Saturday, December 28, 2013

China 1 yuan 2014 - Year of the horse

New circulating commemorative:

1 yuan: 2014 - Year of the Horse



(info and image by Pabitra Saha)

Friday, December 27, 2013

Tunisia 2013 - Two new circulating types

The Central Bank of Tunisia has released two new coins for circulation, a 200 millimes and a 2 dinar:



(news by Michel Guerin)

2 dinar SPECIFICATIONS
Composition: Copper-Nickel
Diameter: 29.40 mm
Width: 1.90 mm
Weight: 11.20 g

200 millime SPECIFICATIONS
Composition: Copper-Zinc
Diameter: 29.00 mm
Width: 1.80 mm
Weight: 9.40 g


LINK: The Huffington Post

Thursday, December 26, 2013

Thailand 20 baht 2013 - Alternative Energy Development and Efficiency

New CuNi commemorative:

'60th Anniversary of the Department of Alternative Energy Development and Efficiency'



(information and image by Sesthawich and Pabitra Saha)

SPECIFICATIONS
Composition: CuNi
Diameter: 32.00 mm
Weight: 15.00 g
Mintage: 300 000


Monday, December 23, 2013

Thailand 20 baht 2012 - Department of Highways

New CuNi commemorative:

'100th Anniversary of the Department of Highways'



(information and image by Sesthawich and Pabitra Saha)

SPECIFICATIONS
Composition: CuNi
Diameter: 32.00 mm
Weight: 15.00 g
Mintage: 300 000


Friday, December 20, 2013

South Africa 2 rand 2013 - Centenary of the Union Buildings

New circulating commemorative:

'100th Anniversary of the Union Buildings'



(information and image by Pabitra Saha)

LINK: South Africa Mint

Thursday, December 19, 2013

Greece 5 euro 2013 - Konstantinos Petrou Kavafis

New CuNi commemorative:

'150th anniversary of the birth of Konstantinos Petrou Kavafis'

Konstantinos Petrou Kavafis (1863-1933) was a Greek poet who lived in Alexandria and worked as a journalist and civil servant. He published 154 poems, and many more remained incomplete or in sketch form. His most important poetry was written after his fortieth birthday. He is considered a key artist in the revival and recognition of Greek poetry both at home and abroad.



(news and image from Pabitra Saha)
(biographical data from Wikipedia)

Gibraltar 50 pence 2013 - Christmas

New circulating type:



(information and image by Peter Kaminsky)

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Philippines 10 piso 2013 - Andres Bonifacio

New circulating bimetallic:

'150th Anniversary of the Birth of Andres Bonifacio'



(information by Pabitra Saha and Adam Mrzyglod)
(image by Pabitra Saha)

LINK: Central Bank of Philippines

Friday, December 13, 2013

Ukraine 5 hryvnia 2013 - Mykola Amosov

New silver commemorative:

'Outstanding Personalities of Ukraine: Mykola Amosov'

Nikolai (Mykola) Amosov (1913-2002) was a Ukrainian doctor, heart surgeon, inventor, best-selling author, and exercise enthusiast, known for his inventions of several surgical procedures for treating heart defects.



(news from Gijs Vlothuizen and Pabitra Saha)

SPECIFICATIONS
Composition: Silver
Weight: 15.55 g
Diameter: 33.00 mm
Mintage: 5,000


LINK: National Bank of Ukraine

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Latvia 2014 - Euro starter kits

Although the coins won't start circulating until 01/01/2014, the Latvian euro starter kits are available for general public already. They have a face value of 10 lats, or 14.23 euros.

