Queen Isabella Quarter Dollar, United States commemorative coin of 1893.

Queen Isabella Quarter Dollar Columbian Exposition Silver Quarters
 Queen Isabella Quarter Dollar United States commemorative coin 
United States commemorative coins Silver Quarter Dollar
United States coins Columbian Exposition quarter 
United States commemorative coins Queen Isabella Quarter Dollar or Columbian Exposition Silver Quarter Dollar, 1893.



Obverse: Crowned and draped bust of Queen Isabella of Spain left. Date (1893) to right.
Legend: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Reverse: Kneeling female with distaff and spindle, symbolizing women's industry.
Legend: BOARD OF LADY MANAGERS . COLUMBIAN QUAR. DOL. .

Reference: KM-115. R!
Mint Place: Philadelphia; Mintage: 24,214 pcs.
Diameter: 24 mm; Weight: 6.19 gram of Silver (.900)

The Isabella quarter or Columbian Exposition quarter was a United States commemorative coin struck in 1893. Congress authorized the piece at the request of the Board of Lady Managers of the World's Columbian Exposition. The quarter depicts Queen Isabella of Spain, who sponsored Columbus's voyages to the New World. It was designed by Bureau of the Mint Chief Engraver Charles E. Barber, and is the only U.S. commemorative of that denomination that was not intended for circulation.

The Board of Lady Managers, headed by Chicago socialite Bertha Palmer, wanted a woman to design the coin and engaged Caroline Peddle, a sculptor. Peddle left the project after disagreements with Mint officials, who then decided to have Barber do the work. The reverse design, showing a kneeling woman winding flax, with a distaff in her left hand and a spindle in her right, symbolizes women's industry and was based on a sketch by Assistant Engraver George T. Morgan.

The quarter's design was deprecated in the numismatic press. The coins did not sell well at the Exposition; its price of $1 was the same as for the Columbian half dollar and the quarter was seen as the worse deal. Nearly half of the authorized issue was returned to the Mint to be melted; thousands more were purchased at face value by the Lady Managers and entered the coin market in the early 20th century. Today, they are popular with collectors and valued in the hundreds to thousands of dollars.

Coins of Fiji Sixpence Silver Coin of 1934, King George V.

British Fiji coins Sixpence Silver Coin King George
Coins of Fiji  Sixpence, King George V 
Fiji coins Sixpence British silver coins
 Fiji coins Sixpence 
 Fiji coins Sixpence Silver Coin of 1934, King George V.

Obverse: Draped and crowned bust of King George V left.
Legend: GEORGE V KING EMPEROR

Reverse: Sea turtle, splitting date (19-34).
Legend: FIJI / SIXPENCE

Reference: KM-3.
Diameter: 20 mm; Weight: 2.81 gram of Silver (.500).

British Colonial Coins one Rupee Silver Coin of 1888, Imperial British East Africa Company.

British Colonial Coins Silver Rupee Coin British East Africa
British East Africa Rupee silver coin
Coins of British East Africa Company one Rupee Silver Coin
Imperial British East Africa Company one Rupee Silver Coin
British Colonial Coins - Silver Rupee Coin of 1888 - British East Africa Company, Mombasa.
Imperial British East Africa Company one Rupee Silver Coin minted at Heaton mint in Birmingham for Mombasa, Zanzibar.

Obverse: The symbol of the Imperial British East Africa Company - Crown above radiant sun with the motto LIGHT AND LIBERTY reflects the company's belief in its role as the bearer of "the white man's burden".
Legend: ONE RUPEE . MOMBASA . LIGHT AND LIBERTY

Reverse: Scale above arabic characters and date.
Legend: IMPERIAL BRITISH EAST AFRICA COMPANY : 1888 H .

Mintage: 94,000 pcs.; References: KM-5.
Mint Place: Heaton´s Mint (Birmingham)
State: Mombasa (for the Imperial British East Africa Company)
Weight: 11.58 gram of Silver (.917); Diameter: 30 mm.




The Imperial British East Africa Company (IBEAC) was the administrator of British East Africa, which was the forerunner of the East Africa Protectorate, later Kenya. The IBEAC was a commercial association founded to develop African trade in the areas controlled by the British colonial power. Created after the Berlin Treaty of 1885, it was led by William Mackinnon and built upon his company's trading activities in the region, with the encouragement of the British government. Mombasa and its harbour were central to its operations, with an administrative office about 80 km south in Shimoni. The company was incorporated in London on 18 April 1888, and granted a royal charter by Queen Victoria on 6 September 1888.

The IBEAC oversaw an area of approximately 246,800 mi² (639,209 km²) situated along the eastern coast of Africa, its centre being at about 39° East longitude and 0° latitude, and from 1890 also administered Uganda. The administration of British East Africa was transferred to the Foreign Office on 1 July 1895, and in 1896 so was control of Uganda.

Coins of British India one Rupee Silver Coin of 1840, young bust of Queen Victoria.

British India Coinage Coins of Young Queen Victoria, Indian rupee silver coin
British India Coinage - Coins of Queen Victoria, Young Bust.
Indian coins collection one rupee silver coin
One Rupee coin issued by the East India Company, 1840.
British India coins, East India Company - one Rupee  Silver Coin of 1840, Young bust of Queen Victoria.

Obverse: Young bust of Queen Victoria left.
Legend: VICTORIA QUEEN

Reverse: Denomination (ONE RUPEE) within wreath. Small diamonds below inscription, 19 berries in wreath.
Legend: EAST INDIA COMPANY * 1840 *

Mint Place: Bombay
Reference: KM-457.8. (20 berries on wreath and small diamonds below Persian value)
Weight: 11.57 gram of Sterling Silver (.925); Diameter: 31 mm.

