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Which country has, top-to-bottom, the best coin designs?


thedeadpoint

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Hello to the Dark Side,

 

I want to provoke a little debate and a lot of discussion. Which nation has, historically (pre-Euro), the best regarded coin designs?

 

I want to see lots of bias and no diplomatic answers!

 

As always, post pics if you want!

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I'd say, but then again not sure if I want to pique the interest of others and have a bunch of new collectors swimming in the same waters. :ninja:

 

Obviously, you're a big fan of everything Swedish!

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I don't know if these count, but the coins from medieval Serbia and Bosnia had some beautiful and interesting designs. Here are a few examples.

 

SerbianEmpireHorsebackDinarVar11-2.jpg

 

SERBIAN EMPIRE~AR Horseback Dinar 1346-1355 AD

 

SerbiaDespotateARAspra1427-1456AD.jpg

 

SERBIA (DESPOTATE)~AR Aspra 1427-1456 AD

 

BosniaARDinar1461-1463AD.jpg

 

BOSNIA (KINGDOM)~AR Dinar 1461-1463 AD

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I have always considered the coins and banknotes of the Netherlands to be tiny works of art.

 

p81-2x.jpg

 

Closely followed by Switzerland, France, Great Britain and Italy.

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I have always considered the coins and banknotes of the Netherlands to be tiny works of art.

 

 

 

Closely followed by Switzerland, France, Great Britain and Italy.

 

 

Move along folks, nothing to see in Netherlands.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

netherlands10g1897.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

netherlands1001936dtl.jpg

 

netherlands10001938dtl.jpg

 

netherlands101942dtl.jpg

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Modern coins, then well it's got to be Switzerland for me.

 

 

For European coins, that is also my feeling. The circulation pieces, commems, bullion, etc are overall very nice.

 

 

 

As my personal interest lies in 19th/20th century Central American coins, (and to a fair extent South American as well) it would be Guatemala and Peru for me. The former has a relatively short history in coinage, but I like almost all of it. The one weak point for me is Bartolome: while perhaps a worthy figure, the image is not necessarily the most eye catching. Peru has a gorgeous series of coins as well, though I could do without the occasional appearance of Tupac. :ninja:

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German colonial era coins are my dream coins. But because some of them are untouchable for me, my response here is: British predecimal coins. Superb examples of the Imperial strength.

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Poland. Take a look at coin designs related to national pride during the People's Republic era, and ones related to the Communist state, and tell me they weren't still fighting the Soviet takeover. The Marie Skłodowska Curie, Copernicus, and Jagiellonian University issues are still among my favorites -- the Curie coin is especially dramatic:

910908.jpg

 

Now here's the silver anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic, one of my perennial nominees for Ugly Coin By Design: Obverse and Reverse. I don't have one of these monstrosities in my collection yet.

 

Between the wars, there was a definite elegance to Polish coinage:

977476.jpg

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gothic_crown.jpgAlthough most european countries have at some time produced some superb designs on coins, in the end my favourite designs have to be the British coins from around late 1700s to about 1930s
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Although most european countries have at some time produced some superb designs on coins, in the end my favourite designs have to be the British coins from around late 1700s to about 1930s

Heck, there was a time even us Yanks had beautiful money -- imagine reaching into your pocket and pulling out a Walker, a couple SLQs... or if you were really well off, a St Gaudens double eagle.

 

You could almost go decade by decade that way, really. 1860s and/or 1890s British (have to include both the Gothic florins and the final Victoria bust, yaknow), 1920s American (lessee, Wheatie, Buffalo, Merc, Standing and Walking Libs, one last Morgan and then the 'new' Peace, plus those great incuse quarter and half eagles, and the St Gaudens pieces of pocket art -- I can't think of a way to improve on that), 1960s Polish, 1980s West German commemorative ... it's just a question of who had the hot hand in the engraving shop in any particular decade.

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