james's blog
Vilnius Cathedral Lithuania
Vilnius Cathedral is the main Roman Catholic Cathedral of Lithuania. It is situated in Vilnius' Old Town, just off the Cathedral Square. It is the heart of Lithuania's spiritual life.
Lithuania (2003) 50 Litas (back) - Vilnius Cathedral
Peace Dollar - Not So Peaceful When First Launched?
This is the US 'Peace Dollar' coin issued sometime between 1921-1928 to coincide with the end of World War 1. At the bottom of coin reverse is the word 'PEACE'. The reverse also has a bald eagle standing on the olive branch (symbol of peace). But when first released the front of coin drew much criticism. Guess why?
Peace Dollar (front) - Lady Liberty
It was because of the open-mouthed Lady Liberty and the Latinized spelling of "trust."
Do You Know The Highest Valued Currency In The World?
The highest valued currency unit is the currency in which a single unit buys the highest number of any given other currency or the largest amount of a given good. Currently this is the Kuwaiti Dinar ( 1 KWD = 3.74 USD)
Kuwait (2001) 1 Dinar (front)
Most commonly the calculation is made against a major reserve currency such as the euro (EUR), the pound sterling (GBP) or the United States dollar (USD).
Azerbaijan's Maiden Tower In Baku
Azerbaijan's Maiden Tower is a tower in Old City, old town Baku, originally on the shore of the Caspian Sea. Due to land reclamation in the early 20th century the tower is now separated from the Caspian by a busy main road and public gardens.
Azerbaijan (1993) 100 Manat (front) - the Maiden Tower in Baku, Azerbaijan
Angola's Kwanza Currency
Angola is a country in south-central Africa. It is a former Portuguese colony, has natural resources such as oil and diamonds. Currency of Angola is the Kwamza.
Angola (2004) 500 Kwanzas (front)
Forex 1 USD = 75 AOA (Angola Kwanza) Bloomberg 04 may 2008
Angola (2004) 500 Kwanzas (front)
Founder of the Saxophone - Belgium's Adolphe Sax
Belgium's 200 Franc (before Euro) featured Adolphe Sax, founder of the saxophone, the instrument which took after his name, sometime in 1840s.
Belgium (front) - 1995 200 Franc - portrait of Adolphe Sax
Quote Wikipedia "The period around 1840 saw Sax inventing the clarinette-bourdon, an early (and unsuccessful) design of contrabass clarinet. Most significantly, at this time he developed the instrument for which he is now best known, the saxophone, patented in 1846.....
China's Ancient Money - Jiao Zi 交子 And Hui Zi 会子
China was the first country in the world to use paper money.
 China - Jiao Zi |
 China - Hui Zhi |
The history of Jiaozi dates back to the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127).
Jason Islands Banknotes 1979
In March 1970, Jason Islands part of the Falkland Islands were bought by Len Hill. Around 1979 Len once issued banknotes in name of 'Jason Islands' to funds for conservation. The notes have validity to 31 Dec 1979 and by "Len Hill - Administrator".
Jason Islands (1979) 20 Pounds
(Images: courtesy Ron Wise World of Banknotes.)
Ever Wondered Who Provides The Inks For Printing Banknotes?
It seems the printing of banknotes is very secretive as the title of 2 books suggest (1) Bender, Klaus: Moneymakers. The Secret World of Banknote Printing and (2) Terry Bloom: The Brotherhood of Money. The Secret World of Banknote Printers. Just google and you can get them from Amazon.
The "leading global provider of security inks.. for most of the world's banknotes..." is SICPA, a Switzerland company run by the Amon family.
Lari Is The Currency Of Georgia
The lari is the currency of Georgia. It is divided into 100 tetri. The name lari is an old Georgian word denoting a hoard, property, while tetri is an old Georgian monetary term used from the thirteenth century.
 Front : Georgia (2002) 2 Lari |
 Back : Georgia (2002) 2 Lari |