Coins of the British East India Company Half Rupee Silver Coin of 1840, Young bust of Queen Victoria.

British India coins Queen Victoria silver coin Indian half rupee
British India Coins - Young bust of Queen Victoria.
Indian half rupee silver coin Coins of India
Coinage of the British East India Company
Coins of the British East India Company Half Rupee Silver Coin of 1840, Young bust of Queen Victoria.
East India Company (also the East India Trading Company, English East India Company, and then the British East India Company)

Obverse: Young head of Queen Victoria left.
Legend: VICTORIA QUEEN

Reverse: Bi-lingual denomination (HALF RUPEE) within wreath.
Legend: EAST INDIA COMPANY * 1840 *

Reference: KM-456.1. R!
Mint Place: Bombay or Calcutta
Diameter: 24 mm; Weight: 5.77 gram of Sterling Silver (.925)

Coins of East India Company Silver rupee of the Bengal Presidency, 1835.

Indian coins Silver rupee East India Company Coinage
East India Company Coinage - Silver rupee
British India Coins of East India Company Silver rupee coin
Coins of East India Company Silver rupee
Coins of East India Company Silver rupee of the Bengal Presidency, 1835. Plain Edge
Coins of India, Indian Coins, The Coins of the Bengal Presidency. The Coinage of the Honourable East India Company.
Reverse: Persian legends in three lines. Regnal year 45 (fixed) and snowflake-designs in fields.
Obverse: Persian legends in three lines.

Mint Place: Calcutta
Mint Period: 1833-1835 AD
Weight: 11.64 gram of silver; Diameter: 26 mm

British Coins Silver Penny 1786 King George III

British coins Silver Penny Coin of King George III Coins of the UK
 British coins Silver Penny Coin of King George III 
Great Britain Coins Silver Penny Coin British coins
Great Britain Coins Silver Penny Coin
Great Britain Coins Silver Penny Coin of 1786 King George III
Coins of the UK silver penny coins, Great Britain Coins, British coins, pictures of silver penny coins.

Obverse: Armored and draped bust of George III right.
Legend: GEORGIVS . III . DEI . GRATIA .

Reverse: Crown above large roman value numeral (I). Date split in legend above.
Legend: MAG . BRI . FR - ET . HIB . REX . 17-86 .

Reference: KM-594. R!
Diameter: 12 mm
Weight: 0.49 gram of sterling silver (.925)


Coins of the United Kingdom - The Penny and Halfpenny

Silver Penny 1786 King George III      One Penny 1797 King George III - Cartwheel Penny





English coins Silver Long-Cross Penny of King Henry III.

British English coins Silver Long-Cross Penny of King Henry III
English coins Silver Long-Cross Penny of King Henry III
British coins Long Cross Silver Penny English Coinage
Long-Cross Penny
English coins Silver Long-Cross Penny of King Henry III. (Class 5c) 
British and old English coins Silver Long-Cross Penny of King Henry III. Coins of the UK, Great Britain Coins, British coins, English Coinage, Long Cross Pennies.

Obverse: Crowned and bearded bust facing, with sceptre in kings left hand, splitting legend. More rounded face with oval shaped eyes.
Legend: HNRICVS REX III (King Henry the Third)

Reverse: Long-cross, splitting legend with four groups of triple pellets in fields.
Legend: IOH-ON-CAN-TER ("Iohan on Canterbury" = "Iohan/John of Canterbury")

Struck by Johan or John moneyer at the Canterbury mint. Mint Year: 1216-1272 (Class 5c: 1251-72)
Reference: S.1369. R!
Diameter: 18 mm; Weight: 1.29 gram of silver.



Henry III (1 October 1207 – 16 November 1272) was the son and successor of John of England as King of England, reigning for fifty-six years from 1216 to his death. His contemporaries knew him as Henry of Winchester. He was the first child king in England since the reign of Ethelred the Unready. England prospered during his century and his greatest monument is Westminster, which he made the seat of his government and where he expanded the abbey as a shrine to Edward the Confessor.

The Long Cross coinage (1247 - 1279 AD)

The long cross series was introduced under Henry III in order to prevent the coinage of the country being clipped and thus reduce the weight and value of the silver content of the coin.

The condition of the money circulating in England in the 1240s was probably as bad as it had ever been. The coins were all of the short cross type introduced more than sixty years beforehand, and the last general recoinage had taken place in 1205. Inevitably a high proportion of the coins were badly worn, but more significantly many were also clipped - an illegal practice performed by unscrupulous individuals, who would melt down the resulting slivers of metal and profit by selling the silver.

The seriousness of the situation is evidenced by the fact that it was the subject of discussion at a great council held at Oxford in 1246. The council deliberated on what measures should be taken, and considered a recoinage financed by debasement of the silver. The attraction of this proposition was that the public could be given back as many pence as they paid into the exchange, an approach repeatedly adopted by France in similar situations. In the event, however, when the decision was ultimately taken to proceed with a recoinage, the silver fineness was maintained. Debasement was rejected on the grounds that it would adversely affect trade, particularly with the Low Countries, where the English coin enjoyed a high reputation.

In order to thwart would-be clippers, it was decided that the new coins would carry a design in which the reverse cross would extend to the edge. If any of the four cross-ends were removed, the coin would be deemed illegal. In practice, however, the measure seems to have been largely ineffective, as many coins are found that fail to meet the legal requirement. In fact some of them seem to have left the mint in this condition, as a result of off-centred striking.

