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FIRST MODERN COINS OF DARFUR FEATURE AFRICAN WILDLIFE

The Sultanate of Darfur recently released an attractive set of seven coins that include a bi-metallic, unusual shapes and feature African wildlife.  The non-circulating coins are the first modern coins for the embattled sultanate that is engaged tragic war in an attempt to regain independence from Sudan.   The Bi-metallic 500 Dinars features the Nile crocodile.  The eight-sided 250 Dinars pictures an African elephant.  The square 100 Dinars has a leopard.  The scalloped edged 50 Dinars shows a hartebeest.  The 25 Dinars pictures a camel.  An African civet is on the 10 Dinars, and an African wild dog is on the 5 Dinars.  All coins are dated 2008 and have an Arabic inscription on the obverse. 

INDIVIDUAL DARFUR COINS FROM THE ABOVE SET:

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FIRST COIN OF THE BRITISH INDIAN OCEAN TERRITORY

The British Indian Ocean Territory consists of Chagos Archipelago, with over 1,000 individual islands.  The largest island is Diego Garcia, the site of a joint military facility of the United Kingdom and the United States.  Great Britain created the territory in 1965 by splitting the islands from what was then its colony of Mauritius.  It then purchased and closed down the copra plantations on Diego Garcia and removed the entire population in order to create a major air and naval base, which it leased to the United States.  Since then the original inhabitants have been trying to return to their homeland.  The other islands in the archipelago are uninhabited.  In 2009 the British Indian Ocean Territory issued its first coin: a 38.6mm copper-nickel 2 Pound coin. The coin pictures the arms of the territory supported by two turtles on one side and Queen Elizabeth on the other.  There must not be much happening in the Territory as the coin commemorates itself - “The First Commemorative Coin of the British Indian Ocean Territory”.   The coin is an official issue struck by the Pobjoy mint in Uncirculated condition.

Click here for a description of the ships and boats featured on the Stoltenhof Island coins

NEW MEXICAN HEROS OF INDEPENDENCE & THE REVOLUTION SERIES

Mexico recently announced a new series of 37 bi-metallic circulating commemorative 5 Peso coins to honor the 200th anniversary of Mexican independence from Spain and the 100th anniversary of the Mexican Revolution of 1910 to 1920.  The coins are being released from 2008 to 2010.  We have the first nine coins in the series.  Included are the Heroes of Independence Ignacio López Rayón, Francisco Xavier Mina, Mariano Matamoros and Carlos María de Bustamante. Heros of the Revolution include Álvaro Obregón, Francisco “Pancho” Villa, Ricardo Flores Magón, Heriberto Jara, and José Vasconcelos.  All coins are dated 2008, have the Mexican arms on the obverse, and are Uncirculated.

THE REST OF THE 2008 MEXICAN HEROES 5 PESOS

We now have the next four coins in the Mexican Heroes 5 Peso coin series.  This will complete the series of 13 coins for 2008.   Included are Hermenegildo Galeana, Francisco Primo de Verdad Y Ramos, Miguel Ramos Arizpe and Francisco J. Mugica.  All coins are dated 2008, have the Mexican arms on the obverse, and are Uncirculated.  We hope to have the 2009 coins soon.

GET BOTH SETS TOGETHER (C-MX-SET8 & C-MX-SET4):

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GALAPAGOS COIN SET FEATURES NATIVE WILDLIFE & BI-METALLICS

The Galapagos Islands are a small group of isolated islands in the Pacific Ocean.  They are famous for their diverse and unique wildlife.  Charles Darwin's study of the unusual wildlife found only in the Galapagos helped him develop his Theory of Evolution.  This eight coin set features some of this unique native wildlife.  The 1 Centavo pictures Darwin's Finch.  A Galapagos Sea Lion is on the 5 Centavos. A Galapagos Marine Iguana is on the 10 Centavos.  A Galapagos Shark is on the 25 Centavos. The 50 Centavos pictures a Masked Booby.  The 11-sided 1 Dolar coin pictures a Galapagos Penguin.  The bi-metallic 2 Dolares pictures a Flightless Galapagos Cormorant.  A Galapagos Tortoise is on the bi-metallic 5 Dolares. These are the first modern coins of the Galapagos, however they are not legal tender issues.  They are intended to be sold to tourists and collectors.  All coins picture the Galapagos arms on the obverse, are dated 2008 and are Uncirculated.   Only 10,000 sets were minted.

