Tag: #Christmas2020

Calendar Roundup

Christmas is over and it has now been a few days since my (almost) daily post run talking about each coin I got from the calendar ended. So I guess it is time to share my thoughts about the calendar itself and whether it was worth the money I paid for it.

I originally bought the calendar from The London Mint Office, which is a coin trader and dealer based not far from London. They are not the cheapest of dealers out there, but on occasion they do special promotions and offers which I have taken up more than once.

The calendar they have produced this year, was likewise, not cheap and substantially a lot more than the chocolate variety you can find in most supermarkets and corner shops. The calendar though is not cheaply made. The card stock used is of much finer quality than most store bought calendars and after receiving a fair number of knocks during the month has manged to retain much of it’s rigidity and shape. The coins were also held firmly in place, so if some accident would occur causing a door to be opened prior to it’s actual day, the likelihood of losing one would be slim.

Each door on the calendar also had a brief description of the coin revealed behind each door so there was no chance of not knowing the provenance or nominal value of the coin received each day.

The variety of the coins in terms of their origin was also uniquely varied. Despite a couple of them, most were coins I actually do not have in my collection even though they were of fairly low value coins of themselves. This is was a pleasant surprise for me, compounded more by the fact that I also got some coins from countries I actually don’t own any for. Furthermore, there were a few special strikes within the calendar, nominal commemorative coins similar to 50p and £2 coins here in the UK. The FAO coin from Paraguay (day 14) also opened up a new collection avenue for the future as I may try and attempt to collect more of them.

So was the calendar worth it to me. Yes and no. From a financial worth of the calendar it was definitely not worth the price I paid for it. Yes, the coins are in great condition with all of them ranging between Very Fine and Almost Uncirculated condition, but the numismatic value of the coins overall are not spectacular.

However, in terms of fun and enjoyment, yes it was worth it. Actually getting a Christmas calendar where the item behind the door each day was something I was genuinely interested in was a new and novel experience. Adding new coins to my collection which for the most part I actually don’t own or have very few examples of was also a nice experience. So the collector side of me was definitely thoroughly pleased.

Would I be getting another calendar like this next year if one is available? Most likely not. Despite having fun with it, from a personal financial viewpoint I really can’t persuade myself to pay for another. Would I recommend it? For the more established collector, or those looking for a financial investment, a very strong no. There would be little for you to gain from this product. But if you are fairly new to the hobby, looking for a novel experience, or having the money spare, then by all means get this calendar. I had fun with it, and discovering new coins and learning a little about each country along the way was certainly a better way to spend this December than what I normally would have.

Day 23 & 24

So here we are at the final post in the 2020 calendar run, and since I forgot to post yesterday (…again) I will go through the coin I got for day 23 too.

On the penultimate day of the run we got a small aluminium coin from the island nation of the Maldives. Valued at 10 laari, the reverse of the coin has the value in the middle superimposed on a map of the island archipelago.

The obverse of the coin features a traditional sailing boat of the islands, often called a ‘batheli’ or ‘odi’ locallay. Below the boat is a rope with a knot design. Above the boat is the date of mintage according to boat the Gregorian calendar and Arabic calendar.

Finally, for the last day, we have a medium sized commemorative coin from San Marino.

This is by far the most interesting of the coins out of the calendar, mainly due to it’s very esoteric design. Made from aluminium with a value of 10 lire, this coin was a commemorative design with the theme of patriotism (I am 100% not sure about this, but information regarding the design was scant at best).

On the obverse is a bust of a figure with a flame in it’s outstretched palms. The figures head resembles a stylised view of the globe, with the visible continent being Europe (closely resembling the image found on many Euro coins). The figure is flanked by stars and other celestial bodies.

The reverse shows yet another globe design in the background, with a poinsettia flower above it. A figure of a child supersedes them both with it’s arm outstretched to the top left. The value of the coin is at the bottom, whilst the date of minting is to the right.

Day 22

It is an absolutely tiny coin behind the door of day 22. Dating from 1994, we have a chromium plated steel coin from Nicaragua.