The recoinage itself was greatly facilitated by the king’s brother, Richard, Earl of Cornwall. In return for a half-share in the profits accruing from the project, Richard was prepared to make available his considerable holding of silver bullion to provide the initial stock of new coins. Accordingly, he was granted a licence, and by the end of July 1247 he had provided sufficient bullion to strike 1.6 million pennies.

The terms on which the recoinage was conducted, while lucrative for the king and his brother, were very onerous for the public. Anyone bringing their short cross coins to the exchange would receive only as many new pennies by weight as could be coined from those they deposited, regardless of face value. A further thirteen pence in every pound, over five percent, was charged for the expenses incurred in minting, which included a margin from which the earl and the king derived their profit. A chronicler of the time alleged that the man who brought in thirty shillings worth of old pence (360 pennies) got back little more than twenty shillings (240 pennies) in the new money.

Striking of the new coins began at London in November 1247, with Canterbury and the ecclesiastical mint of Bury St Edmunds participating very shortly afterwards. During the course of the next year, or thereabouts, they were joined by sixteen provincial mints, opened specifically for the duration of the recoinage. With a total of nineteen mints in operation, the recoinage was effectively completed during the period 1248-1250. There remained, of course, an ongoing need for new coin, but the level of demand for it could be met by the permanent mints alone, and the provincial establishments were closed at the end of the above period.

Long-cross Henry III pennies were minted at Bristol, Bury St Edmunds, Canterbury, Carlisle, Durham, Exeter, Gloucester, Hereford, Ilchester, Lincoln, London, Newcastle, Northampton, Norwich, Oxford, Shrewsbury, Wallingford, Wilton, Winchester, and York. These mints were closed in 1250 and the type modified to include the king holding a sceptre, only the London, Canterbury, Bury St. Edmunds and Durham mint remained open. Following Henry III death in 1272 the coinage continued to be struck in his name during the early years of Edward I reign. The long cross also made easier the task of cutting the coin into halves and quarters for change, thus producing halfpennies and farthings, as no round small change would appear until Edward I’s [1272-1307] reform in 1279.

Another feature of this series which has proved useful is the inclusion after the kings name of either TERCI or III, denoting that they belong to the reign of Henry III [1216- 1272]. Unfortunately for identification purposes this practice was not followed in subsequent reigns until Henry VII [1485-1509] included such an indication on his coins.

In 1257, a gold coin was struck to the value of 20 silver pennies. Known today as the 'Gold Penny' the issue was intended to mirror the adoption of gold coinage by Florence, France and Naples a few years earlier. Initially undervalued against silver the coinage this experiment proved unsuccessful. It was revalued at 24 silver pence in 1270, however the majority specimens must have been melted down. All the known examples (less than 10) are struck by the king's goldsmith Willem at the London mint.

Unusual world coins 1 Franc Silver Coin of 1831 Henry V pretender to the French throne

Unusual world coins French Franc Silver Coin Henry V, pretender to the French throne.
 Unusual world coins French Franc Silver Coin, Henry V, pretender to the French throne. 
European Coins France French Franc Silver Coin
France 1 Franc Silver Coin of 1831
Unusual world coins France 1 Franc Silver Coin of 1831, Henry V, pretender to the French throne.
French coins, collection French coins, Coins of Europe, French Coinages, French Money and Coins, European Coins, Collecting the Coins of France.

Obverse: Bare uniformed bust of Henri of Artois as Henry V pretender to the French throne left.
Legend: HENRI V ROI DE FRANCE

Reverse: Crowned shield dividing value (1-F). All within wreath. Date (1831), flanked by lis symbols below.

Reference: Gadoury 451, KM-X#28.1. R!
Diameter: 23 mm; Weight: 4.99 gram of silver.


Henri of Artois, Count of Chambord (Henri Charles Ferdinand Marie Dieudonné d'Artois, duc de Bordeaux, comte de Chambord; 29 September 1820 – 24 August 1883) was disputedly King of France from 2 to 9 August 1830 as Henry V, although he was never officially proclaimed as such. Afterwards, he was the Legitimist pretender to the throne of France from 1844 to 1883. Henri was the posthumous son of Charles Ferdinand, Duke of Berry, younger son of Charles X of France, by his wife, Princess Carolina of Naples and Sicily, daughter of King Francis I of the Two Sicilies. As the grandson of the king, Henri was a Petit-Fils de France.

French Napoleon Coins Half Franc or Demi Franc Silver Coin of 1812

French silver coins of Napoleon Bonaparte Franc coin
Coins of Napoleon Bonaparte½ Franc Silver Coin
Coins of France French Demi Franc coin Napoleon Bonaparte
French Demi Franc coin Napoleon Bonaparteera
French Napoleon Coins (1st Empire) Demi Franc - ½ Franc Silver Coin of 1812, Napoleon I.
French coins, collection of French coins, French Coins of Napoleon Bonaparte, Coins of Europe, French Coinages, French Money and Coins, European Coins, Collecting the Coins of France.

Obverse: Laureate bust of Napoleon I right, engraver´s signature (Tiolier) below.
Legend: NAPOLEON EMPEREUR.

Reverse: Denomination (DEMI FRANC.) in words within wreath.
Legend: EMPIRE FRANCAIS . (cock) 1808. (A)

Mint Place: Paris (A)
Reference: KM-691.1.
Diameter: 18 mm; Weight: 2.47 gram of silver.


