that out, absolutely fascinating read. Really enjoyed that.
What I particularly like is how you refer to them as horse-blankets. We have the same term for the early Issuing Banks (filling a similar role to your chartered banks) banknotes in Scotland. In particular the £5 & higher values (Pre~1940), and sometimes to the large square £1 notes (Pre~1920).
I suspect there's probably a direct link too - the second stage of the Highland Clearances really began ~1840 to ~1860. And one of the most popular emigration locations was of course Canada.
We're not sure when the first horse-blankets were issued (No extremely early survivors known, dimension not otherwise recorded), but were certainly in existence well before the second clearance.
So the dates would line up quite neatly.
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So many of the other issuing banks (or chartered as you call them) have such beautiful designs. I get standardisation is helpful for ease of public recognition but some banks really created artworks and it's a shame we have less of it generally.
I'd love to see your few “weakness” purchases some time! Bet they're gorgeous. But maybe not here, I'm sure we're derailing the thread already 🤣
I have a similar rule, but softer applied. I'll go to ~£30 for any issue, ~£60 if particularly interesting artistically, and ~£100 for local [to me] issuers. Protects my bank account too 🤣
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Back on topic, that 100 day campaign coin is beautiful and I can absolutely see why it'd be your pick for historically important.
The end of the 100 days in Britain's (and friends!) favour essentially brought about the global Pax Britannia for the next century.
One of my absolute favourite facts in history is that the UK has declared war on a great many countries over the years. But only one person directly: Napoleon.
For watching the video of Turi: it is possible to watch it with auto-translate, using the YouTube settings: click ‘CC’ for subtitles and select the language by clicking the cog next to ‘CC’ and clicking again on ‘CC’ in the ‘cog-menu’.
For ‘most historically significant’ I chose the coin in my collection issued specifically for use by German soldiers in WWII and my Colombian Leprocy colony coin, as wars and diseases had such a massive impact on the human psyche throughout history. As religions and spirituality are of great historical importance as well, with their immense diversity, I chose a coin from a modern spiritual community, Damanhur. Coins were issued for circulation within the community, unfortunately they no longer circulate due to the impact of Corona. Especially the first issues linked to the Italian Lira are extremely hard to find, like this 10 Crediti coin.
Regarding the swastika, that is an old religious symbol, for example it can be found on modern South Korean maps to indicate the locations of Buddhist temples. In a book on esoteric occult knowlegde I read that when the symbol is placed in ‘square-allignment’ like on the Indian N#6085, then the symbol has a creative and protective energy, while depicted in diamond formation as on these German coins it carries a destructive energy.
Besides coins I love geometry. The avatar consists of each of the 35 hexominoes used precisely once. With the 5 large yellow shapes placed like this, the solution for tiling the remaining 30 hexominoes is unique.
I guess the most ‘historic’ coin in my collection would be my early phase 2 Aethelred penny, ca1010 AD. It is a later Long Cross Penny imitation (of English coinage), produced towards the end of the era when the coinage was produced with legible words. Shortly after this, the script on Irish coinage became degraded to symbols and the silver content was reduced.
My most historic banknote easier to decide - I consider it to be the note illustrated below, £1, 10 April 1922, 10A 000001 - the very first Bank of Ireland £1 note to be printed on both sides. This note was a part of the Bank of Ireland’s modern series introduced in 1922, purported to have been suggested by some parties as a proposed new currency for the Irish Free State.
A 1934 £5 Lefeaux note, this was released in the first tranche of fivers and for the public, the first and highest value note backed by a new Reserve bank of the government, rather than Trading Banks, whose fortunes dived in the Depression. Of course there was a £50 note as well, but very few if any people would see one. The fifties now sell for 5 figures or more and are so rare, a recently printed book here lists all 100 or so surviving examples of the 52,000 printed. Whereas these fivers, also rare in 1934 as average wages were £3 down to 5/- for unemployed relief workers. They printed 4,500,000 of them to 1940 and you can get worn ones for around $300 to $500, not cheap but much more affordable than the £50 and only twice as much as the much more common £1 and 10/-.
In 1967 £5 became $10 in new decimal money and the current $10 note is still blue like this 90 year old fiver! Of course $10 today can't even buy a pie and a snack, whereas a £5 in 1934, got you 6 or 7 weeks rent, a new suit or a set of motorcar tyres.
I love coins. Especially silver, gold and anything really old.
Member of the Royal Numismatic Society of New Zealand and the Auckland Numismatic Society
A wise choice really, but not for us numismatists. Had he hung on another year in 1937, we would have a lot of collectable 1 year types for coins, stamps and notes! Then the George VI juggernaut would have started a year later in 1938.
The May 1937 Coronation was planned for Edward VIII and he abdicated quick enough, for it to all be George VI. New portraits were rushed and only a few stamps and some colonial coins with cyphers/monograms of E8 appeared officially.
Ironically none of New Zealand's predecimal notes 1934 - 1967 showed a reigning or past British Monarch and neither did any earlier trading bank note (Unless you count some of the Britannias/Zealandias on these notes as a young Victoria allegory). Monarchs only appeared on Series 3 (1967 - 1980) and Series 4 notes (1980 - 1991) and on the $20 note since.
I love coins. Especially silver, gold and anything really old.
Member of the Royal Numismatic Society of New Zealand and the Auckland Numismatic Society
hello, thanks for this topic to senhordineiro, thanks for a ceitil and an athelred penny.
From my part this question is really, really difficult. Having some candidates linked to the french revolution, the first 1 para coin of serbia. My second choice would be a swedish riksdaler of 1718 ( last year of Karl XII, a desastrous year for him and his country and probably my most valuable coin).
Wourldwide importance until today, here it is:
This is the first 1 yen gold. Japan changed/modernized its currency 1870 and adapted the US standards in weight and fineness. Yen and $ lost a little bit of value since then. This coin certainly went around the world, got it from a swedish auction two or three years ago.
I agree, that gold yen is a beauty and the beginning of modern Western style Japanese coinage. I love the old kobans, obans, shu etc - but so confusing, whereas this was basic decimal coins done well with a Japanese flavour.
I love coins. Especially silver, gold and anything really old.
Member of the Royal Numismatic Society of New Zealand and the Auckland Numismatic Society
And as some of you may already know from a couple of threads going back 3 or 4 years, a particular part of the reverse design may well be the origin of the “$” symbol…
Hello everyone I thought I would start a new topic and im not sure if this has already been made but im interested in seeing everyone’s most historically significant coin. This is mine, it’s a Ceitil from the reign of Manuel I of Portugal and to me it’s most significant because he massively expanded the Portuguese Empire and really took over the age of exploration 
