ikaros

When I first started, I was strictly American issues -- Jeffersons, Franklins and Ikes. The Canadian coins that slipped over the border held no interest unless they were silver, commemorative, strange metal, or pre-Liz. Now world issues are almost all I do; I keep up with modern circulating issues, but I can't think of the last time I went out and deliberately bought an American coin for my collection. Although the way things are going, at this rate I'm going to *have* to buy the '09 cents and quarters. February 2010, and I still haven't seen any coin dated 2009.

ikaros; 2004 Poland 2 Złoty Małopolskie; Group 7 http://www.omnicoin.com/coins/909573.jpg Part of the 2004 Polish series celebrating the regions of Poland -- this one is for województwo małopolskie: Lesser Poland, down around Kraków. ikaros; 2001 Canada 10c Year of Volunteers; Group 7 http://www.omnicoin.com/coins/977888.jpg Canadian dime supporting the Year of Volunteers, featuring a design based on the Marching Mothers campaigns of the March of Dimes. ikaros; 2006 Canada 25c Breast Cancer Awareness; Group 7 http://www.omnicoin.com/coins/977891.jpg The second general issue colorized coin, issued in support of breast cancer awareness.

The pence are terrific coins, yeah -- it's a lot of space for the engraver to work in, and the high grade ones (especially the final Victoria bust) are magnificent pieces of metal. I always did like the seated Britannia design. I only have one 3d silver; I have a pile of the brass ones, which I kind of like better. It's a meaty little coin, nice bulk, great feel on the fingers.

Oh yeah, I have a pile of those, and I'm nearly complete on base-metal shillings (both English and Scottish crest). I like the three pence, too -- both the thrift plant and Parliament gate reverses. Almost all of them are VF or better and some are in AU territory; I suspect that's because when they found their way to this side of the Atlantic, they ceased circulating and went into a drawer somewhere.

I generally don't have any interest in African issues (save anything dated 1963, of course). And my opinion of astrology is difficult to state without resorting to vulgar adjectives. However, I'm a sucker for Greek mythological critters. Whence, this: I'll leave the question of the legitimacy of the issuing state up to the diplomats. I likes it!

Last batch! Halfpence! A beat up 1900 Vickie: A lovely bright '44 George VI: Pence! A beat up 1895 Vickie: A lovely '48 George VI: Florins! Some circulated George VIs, '50 and '51 That's it for this batch!

First batch of Brits! First, some farthings. A '41 with just tons of lustre: A '46 nearly as nice: And a '55 also very shiny: And now a couple shillings worth of sixpence. We'll start with this 1948 example: And the redesigned 1949: And this stunner from '63, mint lustre all over: And lastly, a shiny '66: Last batch -- a couple ha'pennies, a couple pence, a couple florins.

(answering his own question) Yes, they're real -- they're magnetic. The real '23s were struck in nickel, the occupation ones in zinc. Science for the win!

That, I dunno ... and wasn't aware of. Any way to tell them apart?

And now, those fabulous Poles! A lovely '77 10 złotych to start things off: Another 10 złotych, this time a '60: And a 1958 2 złote: And then we move to some terrific finds from the inter-war period. This is a lovely 1929 1 złoty: Six years earlier, this 50 groszy was minted: Last and least (monetarily) but not least (eye-appeal) is this '23 10 groszy that the scanner does no justice to. It's got lustre like the day is long, a positively gorgeous little coin. Next: the Brits.

Well, the New Zealand Mint says they've been at it for 'over four decades', but they had, I think, their own unique designs before then. Judging by this year's commemorative, the Australian Mint went online in 1910. Canada's been at it for over 150 years. I'm not sure about the other dominions. I'll have to poke around a bit, too.

Thanks! Yeah, I remember seeing Canadian coins in change a lot when I lived in Toledo -- they're a lot less common down here in Columbus. Looks like Belize uses a different portrait on their dollar than on the other coins, but that's curious that they still used the 'young Elizabeth' design. Wonder if the different effigies had to do with whether the coins were being minted in country, or being made for them by the Royal Mint.

And now, the new 1963s (well, one's an upgrade). Cyprus 50 mils. Classical obverse, simple reverse. Mmm, grapes! Couple Commonwealth issues: British Caribbean Territories (Eastern Group) 25 Cents and Hong Kong 50 Cents. Identical obverses; were they standardized across the commonwealth for territories and subnational entities? And a Romanian 3 Lei. And who doesn't like a good lei once in a while? Sorry. Couldn't resist. XD Next: additions to the big pile of Poles!