    Half Franc ( Fr. Demi franc) - historical French monetary unit, was minted from 1802 to 1845 and 1964-2001 respectively in the form of coins. Coinage of silver coins in half franc started in 1802 ( '11 Republican calendar ) , during the Consulate of Napoleon. Profile portrait of Napoleon Bonaparte was engraved by Pierre Joseph Tiolier.
    Pierre-Joseph Tiolier (1763–1819), born in London, was appointed the engraver-general of the Paris Mint from 1803 to 1816. Tiolier engraved the patterns for the Bonaparte-First Consul coins.
The year of issue is indicated republican calendar year , on the obverse the portrait of Napoleon inscription - " Bonaparte First Consul ." After Napoleon's proclamation as emperor in 1804, the inscription on the obverse was changed to " the Emperor Napoleon ." On the reverse of the year of issue continued to be designated the Republican calendar year remained and the words " Republic of France ." Since 1806 the use of the Republican calendar to denote the year of minting ceased. In 1807, the obverse of the coin has been altered , enlarged portrait of Napoleon , which in the same year he added a laurel wreath. In 1809, the inscription on the reverse was changed to the "French Empire" , this type of coinage continued until 1814. In 1816 , during the reign of Louis XVIII, the type of coin has changed. Picture of the new coin fulfilled Auguste -François Michaud . Denomination was designated not by words , as under Napoleon (Demi franc), and numbers ( 1/2 franc). When Charles X coinage of this type has been continued , changed only obverse ( portrait of the king and the legend ) .In 1831 started coinage of King Louis - Philippe. Picture of the new coins fulfilled Joseph- Francois Domar . In 1845, the coinage of half franc coins was discontinued in the same year began minting coins of 50 centimes.
In January, 1960, was a monetary reform , introduced a "new franc ", which is 100 old. Initially, in the years 1962-1964 , was produced in the 50 centimes coin type " Marianne ".
In 1964 and 1965 proof coins were minted in half franc, and in 1965 half franc were again put into circulation . For the new coin type was chosen " Sower ", made a drawing of Oscar Roty and previously used on French coins from 1897 to 1920 . Half Franc coin "Sower" type was minted up to 2001.

French Coins of Napoleon Bonaparte 1/4 Franc (Quart) Silver Coin of 1805.

French Coins of Napoleon Bonaparte Franc Quart Silver Coin
French Coins of Napoleon Bonaparte as Emperor
Napoleonic coinage Franc Quart Silver Coin
 1/4 Franc Quart Silver Coin 
France (1st Empire) 1/4 Franc (Quart) Silver Coin of 1805, Napoleon I.
French coins, collection of French coins, French Coins of Napoleon Bonaparte, Coins of Europe, French Coinages, French Money and Coins, European Coins, Collecting the Coins of France.

Obverse: Bare bust of Napoleon Bonaparte as Emperor right. Designer´s signature (Tiolier) below.
Legend: NAPOLEON EMEPEREUR

Reverse: Denomination in words (QUART) within wreath.
Legend: REP . FRA . (privy mark: cock left) . AN 13 . (mint letter: A) .

Mint Place: Paris (A); Mint Year: 1804/1805 (AN 13)
Reference: KM-654.1.
Diameter: 16 mm; Weight: 1.21 gram of silver.



The decimal "franc" was established as the national currency by the French Revolutionary Convention in 1795 as a decimal unit (1 franc = 10 decimes = 100 centimes) of 4.5 g of fine silver. This was slightly less than the livre of 4.505 g but the franc was set in 1796 at 1.0125 livres (1 livre, 3 deniers), reflecting in part the past minting of sub-standard coins.

In 1803, the "germinal franc" (named after the month Germinal in the revolutionary calendar) was established, creating a gold franc containing 290.32 mg of fine gold. From this point, gold and silver-based units circulated interchangeably on the basis of a 1:15.5 ratio between the values of the two metals (bimetallism). This system continued until 1864, when all silver coins except the 5 franc piece were debased from 90% to 83.5% silver without the weights changing.

France was a founding member of the Latin Monetary Union (LMU) in 1865. The common currency was based on the franc germinal, with the name franc already being used in Switzerland and Belgium, whilst other countries used their own names for the currency. In 1873, the LMU went over to a purely gold standard of 1 franc = 0.290322581 g gold.

The outbreak of World War I caused France to leave the gold standard of the LMU. The war severely undermined the franc's strength, as war expenditure, inflation and postwar reconstruction, financed partly through the printing of ever more money, reduced the franc's purchasing power by 70% from 1915 to 1920 and a further 43% from 1922 to 1926. After a brief return to the gold standard (1928 to 1936) the currency was allowed to resume its slide, until it was worth in 1959 less than a fortieth of its 1934 value.

The third coins were issued in denominations of 1 and 5 centimes, 1 and 2 decimes (in copper), quarter, half, 1, 2, and 5 francs (in silver), and 20 and 40 francs (in gold). Copper coins were not issued between 1801 and 1848, leaving the quarter-franc as the smallest coin being minted. During this period, copper coins from the previous currency system circulated, with a one-sou coin being valued at 5 centimes.

Coins of France 10 Centimes Napoleon Bonaparte Coin.

French Coins Napoleonic 10 Centimes Coin Napoleon
French Coins of the Napoleonic Period
Coins of France 10 Centimes French coins century
 10 Centimes - French coins from the 19th century
Coins of France (1st Empire) 10 Centimes Coin of 1808, Napoleon I.
French coins, collection of French coins, Coins of Europe, French Coinages, French Money and Coins, European Coins from the 19th century, Collecting the Coins of France.

Obverse: Royal crown above cipher (N) of Napoleon Bonaparte. All within wreath.

Reverse: Value (10) above denomination (CENT.), privy mark (sheaf of wheath), mint initial (BB) and designer´s signature (Tiolier) below.
Legend: NAPOLEON EMPEREUR 1808.


