World Coin Articles

By Sean McConeghy A Tangible Connection to the "Longest Day" In June 1940, Axis forces accomplished what their leader, Adolph Hitler, called “the most famous victory in history” with the fall of France. The following year, Axis forces invaded the Soviet Union, and the United States joined the war. Joseph Stalin, then leader of the Soviet Union, pressed for Allied forces to open a western front, but those forces instead engaged in the Mediterranean, in both Africa and in Europe, rather than launching a full-on assault. Finally, in May 1943, attendees of the Trident Conference decided to launch such an assault in France. Planning for Operation Overlord began, and the assault began on what is today known as “D-Day” on June 6, 1944. Covert Measures and Redirection One of the most important aspects of D-Day was the deception leading up to it. Well in advance of the attack, Operation Bodyguard was developed to confuse German forces on the date and location of the invasion,…

By Sean McConeghy Humble Beginnings For most of the 1800s, the Perth Mint was a small, sleepy town in western Australia. That changed near the turn of the century thanks to the discovery of gold at Kalgoorlie and Coolgardie. As mining exploded in the region, so too did Perth’s population. It rose from about 8,500 in 1881 to 61,000 in 1901. To respond to the increased demand, “Big John” Forrest lobbied for the opening of a new mint in Western Australia. He was chosen to lay the foundation stone for the mint in 1896. Three years later, the mint began its operations. At the time that it opened, Australia was under British control, and the Perth Mint became the third branch of the British Royal Mint. Other mints operated in Sydney and Melbourne, but they have since closed. For decades, the mint focused exclusively on minting gold coins. From 1899-1931, it produced over 106 million gold sovereigns and over 700,000 half sovereigns for use throughout the British Empire. When…

By Louis Golino A Brief Biography of Akiane Kramarik Akiane Kramarik is a self-taught American artist, poet, and writer who began her career as a young child. For more than two decades her works have dazzled and inspired millions. They are not just remarkably mature for how old she was when she produced them, but they are also rooted in her deep sense of spirituality and her enduring commitment to her work. Like her art and poetry, her spirituality and relationship to God were also self-discovered. She has been dubbed a genius and child prodigy, and more specifically as “the youngest binary prodigy in both realistic art and poetry in recorded history” because her accomplishments in both areas as a young child quickly surpassed that of most adults working in those fields. Akiane describes herself as a “visionary journalist,” who reports through her art, poetry and writing on what she sees in both the physical and non-physical worlds. In a 2014 interview in The…

By Louis Golino April 15 marks the 107th anniversary of one of the worst maritime disasters in history: the sinking off the coast of Canada of the RMS Titanic, which at the time, was the largest and most luxurious passenger ship in the world. On the night of April 14-15, 1912, 1517 of the 2229 passengers onboard, who had left Southampton England on April 10 heading for New York City, perished in the disaster, which was immortalized in a 1997 film and many other cinematic depictions. The wreckage from Titanic, which was operated by a company called White Star Line, included coins and paper currency such as silver certificate notes, U.S. gold half eagles, and silver and copper coins from the U.S., France and Great Britain. Appeal of shipwreck coins Many collectors have long been fascinated by coins that were found deep under the sea that were once part of the cargo of ships carrying treasure that sank. Over the course of American history, tens of thousands of such ships have…

By Ray James Images of the female form began appearing on coinage millennia ago and this tradition continues to be exceedingly important in Numismatics today. Ancient Greek coins featured the image of the Goddess of Wisdom, Athena, as well as other hisotrical women and Goddesses. Roman coins also featured female deities like Libertas, the Goddess of Freedom, and the profiles of powerful women, such as the mothers of Caesars and behind the scenes power brokers. Fast forward a few thousand years and today, the female form continues to be a driving force in Numismatics, often symbolizing the very ideals and spirits of issuing Nations. While the allegorical character of “Lady Liberty” is a prevalent emblem of the founding ideals of the United States, many countries also prominently feature metaphorical female figures on their currency. Where did this Tradition Begin? This concept of Liberty has roots in the ancient Greek and Roman tradition where a multitude of gods and goddess…

