Art

Introducing the PCI2011 BaseMetals, BiMetallic, Non-Metals, etc. Champion

Mark Stilson's Feuchtwanger composition one cent

Feuchtwanger composition one cent ht-268 (61) 1837 was the start of what is known as "The Hard Times" or "Panic of 1837" Lewis Feuchtwanger started minting his own coins due to a shortage of small change during this time. They actually were used as money during that time.

Introducing The PCI2011 Copper Champion!!

elverno's 1808 La Reine de Naples, France

Introducing the 2011 PCI Silver Champion

Mark Stilson's Grant Half Dollar

Born Hiram Ulysses Grant and later swapped his first and middle name to Ulysses Hiram Grant when he applied for West Point. But a mistake was made and it was entered as Ulysses S. Grant. So even through the years and on the coin it was never corrected

jtryka's 1937-D Oregon Trail commemorative half dollar

elverno's 1811 Establishment of the Landesmuseum Joanneum, Austria

YeOldeCollector's George IV 1825 Sixpence.

Mark Stilson's Grant Half Dollar

Born Hiram Ulysses Grant and later swapped his first and middle name to Ulysses Hiram Grant when he applied for West Point. But a mistake was made and it was entered as Ulysses S. Grant. So even through the years and on the coin it was never corrected

Steve D'Ippolito's 1833 3 Rubles Platinum, Russia

This is a worn, bent example of the Russian 3 ruble platinum piece issued from 1828-1845. It has also been knifed (possibly for acid testing) twice, forming an X on the obverse. Platinum first came to the attention of European science in what is now Colombia; it showed up as nuggets mixed in with gold in panning on the Rio del Pinto. It was not regarded as valuable; in fact it was a nuisance because the panners had to painstakingly sort the nuggets. When platinum nuggets were noticed near the Urals in Russia, peasants would actually use them as shot in their shotguns. (Imagine blowing 1/4 or even 1/2 ounce of platinum nuggets out the muzzle of a shotgun!) Anyhow, Russia faced an annoying situation in the late 1820s--they had both paper and silver coinage in circulation but they did not trade at par (four paper rubles made a silver ruble). Enter the platinum coinage.

These coins were issued by Russia as an extension of the silver coinage (note the value reads 3 Rubles "in Silver"). Not coincidentally, the platinum mines were owned by the politically powerful Demidov family. The three ruble piece did circulate to a very limited extent, as seen with this very coin. The Russians introduced a 6 ruble piece the next year and a 12 the year after that; these did not circulate. There is also a lot of fascinating information on how the coins were made but I'd probably exceeded people's tolerance for coin trivia by now. The 3 ruble piece stands as the only platinum coinage ever issued with the intent of circulating, that actually did so.

Mark Stilson's Feuchtwanger composition one cent

Feuchtwanger composition one cent ht-268 (61) 1837 was the start of what is known as "The Hard Times" or "Panic of 1837" Lewis Feuchtwanger started minting his own coins due to a shortage of small change during this time. They actually were used as money during that time.

ccg's 1862 1 Cent, USA

Mark's 2000 Isle of Man Prime Meridian 1 Crown commemorative

The brass used on reverse was taking from original prime meridian which passed through the Royal Observatory, Greenwich in southeast London, United Kingdom. The Prime Meridian in Greenwich is now stainless steel.

ccg's 1791 12 Deniers, France

YeOldeCollector's George III Soho Farthing

elverno's 1808 La Reine de Naples, France

ccg's 1797 2 Pence, UK

The PCI2011 GOLD WINNER