Commemorative coin designs consisting entirely of text

[<k>]

Many circulation coin designs consist of text only, on the obverse or reverse or both. However, most commemorative coin designs only rarely consist entirely of text. There are many commemorative coin designs that consist entirely of artistic text, and some of them even form pictures with text.

This topic, however, is concerned only with those commemorative coin designs (on the obverse or reverse or both) that consist entirely of text, without any pictorial elements. Artistic forms of text and handwriting also fit in this topic.

 

[<k>]

Belize, 5 cents, 1981.  World Food Day.

[<k>]

Belize, 25 cents, 1985.  World Forestry Congress.

[<k>]

In 2005 the UK issued a 50 pence coin to commemorate the 250th anniversary of Samuel Johnson's "A Dictionary of the English Language". It used only text, skilfully arranged.

[Henk]

Example from the Netherlands. 2 1/2 Gulden coin commemorating the "Unie van Utrecht" in 1979.

[<k>]

UK, 2 pounds, 2011.  400th anniversary of the publication of King James' Bible.



That is how the text appeared in books of the day, so I regard it as regular text for its time and not deliberately artistic.

[andyg]

Is that the only coin with printing blocks on it?

[chrisild]

Two "text only" sides from Germany. The first one is a 10 DM coin from 1999 that commemorates the 50th anniversary of the federal constitution. Its outer circle mentions the occasion, the inner circle has the date, and in between you see a "spiral" of quotes from the constitution.

Christian

[chrisild]

The second one is about the enlargement of the European Union in 2004, as the outer text circle says. In the six other circles, the dates separate the country names. The chronology starts with the Schuman Plan (1950) and ends with the countries that became member states in 2004. Whether the design reminds you of how seats in a parliament may be arranged, or of a tree's growth rings, is up to you.

Christian

[chrisild]

This year such designs seem to be popular. I just made a post about a Portuguese €2 coin here, and the UK coins about Frankenstein and the 1918 Armistice are basically text only too.

Ten years ago France issued a €2 commem dedicated to the EU Presidency (image link: ECB). The obverse was designed by Philippe Starck but somehow lacks the "elegance" of his Ultime Franc piece.

Christian

[<k>]

This year such designs seem to be popular. I just made a post about a Portuguese €2 coin here, and the UK coins about Frankenstein and the 1918 Armistice are basically text only too.

Yes, all rather lazy. The eurozone deserves to be thrown out of the EU for that, IMO.

 

[chrisild]

Is that the only coin with printing blocks on it?

Could quite possibly be. Germany has issued coins that commemorate Johannes Gutenberg, but without letters, and Austria has issued two 500 schilling coins (1982 and 1998) dedicated to printing, but without movable type printing blocks. China made two 5 yuan coins about printing, in 1988 (movable types) and in 1995 (printers at work) but again I do not recognize printing blocks there.

Christian

[<k>]

Is that the only coin with printing blocks on it?

I missed that question, but chrisild picked it up. Do you want to put it in "one of a kind" ?

[<k>]

I am now allowing artistic text, but not text that forms a picture.

[<k>]

UK, 2 pounds, 2018. 

Bicentenary of the publication of "Frankenstein", by Mary Shelley.