The Perth Mint's Wedge-Tailed Eagle Series In 2014, John Mercanti and the Perth Mint made history as the former Chief Engraver of the United States Mint collaborated with the Perth Mint on the new Silver Wedge-Tailed Eagle. The new issue marked the first time that a US Mint engraver designed a coin for a foreign mint. The first release in the series had a mintage of just 50,000 pieces, and the response among collectors worldwide was so overwhelming that the series has become a mainstay of the Perth Mint and among the most anticipated annual releases among collectors. Among the most popular – and lowest mintage – issues in the series are the 5 oz. and 10 oz. high relief proof versions of the year’s Wedge Tail Eagle which carries the same design as the bullion pieces. These coins have had exceptionally low mintages, with the 2016 5 oz. High Relief Silver Proof and the 2018 10 oz. High Relief Silver Proof proving especially popular. The 2016 5 oz. Proofs have a maximum mintage of…

While watching From Russia With Love (1963) recently, I was amazed to see something in the movie I had long forgotten—the James Bond Gold Piece! Near the beginning of the movie, Q delivers a special black brief case to Bond. The case was filled with the usual rounds of ammunition & many high-tech weapons – but also featured two straps hidden inside the lining of the case, which secretly held 50 Gold Sovereign coins! Towards the end of the film, when a SPECTRE hit man has Bond on his knees, he tells the henchman about the fifty gold sovereigns hidden in his briefcase. When the greedy assassin proceeded to investigate Bond’s claim and open the briefcase, it explodes in his face! Needless to say, James Bond escapes to spy another day… While this may just seem like another exciting moment in a classic action film, I can tell you that Gold Sovereigns haven’t just saved the life of movie spies – they have saved the lives of countless British servicemen & real…

Symbolism has been a part of numismatics for almost as long as coins have been struck. It has also long been a part of propaganda, with national personification frequently used in literature and, even more frequently, imagery. This was especially true in print during the golden age of newspapers before television took over in terms of visuals. While these national personifications are used far less frequently today than they were prior to the introduction of other forms of media, some of them stuck and continue to be used on coinage to this day. Allegorical Goddess on Coins Based on Athena Many of the allegorical figures that represent entire nations are based on the Greek goddess Athena. Athena was the goddess of wisdom and war. Goddesses based on this figure include Britannia, Germania, Helvetia, and Hibernia. Each of these figures has appeared on precious metals coins, and some continue to do so.Britannia on Coins   The best known of these figures among collectors is…

The average American citizen doesn't put too much thought into how their pocket change is made. However, coin collectors and numismatists are very interested in the minting process. So, assuming you hope to advance in the numismatic community – or maybe you just want to gain some interesting facts to surprise your friends with – you should learn more about how coins are made. Here are some key terms to remember before you begin: Minting: process of creating coins  Coin die: one of the metallic pieces that strike each side of the coin Striking: method of pressing an image into the blank metal using a coin die The minting process of coins has been around for thousands of years – since around 700 B.C. There have been hundreds of different minting techniques and technologies over the years, along with many different leaders' and prominent figures' images gracing the coins. Initially, coins were made with a hammer and anvil from scraps of metal. But with the…

By Jeff Garrett As a member of the board of governors for the American Numismatic Association, one of the prime responsibilities is to make decisions about ANA conventions. That is no small task given the size and importance of the conventions. The World’s Fair of Money held each summer by the ANA is one of the organization’s largest revenue sources. It is also the face of the organization to its many thousands of members that attend each year. Clubs from around the country hold meetings at these conventions and the educational opportunities offered to attendees are almost endless. Additionally, many millions of dollars worth of rare coins are sold in that short week. I would estimate that sales exceed $100 million dollars during ANA conventions. In short, the importance of the show cannot be overemphasized. Because of all the planning and organization, the ANA is fortunate that its summer convention is usually a roaring success. Unfortunately, some rare coin…