PLEASE ORDER BY DENOMINATION

Denomination	Design	Each
1 Centavo	Darwin's Finch	$3.00
5 Centavos	Galapagos Sea Lion	$3.25
10 Centavos	Galapagos Marine Iguana	$3.50
25 Centavos	Galapagos Shark	$4.00
50 Centavos	Masked Booby	$4.50
1 Dolar	Galapagos Penguin (11-sided)	$7.00
2 Dolares	Galapagos Cormorant (bi-metallic)	$8.00
5 Dolares	Galapagos Tortoise (Bi-metallic)	$9.00

WHALE ON RECTANGULAR GALAPAGOS $8 COIN

A humpback whale is pictured this rectangular 8 dollar coin from the Galapagos Islands.  The coin is the first in a series of coins issued for the isolated islands.  The reverse features the arms of the islands.  The islands are famous for their wide array of unusual wildlife. The Galapagos is a posession of Ecuador.  Since 2000 the United States dollar has been Ecuador's official currency, thus the coin is denominated in U.S. dollars.  Like most odd-ball coins, it is not meant to circulate.  The attractive and unusual coin is struck in silver-plated brass.  It has a mintage of only 3000 pieces.

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CANADA 2008 COIN SET

This seven coin set from Canada includes the regular issue coins for 2008. The unpackaged set includes the bimetallic 2 Dollar picturing a polar bear, The looney Dollar, picturing a loon on a lake, the 50 Cents showing the coat-of-arms, the 25 cents showing a caribou, the 10 cents showing the Schooner "Bluenose", the 5 cents with a beaver and the 1 Cent with maple leaves.  All coins picture Queen Elizabeth on the obverse and are Uncirculatedll coins picture the Queen on the obverse, and the new Royal Canadian Mint mintmark beneath the Queen.

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2008 CANADIAN ARMISTICE POPPY COIN

Canada issued this circulating multi-color commemorative 25 cent coin picturing a red poppy in 2008 to honor the 90th anniversary of the Armistice agreement that brought World War I to an end.  The design is similar to the famed 2004 Poppy coin, which was the world’s first circulating color coin, and which the United States Department of Defense mistook for a “nano-technology” spy coin.  The 2008 coin has different legends, and utilizes an improved technique for affixing the color.  

Click Here for Canada 2004 Poppy "spy" coin
Click Here for MONTREAL CANADIENS HOCKEY 2009 DOLLAR COIN

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FIRST COIN OF THE BRITISH ANTARCTIC TERRITORY

The British Antarctic Territory released its first coin in 2008.  It is the world's first real coin from Antarctica.  The 39mm copper-nickel 2 Pound coin commemorates the Centenary of the Granting of the Letters Patent. The Letters Patent is a legal document granted by the Monarch declaring sovereignty over the Territory.  The Territory is situated in Antarctica and lies south of latitude 60°S and between longitudes 20° and 80°W. The Territory comprises the Antarctic Peninsula with all adjacent islands, the South Orkney and South Shetland Islands and the Weddell Sea, as well as the landmass extending to the South Pole.  It is administered by the Governor of the Falkland Islands.  The obverse pictures Queen Elizabeth.  The reverse features the arms of the Territory, which includes a penguin, a British lion and a sailing ship.

TRISTAN DA CUNHA COINS FEATURE SEALIFE

Tristan da Cunha is a small, wet and windy island in the mid-Atlantic.  In 2008 Tristan da Cunha issued its first coin set. The eight coin set includes a large (38mm) copper-nickel 1 crown that depicts a pair of whales.  The bi-metallic 25 pence features a pair of bottlenose dolphins. A killer whale (Orca) is on the brass 20 pence.  A crab is on the 10 pence.  The 5 pence shows a sea turtle. A violet seasnail is on the 2 pence.  The 1 pence shows a lobster. A snipe eel is on the 1/2 Pence.  Because Tristan da Cunha is a British posession, Queen Elizabeth is on the obverse.  All eight coins are Uncirculated