TIBETIAN
COIN SET
This set of three coins
includes some of the last coins ever issued by Tibet. Included
are the copper 1, 3 and 5 Sho coins. The 1 Sho was issued from
1932 to 1942 and pictures a lion. Because of the scarcity of copper
caused by World War II, Tibet did not issue any further copper
coins until 1946. In 1946 they issued a 3 Sho coin picturing a lion and
mountains, surrounded by a legend. The awkward denomination
apparently was not popular as it was issued only that single year and
is quite scarce.. The 5 Sho coin was issued from 1947 until 1953,
when the Chinese invasion of the mountain kingdom put an end to its
coinage. The coins grade Fine to Very Fine.
Zanzibar
was for many years a rich and important trading post off the coast of
Africa
in the Indian Ocean. It is the world's leading producer of
Cloves.
After centuries of foreign domination, it achieved independence in
1860,
only to fall under British control 30 years later. This copper 1 Pysa
was
struck for only one year, 1882, during that brief period of
independence.
Today Zanzibar is part of Tanzania.
In
1946 Portuguese Guinea issued the commemorative bronze 1 Escudo
commemorating
the 500th anniversary its discovery by Portuguese navigator Nuno
Tristao
in 1446. For much of its history this Portuguese colony in Africa
was little more than a stopping off place where Portuguese traders
would
purchase slaves to be exported to Brazil. Portuguese Guinea was granted
its independence in 1974 and became the nation of Guinea-Bisseau.
The coin features the arms of Portuguese Guinea and the dates
1446-1946.
We offer this historic commemorative in nice red Uncirculated
condition,
a grade that is uncommon for this over 60-year old coin.
Portugal struck
this aluminum 10 Centavos in 1973 for its
colony of Portuguese Guinea. Portugal’s costly wars, in an effort
to keep control of her African colonies, resulted in a military coup in
Portugal in April 1974. The new government quickly granted independence
to most of Portugal’s overseas colonies. In September 1974,
Portuguese Guinea was granted independence and became the nation of
Guinea-Bisseau. The coin has a mintage of only 100,000 pieces, of
which only a few thousand were released. We are pleased to offer
this scarce coin at less than a third of its catalog price of $40.00!
PORTUGUESE MOZAMBIQUE MACAO PORTUGUESE TIMORPORTUGUESE INDIA
ELEPHANTS
FROM THE BELGIAN CONGO 
After
Belgian Congo gained its independence in 1960, Belgium issued a coin
for what was left of its African territories: Rwanda and
Burundi. Only a single coin was issued for the joint territory of
Rwanda-Burundi: a brass 1 Franc coin picturing a lion. The 1960
issue is rare due to its low mintage and few were saved from
circulation. We are pleased to offer this hard-to-find coin at
almost half off of its $17.50 catalog value. The 1961 issue is
much more widely available, so it costs less. In 1962, Rwanda and
Burundi were each granted independence. 
The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland was formed in 1953 by
combining Britain's colonies in central Africa. This attractive bronze
penny pictures a pair of elephants that are standing on their hind legs
and appear to be dancing! The coin was struck with a hole to make
it easy to distinguish from other denominations and to allow natives
without pockets to easily carry the coins in strings. The coin is dated
1962 and is Brilliant Uncirculated. Tensions between the former
colonies mounted over the governance of the Federation. The short-lived
Federation was dissolved in 1964, becoming the independent nations of Zambia, Malawi,
and Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe).
We purchased a large supply of these attractive coins, so can offer
them at an attractive wholesale price. We also have a limited
number of coins in their original bank bags! The bags are from
Barclay's Bank Overseas, Colonial & Dominion. and contain 5
Shillings (60 pieces) in Uncirculated condition. I suspect very
few of these original bags have survived over the years.
A bloody civil war broke out in the Belgian
Congo upon it gaining independence from Belgium in 1960.
Katanga, a mineral rich province in the south, declared itself
independent from the rest of
the Congo. Various factions were supported by the United States and the
Soviet Union, while the United Nations tried to negotiate a
truce. This set includes the only two coins Katanga issued for
circulation. Included are
the bronze 1 and 5 Franc coins, both dated 1961. Shortly there
after Katamga was forcibly reunited with the Congo. The coin displays the
country's traditional form of money, the Katanga
Cross, on one side of the coins. A bunch of bananas is shown on the
other. 
French West Africa was
an administrative and monetary union created by France to provide a
common currency for its
territories and colonies in Western Africa including what are now the
independent nations of Benin (Dahomey),
Burkina Faso (Upper Volta), Ivory Coast, Mali (French Sudan),
Mauratania, Niger and Senegal. These aluminum 1 and 2 Franc coins dated
1948 are some of the few coins issued for French West Africa.
Both coins feature the standard design that France used for it's
African colonies after World War II. The figure of
Marianne and some ships on the obverse and a Loder’s Gazelle and the
name of the territory on the
reverse. After the constituent members gained independence, the
union evolved into what is now the West
African States.SCARCE COINS OF FRENCH TOGO
The British Caribbean Territories - Eastern Group, was a monetary
union
created in 1950 to provide a common currency for a number of Britain’s
colonies
in the Caribbean. Included were British Guiana (now Guyana),
British
Virgin Islands, Anguilla, Antigua, St. Kitts, Nevis, Grenada, St.
Lucia,
St. Vincent and Dominica. The British Carribbean Territories was
replaced
by the East Caribbean States when the
territories
gained independence from Great Britain in the 1960's and 1970's.
This
bronze 1955 half cent was one of the first coins issued for the
Territories.
