Foreign coins

Ancient Chinese "cash" coin Americans, when asked about coins with holes in them, probably picture the old Chinese "cash" coins which are featured so prominently in Chinese-style decor. These coins had a square-shaped hole in the center, with Chinese characters around it. The United States has never had a coin with a hole in it, so it's not something we're used to seeing. Plenty of other countries, however, have had one or more of this type of coin (known as "holed coins" or "holey coins")…

In the United States, our smallest circulating coin is the dime (10 cents). Its diameter is 18mm (a little less than 3/4 of an inch), which is only 1mm smaller than the penny (1 cent). The size difference is not easily noticed, which is why the dime is a different color (silver) and has a reeded edge to make the 2 coins more distinguishable. While the dime seems pretty small, there have been plenty of modern world coins which are even smaller. The main reason to mint a small coin is, of…

MANY of our purses and wallets will be heavy with change and small value coins – but could your wallet be hiding a hidden gem? Back in 2009, the Royal Mint accidentally issued up to 200,000 20p coi…

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Foreign mints which have minted coins for India and identification of their mint marks: To suppleme...

A scallop-edged coin from the Bahamas Despite what we are used to here in the United States, coins do not have to be round to be minted and spent. I've previously discussed square coins, but an even more common shape is the scalloped coin, which has a wavy edge that goes all the way around the coin. The name comes from the distinctive wavy shell of the scallop, a sea mollusk similar to a clam. This coin shape may also be referred to as wavy-edged, flower shaped, or sun shaped. Coins with 8…

For the best shot at cashing in foreign coins, exchange them in their country before returning home. Airport shops, banks and hotels may accept foreign coins.