Double Denominations

[<k>]

How many examples can you find of coins with double denominations? I know of two cases, and both involved decimalisation: the change from the pound sterling to an indigenous dollar.

1] New Zealand.



The word Shilling was included on the 10 cent coin to assist with the transition to decimal currency. It featured the 10c coin for the years 1967, 1968 and 1969 and was dropped in 1970. The 1968 10 cent coin was minted for collectors sets only.

2] Rhodesia. From Wikipedia:

In 1964, a series of coins was struck for the Reserve Bank of Rhodesia at the South African Mint in Pretoria. They consisted of

    * sixpence (6D) bearing a flame lily design on the reverse
    * shilling (1/-) bearing the Rhodesian shield on the reverse
    * florin (2/-) bearing the Zimbabwe Bird on the reverse
    * half crown (2/6) bearing a Sable Antelope on the reverse



These coins are interesting in two respects. First, Rhodesia was the first of two countries to utilise Arnold Machin's portrait of Queen Elizabeth II on pre-decimal coinage (the other country was The Gambia). Secondly, the coins were dual-denominated (with 5c, 10c, 20c and 25c). This was not only to familiarise the public with the decimal system, but also to allow the coins to remain legal tender after the forthcoming change over to decimal currency.

All coins had the title of Queen Elizabeth II in English, rather than in Latin, as had been the case on the coins of Rhodesia and Nyasaland and Southern Rhodesia.

[UK Decimal +]

 Check my avatar!

Bill.



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[<k>]

"One florin" and "One tenth of a pound", it says. This was meant to be an overture to decimalisation, I understand. In the event, it was a long time coming.

[Figleaf]

Not close to my books, but from memory:

• Madagascar/Malagasi has issued some coins denominated in francs and ariary
• Belgium: francs and belga
• Netherlands: gulden and cent (hard to find, only Bart and a3vi know which coins they are )
• Denmark: there's a coin on this forum denominated as a fraction of a riksdaler and speciesdaler
• Germany - Prussia: many coins in pfennig (and other denominations) and fractions of a Thaler

Peter

[andyg]

also to add Norway of 1874-1875 denominated in Ore and Skilling.

Do I have to surrender my Dutch coins to a3v1 and Bart?
Is there some sort of embargo on them?

[Figleaf]

@ Gothic florin: do you mean this sort of medal?



@ andyg: didn't know you have any Dutch coins Have you found the double denominations (it does seem so)?

Peter

[andyg]

@ andyg: didn't know you have any Dutch coins Have you found the double denominations (it does seem so)?

Peter

I'm not able to divulge that information 
I've been looking for earlier coins denominated in Stuiver and Gulden but they all seem to be one or the other...

[chrisild]

Do pseud--errm, collector coins count too? Ah, good.


(Image: Coin House Sesam)

Between 1995 and 1997, France issued several pieces with a face value in francs and an approximate value in euro, e.g. "100 FRANCS - 15 euro" or, as the depicted coin, "10 FRANCS - 1 1/2 euro".

Christian

[bart]

Don't forget Poland in the 19th century, with coins denominated in zloty and rouble (or groszy and kopek).
There are also the coins from Moldavia and Wallachia, denominated in both para and kopek.

Bart

[<k>]

So far our examples have included the following:

* Where an equivalent denomination in a different system is shown, e.g. the 10 cents / 1 shilling of New Zealand, and the Polish coins mentioned by Bart: 20 kopecks / 40 groszy.

I suppose we could subdivide this into two subcategories:

1] Denominations marking a transition in a country's currency system, e.g the transition from the pound to an indigenous dollar, or from pounds, shillings and pence to a decimal pound.

2] Denominations showing equivalents in two different co-existing systems. Again, a good example would be the Polish coins mentioned by Bart: 20 kopecks / 40 groszy.

Do we have any other categories?

[<k>]

Not close to my books, but from memory:

• Madagascar/Malagasi has issued some coins denominated in francs and ariary
• Belgium: francs and belga
• Netherlands: gulden and cent (hard to find, only Bart and a3vi know which coins they are )
• Denmark: there's a coin on this forum denominated as a fraction of a riksdaler and speciesdaler
• Germany - Prussia: many coins in pfennig (and other denominations) and fractions of a Thaler

Peter

For the franc and the ariary, see this page by our member, africancoins:

"Too many denomination names?"

http://www.wbcc.fsnet.co.uk/af-mad.htm#many


I'm not acquainted with the difference between the franc and the belga, or the two dalers. I'll have to read up on them. It would be great if somebody knowledgeable could post suitable images to illustrate Peter's list.

[Figleaf]

But where would you put the Belga coins?

Peter

[<k>]

But where would you put the Belga coins?

Peter

I don't know. Was the franc a subdivision of the belga, just as the cent is a subdivision of the dollar? Or was it an equivalent in a different, or transitory, currency system, i.e. one belga = 5 francs, but a franc was NOT part of the same system as the belga?

[a3v1]

I don't know. Was the franc a subdivision of the belga, just as the cent is a subdivision of the dollar? Or was it an equivalent in a different, or transitory, currency system, i.e. one belga = 5 francs, but a franc was NOT part of the same system as the belga?

After independence the Belgians had chosen the Belgian Franc (equivalent of the French Franc).
After a lot of devaluations both Belgian and French Francs had become mere shadows of their original values.
So the Belgians introduced the Belga, also to boost their national identity. But the idea didn't pick up and was abandoned after some time.
Regards,
a3v1
 

[<k>]

So can I assume that:

1] the franc was NOT a subdivision of the belga?

2] Five francs were merely the equivalent in value of a belga?


There is a page about it here, but it doesn't really answer those questions for me:

http://www.nbbmuseum.be/2007/03/belga.htm