Reference: KM-676.3.
Mint Place: Strasbourg (BB)
Diameter: 19 mm, Weight: 2.01 gram,  Billon.

Coins of France Ecu of 6 Livres Silver Coin of the first French Republic.

French coins Ecu of 6 Livres Silver Coin King Louis XVI Collecting the Coins of France
 Coins of the first French Republic - Ecu of 6 Livres 
France coins, Coins of Europe, French Coinages Ecu of 6 Livres Silver Coin
Coins of France - Ecu of 6 Livres Silver Coin
Coins of France - Ecu of 6 Livres Silver Coin of 1792 (Year 5 of the Revolution), first French Republic King Louis XVI.
French coins, collection French coins, Coins of Europe, French Coinages, French Revolution Money and Coins, European Coins, Collecting the Coins of France.

Obverse: Winged and wreathed Genius (personification of the French People) inscribing table (the French Constitution) on column.
Comment: Fasces, topped by liberty cap in left field, cock in right field.
Legend: (lyre) REGNE DE LA LOI . (A)
Exergue: L'AN 4 DE LA LIBERTE .

Reverse: Head of Louis XVI left. Privy mark (leopard) and date below.
Legend: LOUIS XVI ROI DES FRANCOIS 1792 .


Engraver: Dupré
Mint Place: Paris (A)
References: Davenport 1335, Gadoury 55, KM-615.1. R
Weight: 29.38 gram of Silver (.917); Diameter: 40 mm.

Medieval European Coins - Gros Tournois French Silver coin.

Gros Turnois Coins of medieval Europe collection French Royal coins
 Coins of medieval Europe - Gros Turnois 
Gros Tournois French Royal coins Medieval European Coinage
Gros Tournois - Medieval European Coinage
Royal France Gros Tournois Silver coin of 1290, Philip IV "the Fair".
French coins, French Royal and Medieval Coins, collection French Royal coins, Coins of Medieval Europe, French Royal Coinages, Medieval Money and Coins, Medieval European Coins, Collecting the Coins of France.

Obverse: Stylized castle (châtel tournois), topped by a cross. All within floral border of twelve embedded lis.
Legend: +TVRONVS CIVIS

Reverse: Cross pattée within inner circle.
Inner Legend: +PhILIPPVS REX
Outer Legend: +BHDICTV SIT HOME DHI nRI DEI IhV .XPI

  The image on the obverse side of the coin known as the châtel tournois - has traditionally been assumed to be a representation of the abbey church of St Martin or possibly the town gate of Tours, but following the style of the church found on Carolingian deniers. However, one French numismatist contends that the image is in fact of the reliquary of St Martin at Tours.
  The inscription on the reverse says BENEDICTV SIT NOME DNI NRI IHV XPI, which is benedictum sit nomen domini nostri Jesu Christi or “blessed is the name of Our Lord Jesus Christ”, and LVDOVICVS REX which is Ludovicus Rex or Louis, King.
The inscription on the obverse says TVRONVS CIVIS or Turonus Civis, City of Tours.

Mint Year: 1285-1290
References: Duplessy 213, Ciani 201. R
Diameter: 25 mm; Weight: 4.08 gram of Silver.


Gros Tournois of France - Large silver coin first struck by Louis IX as the foundation his great monetary reform of 15 august 1266, started the wide spread of the new coin across the European continent. According to the Italian example the city of Tour released a new coin of 958 standards that was made out of twelve denarius (denier), weighed 4.22 grams. The new coin received its name due to the mintage place and was called «gros tournois» or turnos. Very quickly, this coin gained recognition in France and abroad, and became not only a model for direct copying and imitation in the coinage of other states, but also was used in the international trade as a generally accepted means of payment in medieval Europe.

Philip IV (French: Philippe le Bel, April–June 1268 – 29 November 1314), called the Fair, was King of France from 1285 until his death. He was the husband of Joan I of Navarre, by virtue of which he was, as Philip I, King of Navarre and Count of Champagne from 1284 to 1305.

Sweden coins 4 Mark Silver Coin of 1692, King Charles XI of Sweden.

Sweden Coins 4 Mark Silver Coin King Charles
Coins of Sweden 4 Mark Silver Coin, King Charles XI of Sweden. 
Swedish coins 4 Mark Silver Coin Coin Collecting
Swedish coins 4 Mark Silver Coin
Sweden coins 4 Mark Silver Coin of 1692, King Charles XI of Sweden.

Obverse: Draped and armored bust of Charles XI right.
Legend. CAROLVS . XI . D . G . REX . SVE *

Reverse: Crowned shield with royal arms (three crowns), flanked by value (4-M) and mint master´s initials (A-S).
Legend: DOMINVS . PROTECTOR . MEVS . I692

Mint Place: Stockholm;  Mint Master: Anders Strommer (A-S)
Reference: SM 83, KM-296. R!
Weight: 20.34 gram of  Silver (.694); Diameter: 37 mm.


Charles XI (Swedish: Karl XI, 24 November 1655 – 5 April 1697) was King of Sweden from 1660 until his death, in a period in Swedish history known as the Swedish empire (1611–1718).

Swedish Coins 4 Mark (1/3 Riksdaler) Silver Coin of 1844 King Charles XIV

Swedish Coins 4 Mark  Riksdaler Silver Coin Medals
 Swedish Coins 4 Mark (1/3 Riksdaler) Silver Coin, King Charles XIV John of Sweden.
Swedish Coins 4 Mark Medallic Coinage
 Swedish Coins 4 Mark Medallic Coinage 
Swedish Coins 4 Mark (1/3 Riksdaler) Silver Coin of 1844, King Charles XIV.