I've been pawing through bins again! Let's go through the strays first. First up, a couple commies -- a 1941 15 kope'ek and a 1940 2 kopeyki of the Soviet Union that the scan doesn't do justice to. The reverse has beautifully subtle reds (no pun intended), yellows and blues, and the whole coin is not as ruddy as the scan suggests. Next up, from our friends to the north, an 1859 large cent: Lastly, well, let me say that the only interest I've ever had in Filipino coinage has been to ensure that any 1963 issues properly land in my birth year set. Until I saw the stunning Philippine Eagle on the reverse of this 50 sentimo coin of 1985: Next up: the 1963s.

Silver Bicentennial Ike, T1 reverse, back about '77 or so. Someone cracked into daddy's proof set, I think. Still had some traces of frost on it. I bet someone got clobbered for that one...

ikaros; 2006 CSNS convention token; Group 9 http://www.omnicoin.com/coin_view.aspx?id=910903 Minted on-site by the Gallery Mint in Columbus during the Central States Numismatic Society convention using a hand screw press. ikaros; Homage to ancient coinage; Group 9 http://www.omnicoin.com/coin_view.aspx?id=910904 Minted on-site by the Gallery Mint in Columbus during the Central States Numismatic Society convention in 2006; hand-hammered piece

ikaros; 1971 Lunar Commemorative; Group 10 http://www.omnicoin.com/coin_view.aspx?id=977402 Franklin Mint lunar commemorative metallion made from a melt that included silver sent to the moon on Apollo XIV -- hard to get a good scan of this because of its packaging.

ikaros; 1963 Canadian 50c; Group 6 http://www.omnicoin.com/coin_view_enlarge.aspx?id=910779 Proof-like with heavy frost. ikaros; 1963 Netherlands Antilles 5c; Group 6 http://www.omnicoin.com/coin_view_enlarge.aspx?id=909575 Unusual lozenge shape and detailed scrollwork. ikaros; 1936 British West Africa 1/10 Penny; Group 6 http://www.omnicoin.com/coin_view.aspx?id=911019 One of the few Edward VIII issues. No, no portrait.

My only interest was in their being one of the few circulation coins to get Edward VIII's name on it--I've been toying with building an Eddie set (there can't be too many issues with his name on them), with an eye towards setting up a competition display the next time the CSNS meets in Columbus. Yeah, that's why I ended up picking it up, even though it doesn't fall into any of my collection categories. Can you imagine what it must look like in AU/MS?

Yeah, I fear that the beginnings of a non-circular/"donut" collection may be in my future... yeesh.

More show goodies! These were a couple I wanted, even though I don't do colonial or African coinage, because they're some of the few that managed to mention Edward VIII before he abdicated. So here's a British West Africa 1/10th of a Penny from 1936: And an East Africa ten cents of the same year. I find the factor of 100 between the two denominations to be interesting. To the best of my knowledge, nothing actually made it to circulation with Edward's actual portrait, did it?

The more I study them, the more I'm loving them. The Poles really did carry on the fight against Soviet domination with their coinage, covering them with national heroes rather than Marxist-Leninist themes. The few coins that celebrated Communist events are, well, uninspired. I think that was probably deliberate. Details in my CSNS Day 2 entry, which I'm off to write right now.

Not really very big. Comparable to my balled fist, maybe. They're striking a fairly soft metal.

I'm just getting ready to head out for CSNS Day 2, so here's some more of yesterday's haul. This is the Moroccan piece (French Protectorate). If it wasn't for Krause, I don't know what I'd do sometimes. I can only imagine what the detail would look like in a less circulated condition, but this is still nice. I tell you, the more I get into Polish coins, the more I love them, and it's getting to be less and less because of my heritage. There's no word for this other than "dramatic": the 1967 Marie Skłodowska-Curie 10 Złotych. Apparently, my scientists collection is now under weigh. This is the 1968 Mikolai Kopernik 10 Złotych. Last one for this morning is the 1964 600th Anniversary of the Jagiellonian University 10 Złotych. The quarry today: a 1967 General Sikorski 10 Złotych.

I imagine they will be. I'm going back tomorrow (too much to see in just four hours today) and will ask, if you like. There are a lot of go-wobbly-in-the-knees coins on display there. Whurf. Thanks--I love detail like that. And it's such high relief, too.