Seasoned coin collector, novice numismatist, or just curious, do you know these ten historic collectable coins?
The Lion’s Head Coin
It is one of the very first coins in history: the coin with one or more lion’s heads was minted in Sardis, an ancient city of Asia Minor and capital of Lydia, between 610 and 560 before Jesus Christ. It was King Alyattès who gave the order to issue these coins made of electrum, a mixture of gold and silver. The lion was his emblem!
The Napoleon 20 Francs
This coin was first minted in 1803. It has the particularity of containing 5.8 grams of pure gold. The Napoleon gold coins will be minted until 1914. They do not necessarily represent Napoleon Bonaparte, but the most popular are those bearing the Marianne Coq or a portrait of Napoleon III.
Marie-Thérèse’s Thaler
This coin comes from Austria and was first minted in 1741. It represents Maria Theresa 1st, Archduchess of Austria and Queen of Hungary. It made history because it ranked as one of the first international currencies. In this case, this coin has no face value but was used for trade, especially in the Spanish and English colonies.
The 10 Louis D’or Coin
It is one of the largest French gold collectable coins. It measures 50mm and weighs 57 grams. French engraver and sculptor – Jean Varin carried out its engraving and features Louis XIII, King of France. A specimen from 1640 was sold at auction for almost 300,000 euros, a record for a French coin!
Brasher Doubloon
Like the Liberty Head, the Brasher Doubloon is a benchmark in numismatics in the United States. It was Ephraim Brasher, a goldsmith, who decided to have this coin minted privately in 1787. It also bears his initials, EB, on an eagle.
Final Words
This is the list of top 10 historic coins that every history and coin collectible lover should know.