Obverse: Draped bust of Charles XIV right
Legend: CARL XIV SVERIGES NORR.G.O.V:KONUNG

Reverse: Carls XIV John laying in State.
Legend: AF LIFVET NÄRMMADE I BRAGDER AF DÖDEN I HVILA * DEN 8 MARS 1844 *

Reference: SM 177, KM-X#62. R!
Designer: Ludvig Persson Lundgren (L.P.L.)
Denomination: 4 Mark (1/3 Riksdaler) - Funeral of Charles XIV
Weight: 12.55 gram of  Silver (.878); Diameter: 31 mm


Charles XIV & III John, also Carl John, Swedish and Norwegian: Karl Johan (26 January 1763 – 8 March 1844) was King of Sweden (as Charles XIV John) and King of Norway (as Charles III John) from 1818 until his death. Before he became king, he was also the Sovereign Prince of Pontecorvo, in Southern Italy, between 1806 and 1810.

He was born Jean Bernadotte, distinguished from a namesake brother by the addition of Baptiste and had the full name of Jean Baptiste Jules Bernadotte by the time Karl also was added upon his Swedish adoption in 1810. He did not use Bernadotte in Sweden but founded the royal dynasty there by that name.

French by birth, Bernadotte served a long career in the French Army. He was appointed as a Marshal of France by Napoleon I, though the two had a turbulent relationship. His service to France ended in 1810, when he was elected the heir-presumptive to the Swedish throne because the Swedish royal family was dying out with King Charles XIII. Baron Carl Otto Mörner (22 May 1781 – 17 August 1868), who was a Swedish courtier, and obscure member of the Diet, advocated for the succession.

Coins of Poland 2 Zlote Silver Coin Revolutionary Coinage, November Uprising 1830–31.

Poland 2 Zlote silver coin Polish Coinage
Poland Revolutionary Coinage 2 Zlote
World Coin Collection Polish silver coins Zloty
Polish coin 2 Zloty
Kingdom of Poland 2 Zlote Silver Coin of 1831,  Revolutionary Coinage (November Uprising) 1831.
Polish coin 2 Zloty - Polish Coins - Numismatic Collections - Polish silver coins - coins of Poland - World Coin Collection.

Obverse: Crowned coat of arms consisting of the Polish White Eagle and Lithuanian Vytis - Coat of arms of the November Uprising.
Legend: KROLESTWO POLSKIE

Reverse: Value (2), denomination (ZLOTE POL.) and date (1831) within wreath.
Legend: * 43 43/125 Z GRZYW . CZYST . KOL . * ROKU 1831 *

Mint Place: Warsaw;  Mint Master: Karol Gronau (K-G.)
Reference: KM-123. R!
Diameter: 26 mm; Weight: 9.02 gram of Silver (.593)

Kingdom of Poland November Uprising - Królestwo Polskie Powstanie listopadowe.
The November Uprising (1830–31), Polish–Russian War 1830–31 also known as the Cadet Revolution, was an armed rebellion in the heartland of partitioned Poland against the Russian Empire.

Russian coins for Poland - 1 Zloty Silver Coin of 1830, Russian Emperor Alexander I, Congress Kingdom of Poland.

Russian Poland Silver Coins Zloty Emperor Alexander
 Russian Poland Silver Coin, Russian Emperor Alexander I, Congress Kingdom of Poland
Russian Poland Zloty Silver Coin Congress Kingdom Coinage
 Russian Poland 1 Zloty Silver Coin, Congress Kingdom Coinage
Russian coins for Poland - 1 Zloty Silver Coin of 1830, Russian Emperor Alexander I.

Obverse: Bust of Alexander I of Russia right.
Legend: ALEXANDER I. CES . ROS . WSKRZESICIEL KROL POLS . 1815 *

Reverse: Value (1) above denomination (ZLO . POL) and date (1830). All within oak-wreath. Mint master´s initials (F-H) Below.
Legend: MIKOLAY I. CES . WSZ . ROSSYI KROL POLSKI PANULACY *

Mint Place: Warsaw
Reference: KM-114.1. R!
Mint Master: Friedrich Hunger(F-H, 1815-1827)
Diameter: 22 mm; Weight: 4.44 gram of Silver (.593)

Russian Commemorative Rouble 300 Years of the Romanov Dynasty 1613 - 1913.

Russian Silver Rouble Commemorative coin 300 years Romanov Dynasty
Russian Silver Rouble, Commemorative coin 300 Years of the Romanov Dynasty.
Russian Silver coins Ruble 300 Years of Romanov
Russian Silver Ruble, 300 Years of Romanov House 1613 - 1913 
Russian Silver Rouble, Commemorative coin devoted to 300 Years anniversary of the Romanov Dynasty in 1913.

Obverse: Busts of the last Russian Emperor Nicholas II and Tsar Mikhail Feodorovich (Mikhail I Fyodorovich the first Russian Tsar of the house of Romanov).

Reverse: Coat of Arms of Russian Empire - Russian Imperial Double-Headed Eagle with shields of provinces (duchies), holding imperial orb and staff . Anniversary dates below  1613 - 1913.
Legend: ROUBLE / 1613 - 1913

Design: M. A. Karzin
Mint Place: St. Petersburg
Mint Master: Victor Smirnov
Reference: Bitkin 336, Severin 4180, Uzdenikof 4201, KM-70. R!
Weight: 19.95 gram of Silver; Diameter: 33 mm

Russian coins - Wire Money Silver Kopek coin of Tsar Ivan the Terrible, 1584.