I already got my own kits from my good friend Andrejs Pimejenko (cuhontuk@inbox.lv):





(original pictures by Andrejs Pimejenko)

LINK: Bank of Latvia

Monday, December 09, 2013

Libya 1/4 dinar 2014 - New series

The Central Bank of Libya has released images and information about the first coin of the new family, the 1/4 dinar:



(news by Pabitra Saha)
(scan by Wolfgang Schuster)

SPECIFICATIONS
Composition: nordic gold
Diameter: 26.00 mm
Width: 2.00 mm
Weight: 6.55 g


LINK: Central Bank of Libya

Luxembourg 2 euro 2014 - 175th Year of the Nation

New bimetallic circulating commemorative:

'175th Year of the Nation'

Next year, Luxembourg will celebrate the 175th anniversary of their fully independence (by the 1839 First Treaty of London) with this commemorative circulation coin:



(news and image by Pabitra Saha)

SPECIFICATIONS
External ring: CuNi
Center disc: 3 layers, Ni-Brass, Ni, Ni-brass
Diameter: 25.75 mm
Width: 2.20 mm
Weight: 8.50 g


Thursday, December 05, 2013

India 5 rupees 2007 Khadi Villages error types

New unlisted varieties have been discovered:

'Khadi Villages'

These two are the correct and already catalogued varieties, with diamond (KM#360.1) and M (KM#360.2) mint marks:



These two error types have been recently discovered, both of the diamond mint mark:



Both have a mistake in the English spelling (VIIIAGES instead of VILLAGES), and second one has also a mistake in the Devanagari legend.

(information and scans by Shamik Biswas and Wolfgang Schuster)

SPECIFICATIONS
Composition: Stainless Steel
Weight: 6.00 g
Diameter: 23.00 mm
Edge: security


Wednesday, December 04, 2013

Canada 25 cents 2013 - First Canadian Arctic Expedition

New commemorative quarters:

'100th Anniversary of the First Canadian Arctic Expedition'

The first coin was designed by Canadian artist Bonnie Ross. The coin depicts the Canadian Arctic Expedition, a group of three men aboard a dogsled, the waiting dog team before them listening for the command to move on across the Arctic tundra. The skyline and horizon in the background are filled with a stylized image of a compass.



Designed by renowned Inuit artist Tim Pitsiulak, this second coin includes a beautifully detailed design that combines animal and human imagery. A traditional whaling boat and three kayaks wrap around the image along the rim to depict a traditional bowhead whale hunt. Two beluga whales swim alongside a bowhead whale – animals that have long been a source of inspiration to the artist. The bowhead is adorned with several elements drawn from the Inuit culture. To honour the Tuniit people who first crossed the Bering Strait from Siberia, Dorset ivory masks adorn the bowhead's lower jaw and its back. A Thule ivory comb lies across the top of the whale's head, representing the Inuit expansion across Canada. The pattern on the whale's side mimics the walls of an igloo, while the amauti design that graces the whale's tale symbolizes the clothing worn by Inuit women.



As my friends Dan and Pabitra told me, there are 2 varieties of these 2 types, depending on the frosted features of the coins (please read Dan's commnents):



(news by Dan McIntyre and Pabitra Saha)
(frosted variations image from www.numicanada.com/)

LINK: Royal Canadian Mint

Tuesday, December 03, 2013

Oman 1 rial 2013 - 43rd National Day

New silver commemorative:

'First Mint in Oman - the Umayyad Dirham'

Coinciding with the celebration of the 43rd National Day, the Central Bank of Oman has issued a silver commemorative coin depicting a resemblance of the Umayyad Dirham, which was minted in Oman in 81H.



The Umayyad Dirham:



(news from Pabitra Saha)

SPECIFICATIONS
Composition: 0.999 silver
Diameter: 38.61 mm
Weight: 28.28 g


LINK: Central Bank of Oman

Russia 10 roubles 2013 - Russian Federation Constitution

New circulating commemorative:

'20th anniversary of the Russian Federation Constitution adoption'



(information by Gijs Vlothuizen and Taigawirbel)

LINK: Bank of Russia

Monday, December 02, 2013

Switzerland 10 francs 2014 - Gansabhauet

New bimetallic commemorative:

"Gansabhauet"

Gansabhauet is a traditional folk festival in the town of Sursee, Republic of Lucerne.



(news and image by Egon Conti Rossini)

LINK: Swiss Mint

Russia 25 roubles 2014 - Olympic Torch golden plated edition

Limited private edition of the circulating commemorative:

'The torch of the Sochi Olympics Games 2014'

Some pieces of this coin, that someone has golden plated for fun, can be seen already:



(news and image by Gijs Vlothuizen)

LINK: Bank of Russia
LINK: Sochi 2014