On the obverse of the coin we have the name of Nicaragua surrounding the coat of arms of the country. It was first adopted in 1823, 2 years after Nicaragua had gained it’s independence from Spain.

The coat of arms features the Phrygian cap as it’s central feature, an article of clothing which traces it’s roots back to antiquity in Eastern Europe and Anatolia. In more modern history, due to the American and French revolutions of the 18th century, the cap has come to symbolise the idea of freedom and liberty. Below the cap there are five volcanoes which express brotherhood with the other central American countries. Over the cap is a rainbow signifying peace, and finally all are encapsulated within a triangle to represent equality.

The coat of arms also features on the flag of NIcaragua.

On the reverse of the coin is a bird with a sprig of peace flying over a silhouette of the country of Nicaragua itself. This is surrounded by the legend “Central bank of Nicaragua” (translated into English), with the date and value of the coin at the bottom.

Day 21

Another return to the Pacific today as the coin behind door 21 is a 2 vatu coin from Vanuatu. A small island archipelago southeast of the Solomon Islands which I got back on the 8th.

On the obverse side of the coin we have an image of the coat of arms of Vanuatu. It is a depiction of a Melanesian warrior standing on a mountain superimposed on a boar tusk and two crossed namele fern fronds.

The warrior is a depiction of Walter Lini the first prime minister of an independent Vanuatu (Vanuatu gained it’s independence from France and Britain in 1980). The boar tusk and namele leaves represent prosperity and peace respectively and are actually part of the national flag of Vanuatu.

On the reverse side of the coin, along with the value, there is a design showing charonia tritonis (also known as a triton) shell. The triton is a large sea snail found throughout the Indo-pacific oceans. The shell of the triton is well known and often seen as traditional decorative object evocative of the ocean. The shell is also sometimes used as a trumpet, as shown by the shell on the coin due to the presence of a hole carved near to the tapered end of the shell.

Day 19 & 20

So two days at once today because to be honest I completely forgot to update the blog yesterday.

Yesterday, the coin behind door number 19 was a small 10 cent coin from the Cook Islands:

On the obverse of the coin we have a re-appearance of Lizzie, whilst on the reverse we have a depiction of an orange. Oranges grow naturally on the Cook Islands and are one of the main fruits used for export. Although tourism accounts for nearly 65% of the country’s economy. Traditionally, oranges was used to brew beer on the islands, along with banana’s, paw paws, and hops.

The coin I got for day 20 was a 10 cents coin from the Seychelles.

On the obverse of the coin there is a representation of the coat of arms of the Seychelles. This coat of arms dates from 1976 when the Seychelles gained independence from Britain and the colours were updated slightly in 1996 to represent the colours on the flag. Although of course they can’t be seen on the coin.

On the reverse there is a stylised picture of a tuna fish. Tuna is one of the many species of fish caught in the Seychelles, wish fishing making up to 82% of the country’s economy in 2013. Despite this, growth in tourism is the main driver of the economy in the Seychelles as it employs at least 30% of the population compared to just 3% for fishing and agriculture. Other exports from the Seychelles also include coconuts and vanilla.

Day 18

Day 18 and we head to the Balkans to the country of Serbia for our calendar coin.

On the obverse we have the coat of arms of Serbia which was officially adopted in 2004, and was modelled on the design used in the royal coat of arms of the Kingdom of Serbia which was abolished at the end of WWI in 1918.

The reverse side of the coin has a depiction of the Gracanica Monastery next to the value of the coin itself. The monastery is a Serbian Orthodox monastery located in Kosovo. It was built by the Serbian king Stefan Milutin in 1321 on the ruins of a much older 6th century Christian basilica. Over it’s life, the monastery has been heavily damaged by foreign powers in the region. For much of the medieval period it was due to invading Ottoman forces, with the final act happening during the Ottoman retreat after the second siege of Vienna in 1683.

During WWII, the monastery was partially destroyed, and the building was restored by local nuns. It has been serving as a convent ever since. Finally, the monastery received bomb damage during the Kosovo War (1998-99) by NATO forces, and has again been renewed and restored.