Medieval Russian Silver Coins
Medieval Russian Silver Coins - Wire Silver Kopek 
Russian Silver kopek coin
 Russian Silver kopek
Russian coins - Wire Money Silver Kopek Coin of 1584, Ivan "the Terrible" as Tsar.

Obverse: The Tsar as St. George on horse, killing dragon with spear in his right hand. Mint initials (ГР) below.

Reverse: Inscription ("Czar and Grand Prince Ivan of Entire Rus") in five lines.
Legend: "ЦРЬИ / КНSЬВЕ / ЛИКIИВА / НЬВСЕIA / РУСИ" ("Царь и Князь Великий Иван Всея Руси")
Mint Place: Pskov (ГР)
Mint Period: 1547-1584
Diameter: 14 mm; Weight: 0.68 gram of Silver

Wire Money was a type of early Russian coins that were produced from 980 AD to 1718. For hundreds of years Russian commerce was based on these tiny silver coins.
     These are irregular shapes of metal, each stamped with the mark of the issuer. The term "wire money" comes from the minting technique. Coins were made from rolled silver wire which was then cut into sections, depending upon the desired weight. The metal was tempered, then struck into coinage. Earlier issues are quite rare with complete legends and designs as irregular shapes are the norm. And there was no central mint, attested to by the great diversity of coinage from this time period. Mintage was contracted out to a number of silversmiths. The monetary relationship of copper to silver is not known as it fluctuated from time and place. The denomination of the silver coins, "denga", is found only rarely on coins from this period. Subsequently the term "dengi" came to be the Russian word for money. The many images on Russian coinage include human figures, scenes of the hunt and combat, horsemen ("Moscow Arms"), animals and decorative symbols. The inscriptions are in Russian and usually convey the issuing prince's name and patronymic and the legend in later coinage stated "Sovereign of all the Russian lands." The medieval history of Russia was chaotic, to say the least. At the end of the fourteenth century four Great Principalities (including Moscow) dominated the Russian landscape. Tver, Ryazan and Suzdal/Nizhny-Novgorod were all largely independent. Ivan IV (The Terrible) ultimately took the title of "Tsar" and standardized its use by 1547. ("Tsar" is a corruption of the Latin word "Caesar".)

Ivan IV Vasilyevich, Ivan Chetvyorty, Vasilyevich), known in English as Ivan the Terrible (Ivan Grozny) (25 August 1530, Moscow – 28 March 1584, Moscow) was Grand Prince of Moscow from 1533. His long reign saw the conquest of the Khanates of Kazan, Astrakhan, and Siberia, transforming Russia into a multiethnic and multiconfessional state spanning almost 1 billion acres, growing during his term at a rate of approximately 130 square kilometers a day. Ivan oversaw numerous changes in the transition from a medieval nation state to an empire and emerging regional power, and became the first Tsar of a new and more powerful nation.

Bulgarian coins 50 Leva Silver Coin of 1930, King Boris III.

Coins Bulgaria 50 Leva Silver Coin King Boris
Coins of Bulgaria - 50 Leva Silver Coin, King Boris III
Bulgarian silver coins 50 Leva numismatic
Bulgarian Silver Coin 50 Leva
Kingdom of Bulgaria 50 Leva Silver Coin of 1930, Boris III as King of Bulgaria.
Bulgarian Coin 50 leva - Bulgarian Coins - Bulgarian silver coins - Bulgarian numismatic - Coins of Bulgaria - Numismatic Collector Coins - buying silver coins for investment.

Obverse: Head of Boris III as King of Bulgaria left. Mint (BP) initials and engraver´s signature (L.BERAN) below bust truncation.
Translated Legend: "Boris King of the Bulgarians"
Reverse: Denomination (50 Leva) and date (1930) within wreath of roses.

Reference: KM-42.
Mint Place: Budapest (BP)
Diameter: 27 mm; Weight: 9.96 gram of Silver (.500)

Boris III the Unifier, Tsar of Bulgaria (30 January 1894 – 28 August 1943), originally Boris Klemens Robert Maria Pius Ludwig Stanislaus Xaver (Boris Clement Robert Mary Pius Louis Stanislaus Xavier), son of Ferdinand I, came to the throne in 1918 upon the abdication of his father, following the defeat of the Kingdom of Bulgaria during World War I. This was the country's second major defeat in only five years, after the disastrous Second Balkan War (1913). Under the Treaty of Neuilly, Bulgaria was forced to cede new territories and pay crippling reparations to its neighbors, thereby threatening political and economic stability. Two political forces, the Agrarian Union and the Communist Party, were calling for the overthrowing of the monarchy and the change of the government. It was in these circumstances that Boris succeeded to the throne.

Principality of Bulgaria Silver 5 Leva Coin of 1885.

numismatic coins Bulgaria Silver 5 Leva Coin
Coins of Bulgaria
Coins Bulgaria 5 Leva silver coin
Bulgarian Coins 5 Leva Silver Coin 
Principality of Bulgaria Silver 5 Leva Coin of 1885, Alexander Batenberg.
Bulgarian Coin 5 leva - Bulgarian Coins - Bulgarian silver coins -  Bulgarian numismatic - Coins of Bulgaria.

Obverse: Denomination (5 LEVA) and date (1885) within rose-buds, olive branches and wheat wreath.
Reverse: Crowned coat-of-arms of the Principality of Bulgaria, supported by lions, within crowned coat of arms.
Legend: * BULGARIA * "Unity is leads to strenght!"
Reference: Davenport 60, KM-7.
Weight: 24.86 gram of Silver (.900); Diameter: 37 mm


Alexander Joseph of Battenberg (April 5, 1857 - November 17, 1893), the first prince (knyaz) of modern Bulgaria, reigning from April 29, 1879 to September 7, 1886.

