Don't Forget About the Indians

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Recently I've been getting a lot of foreign money, most from Canada. This one came to me via the change from a clothing store. They must have thought it was a quarter because it is very weakly pressed that at the right angle most of design is barely visible.

Yes those are wheat stalks on the back, very reminiscent of the U.S. wheat cent. On the front are the Ashoka lion and Ashoka Chakra all symbols of the once emperor Ashoka the Great who is now 2241 years dead. Anyone taking an ancient Asian history class or history of art class is bound to run into this topic.

Back to the coin it has a mintmark under the date. The dot.
This means it is from the Noida (N) mint.

Other mints are:

• B - Mumbai (Bombay), proof issues only
• (B) - Mumbai (Bombay), a diamond
• (C) - Calcutta, no mint mark
• (H) - Hyderabad, a star (1963-- )
• M - Mumbai (Bombay), proof only after 1996
• (T) - Taegu (Korea), a star below first or last date digit
  

At the end the type of mintmark adds little to no extra value as the amount of coins made are always high. Also the exact production figures are not easy to find so it is assumed to be high.

Here's the stats...
Type/Country: 1 Rupee / India
Year: 2001 (N)
Mintage: Not yet known.
Metal: 100% Stainless Steel
Value: $0.15 in VF(this one is lower)

I suspected this may be a cast fake, as fake coins are common outside the U.S., but it weighs 4.85 grams and is magnetic so I will assume it is real just weakly struck.

Do you have a coin from India and want to know its value? Leave a comment/question and I will do my best to find out the price and history for you.

It's Something Like Deja Vu

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On this Thanksgiving I'm thankful for family and friends and this wee rest period before finals.

Still busy, still trying to post more consistently, and still trying to make change as much as possible.

A Canadian and American nickel and dime from Ireland, 10 Euro cents if you want to be precise.

To make this boring shot more lively I tried to use the scanners enhancement features. I think they got overexposed. Not much of problem as many homes on turkey day will deal with overcooked items.

Again nothing too special about each coin...serious deja vu.

Here's the stats...
Type/Country: 5 Cents / Canada
Year: 1985
Mintage: 126,618,000
Metal: 75% Copper, 25% Nickel
Value: $0.05

Type/Country: 5 Cents / United States of America
Year: 1958 D
Mintage: 168,249,120
Metal: 75% copper 25% nickel
Value: $0.05

Type/Country: 10 Euro Cent / Ireland
Year: 2002
Mintage: 275,913,000
Metal: Aluminum-Bronze
Value: $0.15

Still not one 2009 dime or nickel.

Do you have any coin and want to know its value? Leave a comment/question and I will do my best to find out the price and history for you.

Volunteer or Else

Do you have a Canadian dime and want to know its value? Leave a comment

If I had any spare time would I volunteer? Well luckily I found this coin instead so I will not be answering that question.

This is actually the sixth time I found this particular Canadian dime and also the least shiny of all of them. When I first found one back in 2001 I was amazed with the quality. It has all the luster of a proof coin yet it was in circulation. Quickly I found a few more all equally proof-like.

Every world coin book I read gave conflicting information about these coins. Some said they were limited, others claim they were only made in proof, and most just overlooked that type.

Thanks to the Charlton Standard Catalogue of Canadian Coins I know the story.

This is an International Year of the Volunteer design on a dime. Made from Multi-Ply plated steel it was made to commemorate the 7.5 million Canadian volunteers who work towards making Canada a better place for all. (Of course I'm quoting the book.)

The reverse has three figures, which look all like women to me, and a radiant sun. The banner says YEAR OF VOLUNTEERS ♦ ANNEES DES BENEVOLES. They were issued for circulation but made with a higher quality, also in silver, and in proof.

Here's the stats...
Type/Country: 10 Cents / Canada
Year: 2001 P (Non-Proof)
Mintage: 224,714,000
Metal: 92% Steel, 5.5% Copper, 2.5% Nickel (Pictured on a magnet)
Value: $0.10 in G-4

I'm guessing if more people volunteered they might have gotten a special quarter or dollar.

Update: Interesting link from Coins and Canada that shows some die clash varieties. Thanks to LIghtw4re.

Do you have any Canadian coin and want to know its value? Leave a comment/question and I will do my best to find out the price and history for you.