I got a neat new coin yesterday, and while photographing it I took some pictures of some other neat coins I'd gotten fairly recently. I wanted to share them with you, as we really don't seem to do a whole lot of discussing coins these days.
Ahmadi Riyal. This is a crown size silver coin from the Mutawakkilite Kingdom. They began issuing coins around the turn of the 20th century. The rial was divided into 160 zalat, 80 halala or 40 buqsha. During the reign of Imam Yahya, the first rial coins were issued. Denominations were given on coins as a fraction of the rial, with the "honorific" Imadi appearing on the coins of Imam Yahya and Ahmadi on the coins of Imam Ahmad. Consequently, the currency is sometimes referred to as the "Imadi riyal" or "Ahmadi rial".
1743 Russian Denga. A denga (Russian: деньга, earlier денга) was a Russian monetary unit with a value latterly equal to ½ kopeck (100 kopecks = 1 Russian ruble). Inspite of the apparent damage and green on this coin, the details that do show up are very clear. These coins weren't struck with precision, or care. I like it anyways!
1/13th Shilling, States of Jersey 1861. This coin is slightly beat up, but it has that lovely blue/purple tone of old copper that I like so much. These unusual denominations can be traced to back to the act of September 18, 1834. This act decreed that English money would be the sole legal tender in Jersey, a change from the French currency. At that time, 26 French livres were equal to one English pound. With 20 shillings to the pound and 20 sous to the livre, one shilling was worth 26 sous. Thus the Jersey penny or pièce de deux sous became 1/13th of a shilling, the Jersey half penny or sou 1/26th of a shilling, and the farthing or pièce de deux liards 1/52nd of a shilling.
1760 1/4 Real of Spain, minted in Mexico City.
1843 1/4 Real of Mexico, also minted in Mexico city. This coin has a lovely blue tone to it, and the date appears clashed above the bust on the obv.
2 Reales of Jose Morelos, Mexico. The copper coins ordered by Morelos were equivalent to promises of payment. In other words, they could be exchanged for their face value in gold and silver coins upon the triumph of the revolution. Thus, for the first time fiduciary currency was used in Mexico. The obverse of these roughly manufactured coins bore a Morelos monogram along with the denomination and mint year. On the back, a bow and arrow appears, and underneath them, the word “SUD” (“SOUTH”). There were two main variants: A plain one, and another with profuse floral adornment (Floral = Grapevines and grapes. Spain didn't want the New World attempting to make wines, so they were forbidden to grow grapes! Nuts, eh?). They were produced in eight, two, one, and half-real coins.
1 Real of Argentina, Casa de Moneda Buenos Aires. Don't know a whole lot more about this coin, yet.
1/4 Real of Popayan Mint (Colombia.) That funny shaped picture is a pomegranite.
And finally, Tada! My new showstopper coin.
This is a 1/4 real of Guatemala, 1837, and it is brilliant unc! This one didn't come out of the bargain box, Promise you that.