In 2006 the monastery was placed on UNESCO’s world heritage list.

Day 17

Today I got a coin from a country I genuinely have no modern coins from, which is becoming a rarity these days as my collection grows larger.

Today’s coin is a small copper coin from Guyana. Dating from 2002, on the obverse is the coat of arms of Guyana which was created for the country in 1966 when it gained independence from Britain.

On the obverse, along with the value of the coin, is a hand gathering rice which is one of the main agricultural products of the country. The other is the production of demerara sugar which accounts for 28% of the country’s export earnings.

Along with agriculture, Guyana also exports gold, bauxite, shrimp, timber, and minerals. In 2015, Guyana was further able to broaden it’s exports when deep water oil wells were discovered.

Day 16

Day 16 and we once again return to SE Asia. This time the coin from the calendar is from the Philippines.

A small copper plated steel coin, it dates from 1996. On the obverse we have the value of the coin above the date of mintage. Whilst on the reverse we have the coat of arms of the National Bank of the Philippines above another date. The date on the obverse actually relates to the year the National Bank was established.

However, the history of a Philippine central bank stretches back further to the start of the 20th century.

It was in the year 1900 when an act was passed by the First Philippine Commission (a body established by the United States as the Philippines were under colonial control of the US after their victory in the Spanish-American war) to place all banks under the supervision of Bureau of the Treasury. This was further consolidated in 1929 when the Department of Finance took over this role.

By 1933 an idea of a Philippine central bank was beginning to take form, and with the mounting moves for Filipino independence from the US a proposal was made to the US to help establish a central bank and grant Philippine independence after 12 years. This proposal however would be rejected by the then Philippine president Manuel Quezon. A decade later, after the combined events of WWII, a new bill was proposed by the Philippine senate which gained support from the US president Roosevelt, and the Philippines were granted independence in 1946.

Immediately after gaining independence plans were drawn up to establish a central bank as a desire to create their own fiscal monetary policy and move away from reliance on the US Dollar was great. A central bank would be formerly inaugurated before the decade was out in 1949.

Over the next few decades, a series of acts were passed to keep monetary policy and reform in line with changing economic conditions. However, it would not be until 1993 when the current iteration of the Philippines central bank would take form.

Day 15

We return to Africa on the 15th day of the calendar run, and this time the little known enclave country of Swaziland (Now officially known as Eswatini since 2018).

On the obverse of the coin we have a portrait of the current king of Swaziland, Mswati III. On the reverse we have the value of the coin as well as a depiction of the arum lily plant.

The arum lily is a plant native to the southern part of the African continent, most notably South Africa, Lesotho, Mozambique, and Swaziland. It has been naturalised in other countries further north in Africa, as well as Madeira, New Zealand, coastal California, and Australia. In Australia it has been classified as an invasive species and therefore a toxic weed and pest.

The flower of the plant is the national flower of Saint Helena where it now grows widely. The flower is also a symbol of Irish republicanism and nationalism as it is used in commemorate those who died in the 1916 Easter uprising and afterwards.

Day 14

Day 14 and we are heading back to South America, this time to Paraguay.

Today we have a tiny brass 1 guarani coin from 1993. On the obverse we have a depiction of a Paraguayan soldier, whilst on the reverse we have the value of the coin and a tobacco plant. Along the top we have an inscription, which when translated into English says ‘Food for the World’.

This coin is a FAO (United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation) issue, as part of a program initiated worldwide to raise awareness of the work the organisation does, as well as galvanise people to help eliminate food scarcity in the developing world. Seignorage and profits from the sale of the coins would also be used to help fund these programs.

FAO coins were first struck in 1968 when the initiative was first started. Around 20 different countries participated, with many different designs being minted. The US, and many of the other NATO states did not participate, but mints such as the San Francisco mint, the Royal mint, several mints in Germany amongst others helped strike coins for nations which did.

The program would run for 40 years until it was ended by the FAO itself in 2008.