The obverse of this silver three cent coin contains a shield in a six pointed star with the words "United States of America" and the date surrounding the star. The reverse shows a stylized letter "C" with the Roman numeral three inside it and...
Laureate Head of Apollo, Star Below, The Abbreviated Names: A. ALB S. F. and L.METEL
In the Roman Republic, the Consul oversaw the office of minting coins. The administrative action of minting coinage was delegated to a lesser office of three men known as triumviri (or tresviri) monetales aero argento auro flando feriundo (the...
Head of Hercules Facing Right Wearing Lion's Skin, Club Below; Three Pellets Behind
This coin was minted in 132 BC by the moneyer M. Fabrinius. The quadrans was a Roman bronze coin worth 1/4 of an as, and it became the lowest valued coin in production. It was made at the beginning of the era of cast bronze coins, with three...
This aes grave quadrans was in circulation in the Roman Republic around 275 BC. It was a low-value coin that was worth 1/4 of an as, and was issued from the beginning of cast bronze coins. After approximately 90 BC, the quadrans became the lowest...
Eight Different Trigrams with corresponding Chinese character above
This Chinese bronze charm contains on the obverse eight characters, each representing a trigram which is minted underneath the character. One of the classic Chinese texts is known as the I Ching and contains a divination system which includes these...
This coin was issued around 28 BC, and commemorates Octavian's recapture of the province of Asia. Victory holding a wreath symbolizes the recent victory, and the palm she carries offers the promise of peace subsequent to victory.
Prior to 27 BC,...
Ocatvian's Bare Head, --AVGVST PONT MAX TRIBYNIC--
This bronze coin was struck by the moneyer M. Maecilius Tullus around 7 AD. On the obverse it shows a bust of Octavian, who had been proclaimed Augustus by the Senate in 27 BC. From that point on, he was no longer referred to as Octavian, but as...
This silver two mark coin was minted in Stockholm and bears a bust of a mature Charles XI. The reverse of this coin features three crowns.
Charles XI of Sweden was king from 1660 AD to his death in 1697 AD. His father died when he was about five...
This silver penny was minted in London during the reign of Edward I, "Longshanks" (1272-1307 AD). The obverse bears a crowned bust of Edward I facing forward, and the reverse bears a long cross with three pellets in each quadrant.
In 1247,...
Cross, Alternating Pellets and Crosses in the Four Quadrants of the Cross
This silver denier was produced in Normandy during the reign of William I, also known as William the Conqueror (1035-1087 AD). The obverse features a cross with alternating pellets and crosses in the four quadrants, and the reverse features three...
This bronze tetras was produced in Gela, Sicily between 420 and 405 BC. The obverse features the head of the river god with horns and a barley grain behind him. The reverse features a bull standing with three pellets below it.
The city of Gela...
Bust of Elizabeth II, ELIZABETH II to the left and D. G. REGINA to the right
In 1990, the Royal Canadian Mint made their first proof platinum set: the 1990 Polar Bear series. They had been making bullion coins since 1989 with their Maple Leaf Proof coins ranging from one ounce to 1/10 ounce in gold, silver and bullion. With...
After the Fire of 1874, the College needed to replace two-thirds of the Central Building. It was decided, rather than replicate the original design, it would be more prudent to build five separate buildings. This appeal was widely sent to alumni...
Indian Princess Head encircled with UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
The three-dollar gold piece was authorized by the Act of February 21, 1853. First struck in 1854, the coin was never popular with the general public and saw very little circulation. Today, some numismatists theorize that the $3 denomination would...
Bactria was conquered by Alexander the Great and was part of the division that went to Seleucus and the Seleucid Empire after his death. It prospered because of its fertile land which offered wealth and peace to its inhabitants. The ruler of the...
Liberty Head surrounded by thirteen stars and the date
Authorized by the Act of April 2, 1792, quarter eagles weighed 67.5 grains, 0.9167 fineness until weight was changed to 64.5 grains, fineness 0.8992, by the Act of June 28, 1834. The Act of January 18, 1837, established fineness at 0.900. Most...
Liberty Head surrounded by thirteen stars and the date
The half eagle was the first gold coin actually struck for the United States. The $5 piece was authorized to be coined by the Act of April 2, 1792 and the first type weighed 135 grains, 0.9167 fineness. The Act of June 28, 1834, changed the weight...
Indian Head, LIBERTY above, Date below, Thirteen Stars
This new type represents a departure from all precedents in United States coinage. Its design features no raised edge, and the main devices and legends are incuse - sunk below the surface of the coin. President Theodore Roosevelt took an interest...
Three major types of Pfennigs were the saechsichen edge Pfennig, the clover-sheet cross Pfennig and the ball staff cross Pfennig. Characteristic of the Pfennig is a cross surrounded by a clover-sheet-like ornament. This coin possibly came from the...
This silver cistophorus was minted between 24 and 20 BC and is one of many struck during the reign of Augustus Caesar (27 BC-14 AD). Augustus was instrumental in the Roman government’s transition from a republic to a monarchy. In addition, the...
