An alphabet of favourite national designs

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Belize. $1, 1990. Columbus's fleet.  Another polygon - bonus!

This circulation design was adapted from a collector design, below.

See also: Numismatic heritage: commemorative designs that became standard designs.



Belize, 250 dollars, 1989.  500th anniversary of Columbus' discovery of the New World.

This was a gold coin.

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Bermuda, $60, 1996.  The Sea Venture.

With Bermuda, I am spoilt for choice. Their circulation coins are OK but do not stand out.

Therefore I have gone for this beauty of a collector coin by Robert Elderton. It's part of the "Bermuda Triangle" series. 

Benin - omitted.

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Bhutan, 25 chertum, 1979.  Golden fishes of good fortune. One of the eight revered Buddhist symbols.

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Bolivia, 5 pesos, 1976. 

The charming national emblem seems to invite you to tell a story about what is happening.

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Bosnia-Herzegovina. 500 dinara collector coin of 1994. An attractive scene.

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Botswana, 1 pula, 2013.  Zebra.

Do you know why zebras evolved stripes?

1] So that the zebras could look blurred when running, and predators would not spot them in the background.

2] They are very vain animals, and stripes make you look slimmer.

Which is correct?

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Brazil, 2000 reis, 1900.  A generic Portuguese carrack (nau) from the fleet of Pedro Alvares Cabral.

With Brazil, again you are spoilt for choice, but this one is a real beauty.

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Brunei, 50 sen, 1967.  Arms with no body. Curious.

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Bulgaria, 1 lev, 1910.

A difficult one.

Here I am forced to travel back in time over 100 years to find a decent coin design.

Nice flowers, though.

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Burma, 1 kyat, 1852.

Burma or Myanmar? Burma.

The modern country has never produced a single pretty design.

Here I must travel even further back in time to fetch this splendid peacock.

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Burundi, 5 francs, 2014.  Balaeniceps rex - Shoebill.

Attractive design. Apparently this is a circulating coin.

Not what you'd expect from a country you forgot you'd even heard of.


See: BURUNDI 5 francs circulating commemorative coins bird series.

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Cameroon, 2 franc, 1948.

A gazelle, with a plentiful assortment of vegetation as decoration.

See also: Beasts of French Africa.


Cambodia omitted.

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Canada, 5 cents.  The beaver. The design is very old now but still full of character.

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Cayman Islands, 5 cents. 

Stuart Devlin's design of a prawn follows the contours of the coin's circular shape.

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Central African Republic, 100 francs, 1971. 

Another classic design.