Alexander was the second son of Prince Alexander of Hesse and by Rhine by the latter's morganatic marriage with Countess Julia von Hauke. The Countess and her descendants gained the title of Princess of Battenberg (derived from an old residence of the Grand Dukes of Hesse) and the style Durchlaucht ("Serene Highness") in 1858. Prince Alexander was a nephew of Russia's Tsar Alexander II, who had married a sister of Prince Alexander of Hesse; his mother, a daughter of Count Moritz von Hauke, had been lady-in-waiting to the Tsaritsa.

Greek Coins 30 Drachmas Royal Wedding Silver Commemorative coin 1964

Royal Wedding Silver Commemorative coin, Greek Coins, Coins of Greece, Greek Drachma
Greek 30 drachmas - Royal Wedding Silver Commemorative coin
Greek Coins 30 Drachmai drachmas silver coin
  Greece 30 drachmas silver coin 
Greek Coins 30 Drachmai - Royal Wedding Commemorative silver coin of 1964.
Greek Coins, Coins of Greece, Greek Drachma.

Commemorates the wedding of King Constantine II and Anne-Marie of Denmark.
Obverse shows profiles of the couple, reverse the royal crowned double-headed eagle.


Greek Coins 30 Drachma Silver coin, 5 Kings - Centennial of the monarchy 1963

Greek Silver Commemorative coins drachmai Greece 30 Drachma drachmas 5 Kings
 Greece 30 drachmai silver coin -  5 Kings
Greece 30 Greek Drachma Silver Commemorative coin
 Commemorative Greek 30 drachmas Silver coin 
Greece 30 Drachma Silver Commemorative coin of 1963 5 Kings - Centennial of the monarchy.

The obverse depicts five kings of the House of Glücksburg, 1863-1963. Clockwise from the top: Paul, George II, Alexander, Constantine I and George I.


George I of Greece King of the Hellenes (born Prince William of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg; 24 December 1845 – 18 March 1913) was King of Greece from 1863 to 1913.
Originally a Danish prince, George was born in Copenhagen, and seemed destined for a career in the Royal Danish Navy. He was only 17 years old when he was elected king by the Greek National Assembly, which had deposed the unpopular former King Otto.

Constantine I of Greece - King of the Hellenes (2 August [O.S. 21 July] 1868 – 11 January 1923) was King of Greece from 1913 to 1917 and from 1920 to 1922. He was commander-in-chief of the Hellenic Army during the unsuccessful Greco-Turkish War of 1897 and led the Greek forces during the successful Balkan Wars of 1912 – 1913, in which Greece won Thessaloniki and doubled in area and population. He succeeded to the throne of Greece on 18 March 1913, following his father's assassination.

Alexander of Greece - King of the Hellenes (1 August 1893 – 25 October 1920) was King of Greece from 10 June 1917 until his death.

The second son of Constantine I of Greece, Alexander was born in the summer palace of Tatoi, in the outskirts of Athens. He succeeded his father in 1917, during the First World War, after the Entente Powers pressured Constantine I, and his elder son Crown Prince George, into exile in Switzerland. Having no real political experience, the new king was stripped of his powers by the Venizelist faction and effectively imprisoned in his own palace. His prime minister, the Cretan Eleftherios Venizelos, was the effective ruler with the support of the Entente. Though reduced to the status of a puppet king, Alexander supported Greek troops in the war against Bulgaria and the Ottoman Empire. Under his reign the territorial extent of Greece considerably increased, following the victory of the Entente and the start of the Greco-Turkish War of 1919–1922.
Alexander controversially married the commoner Aspasia Manos in 1919, provoking a major scandal that forced the couple to leave Greece for several months. Soon after reuniting with his wife, Alexander was bitten by a domestic monkey and died of septicemia. The sudden death of the sovereign caused significant difficulties for Greece and raised the question of the monarchy's survival as part of the Venizelist regime.

George II of Greece - King of the Hellenes (20 July 1890 – 1 April 1947) reigned as King of Greece from 1922 to 1924 and from 1935 to 1947.

Paul of Greece - King of the Hellenes (14 December 1901 – 6 March 1964) reigned as King of Greece from 1947 to 1964.



Swiss Cantons Coins 1 Silver Frank Coin of 1812, Solothurn.

Swiss Coins frank francs Switzerland coins pictures
Swiss Cantons Coins
silver coins Swiss franc
Switzerland coins
Swiss Cantons Coins, Solothurn. Silver Frank Coin of 1812.

Obverse: Swiss soldier wearing plummed hat (with one feather) and uniform, holding large sword and inscribed shield.
Legend: SCHWEIZER EIDGENOSS: / 1. FRANK: / XIX CAN TONE

Reverse: Crowned, oval arms within frame and wreath.
Legend: CANTON SOLOTHURN 1812

Mint Place: Solothurn (Switzerland)
Diameter: 29 mm; Weight: 7.45 gram of Silver

The Solothurn Frank was the currency of the Swiss canton of Solothurn between 1798 and 1850. It was subdivided into 10 Batzen, each of 4 Kreuzer or 10 Rappen.
The Frank was the currency of the Helvetian Republic from 1798. The Helvetian Republic ceased issuing coins in 1803. Solothurn issued coins between 1805 and 1830. In 1850, the Swiss franc was introduced, with 1½ Swiss francs = 1 Solothurn Frank.
Billon coins were issued in denominations of 1, 2½ and 5 Rappen, and 1 Batzen, with silver coins for 5 Batzen, 1 and 4 Franken, and gold 8, 16 and 32 Franken. The 2½ Rappen was also denominated as 1 Kreuzer.

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