Pictured on the coin is Queen Elizabeth. The coin has a catalog
value
of $2.50, however our price is much less.
Trengganu,
now part of Malaysia, was once an
independent sultanate. They
issued this 1 Pitis, or Keping coin during the 19th century. The
crude, uniface coins is undated. Because the coin is made out of
tin, a soft medal that corrodes easily, few coins have
survived. We are pleased to offer this scarce coin
for far less than its $50 catalog value.
Malacca is located on the West
Coast of Malaysia. During the 15th
Century it was the preeminent
commercial center in Southeast Asia. Its fine harbor helped make
it the wealthiest and most powerful nation in the region, with traders
coming from India, Persia, Arabia and China. Almost all of the
coins of the Sultanate were struck in Tin. This undated 15th
century tin Pitis is struck in the same in the name of Al Sultan Al
Adil, which translates as "The Just Sultan" The coins tend to be
crude. Most were either melted or deteriorated in the tropical climate
making them very difficult for collectors to locate today.
In 1511 the Portuguese conquered Malacca and ruled
it for the next 130 years. Upon taking control, they recalled and
melted the tin coins
of the Sultanate. We are pleased to offer two rarely seen coins
of Portuguese Malacca. The first is a tin Bastardo (they had colorful
names for their coins in those days) of Joao III, who ruled from 1521
to 1557. The coin is approximately 28mm in diameter and was
struck at the Lisbon Mint for use in
Malacca. One side shows the Portuguese arms, while the other shows an
Armillary
sphere, which was a navigation instrument. The coin would grade Fine or
Very
Fine for wear, however it has a rough, pimply surface as is often found
on
old tin coins. The second coin is a tin Dinheiro of Sabastiao, who
ruled
from 1557 to 1578. The coin was struck at the Malacca mint. It
shows
the Portuguese arms on one side and a crude sailing ship on the other.
The
coin grades Fine to Very Fine, however it is crudely struck. Both
coins
are quite scarce and are rarely offered.
Aceh
(also known as Acheh or Atjeh) is an autonomous province of
Indonesia.
For hundreds of years it fought off the attempts of the Europeans
conquer
its territory. It finally surrendered to the Dutch in 1903,
however
the area was never fully pacified. An armed struggle for independence
escalated
after Indonesia gained its independence. Aceh suffered major
destruction
in the December 2004 earthquake and tsunami. Since then
Indonesian
and Aceh leaders have ended the armed conflict and joined together to
rebuild the province. This 18th century tin Pitis (or Keveh or
Keping) of Aceh
is struck in tin. It is one of the few coins of this once
independent
nation.
Edward VIII reigned for less
than a year in 1936, before he renounced the throne in order that he
could
marry Mrs. Wallace Simpson, an American divorcee. One of the few
British colonies to issue a coin in his name was New Guinea, perhaps
one
of the wildest and remotest places on earth. This bronze one penny coin
has a center hole, to allow easy stringing by the natives. Below
the hole is the King's monogram. Native designs are shown on both sides
of the coin. It is quite an unusual coin from an unusual location of a
short-reigning monarch.
UNUSUAL STERLING SILVER SHILLING OF NEW GUINEAEDWARD
VIII COIN FROM EAST AFRICA
The Mediterranean island of Crete is home to
one of the worlds oldest civilizations, the Minoan, which flourished
from about 3000BC to 1100BC. Yet since that time it has been
ruled by outside powers. In 1898 the Ottoman Turks,
who had ruled the Island for over 200 years were expelled by the Greeks
and
Crete was set up as an autonomous territory under the authority of the
King
of Greece. In 1900 Crete issued its first modern coins.
Included was this scarce copper-nickel 10 Lepta coin. The coin was
struck only a single year: 1900. Though the design was similar to
the circulating Greek 10
Lepta, the coin was intended for use on Crete. In 1913 Crete was
formally
united with Greece, bringing to an end the short-lived coinage of
Crete.
T. E. Lawrence, popularly known
as Lawrence of Arabia, assisted Husain ibn Ali, the Amir of Mecca, lead
a revolt against the Ottoman Turks
during World War I. He promised to make him ruler of an independent
Arabia after the war. His exploits, which included planning
strategy, leading troops and guerilla activities
such as blowing up trains, helped bring about a collapse of the Ottoman
Empire. Much to his dismay however, the politicians in the peace
conferences following the war did not grant give Husain the promised
kingdom. Instead he
was granted just the western strip of the Arabian peninsula, known as
Hejaz. Shortly thereafter he lost his kingdom to the forces of
Abdul Azia ibn Saud, who went on to form the kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Husain's son's went
on to rule the newly formed Kingdoms of Iraq
and Jordan. During and after
World War I coins of the Ottoman Empire were counterstamped "al-Hejaz"
by Husain at his mint in Mecca. The counterstamp was applied over
the Ottoman Sultan's toughra, thus refuting Ottoman rule in Hejaz and
discouraging the exportation of badly needed small change. We are
pleased to offer the counterstamped 20 Para coins of Hejaz from
this historic, short-lived kingdom. BRITISH EAST AFRICAN COINS FROM THE SHORT
REIGN OF EDWARD VIIIFRENCH INDO-CHINA 1930's COIN SETWWII COINS OF
FRENCH INDO-CHINAEAST GERMANYLAST COIN OF PORTUGUESE INDIASCARCE
SILVER COIN FROM BRITISH SOUTH AFRICASHORT LIVED UNITED ARAB REPUBLIC ISSUE FROM SYRIASOUTH VIETNAMESE
COINS RETURN
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