Thematic sets from the 1920s to date

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1992.

Iran released a new design series, highlighting the country's religious buildings and monuments.

See also: Iran: architecture on coins.




5     rials.  The tomb of Hafez in the Musalla gardens, Shiraz.
10   rials.  The tomb of the poet Ferdowis, Tus, Iran.
50   rials.  The shrine of Hazrat Masumeh, Qom.
100 rials.  The shrine of Imam Reza, Mashhad, Iran.

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1992.

Slovenia broke away from communist Yugoslavia in 1989. It issued its first independent coinage in 1992,

The tolar was divided into 100 stotinov.

The 10 stotinov coin depicted an olm, the only salamander design to be found on any circulation coin.

See also: Slovenia: post-Yugoslav coinage.




10 stotinov.  Olm. A blind, cave-dwelling salamander.
20 stotinov.  Long-eared owl.
50 stotinov.  Honey bee.
1   tolar.        Brown trout.
2   tolar.        Barn swallow.
5   tolar.        Ibex.                   

Designers: Miljenko Licul and Zvone Kosovelj.

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1992.

Zambia added some denominations to its coinage in 1992 and reduced the size of some others, producing a superb new wildlife set in the process.

See: Zambia.




25 ngwee.   Trumpeter hornbill.
50 ngwee.   Kafue lechwe.
1   kwacha.  African fish eagles.
5   kwacha.  Sable antelope.
10 kwacha.  Black rhinoceros.

Common obverse: Coat of arms.

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1993.

Brazil reformed its currency and adopted the cruzeiro real.  A new set of four coins was issued, depicting Brazilian wildlife.




5      cruzeiros reais.  Two macaws.
10    cruzeiros reais.  Giant anteater.
50    cruzeiros reais.  Jaguar and cub.
100  cruzeiros reais.  Maned wolf.

Designer: Gloria Dias.

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1993.

The Czech Republic became independent on 1 January 1993, after the dissolution of Czechoslovakia.

Each of the obverse designs of its coin series featured a slightly different heraldic lion.

See: Coinage of the Czech Republic.




10 haleru.  Stylised water level.           
20 haleru.  Stylised leaf within value.
50 haleru.  Value.                                           
1  koruna.  St. Wenceslas Crown.               
2  koruny.  Great Moravian button-jewel.         
5  korun.    Charles Bridge, River Vltava.         
10 korun.  Brno Cathedral.                           
20 korun.  St. Wenceslas monument, Prague. 
50 korun.  View of Prague. Bimetallic.       

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1993.

Finland issued a 10 markkaa coin for circulation. This completed a new wildlife design series that had started in 1990.

The designs were in low relief but had a certain charm.

See also: Finland: Wildlife series of the 1990s.




10 penniä.    Lily-of-the-valley: National flower.                   Rev: Honeycomb design.
50 penniä.    Brown bear.                                                   Rev: Haircap moss.
1   markka.   Lion rampant, national symbol.                       Rev: Ornaments.
5   markkaa. Saimaa ringed seal.  Seagull in background.     Rev: Waterlily and dragonfly.
10 markkaa. Capercaillie.                                                   Rev: Fruit and leaves of the rowan tree.

Designer: Antti Neuvonen.

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1993.

Georgia gained its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. It issued a circulation coinage in 1993.

It was an interesting set, whose designs drew on Georgia's cultural history and its Christianity.

See also: Georgia: post-Soviet independence coinage.




1   tetri.  Grapes.                     Svetitskhoveli cathedral detail.
2   tetri.  Peacock.                    Svetitskhoveli cathedral detail.
5   tetri.  Gold lion statuette.     From Alazani valley circa 2000 BC.
10 tetri.  Priest sitting on lion.   From icon in the Gelati Cathedral.
20 tetri.  Red deer.                  From painting by artist Pirosmani.
50 tetri.  Griffin.                        From Samtavisi Cathedral façade.

Designers of common obverse (the Borjgali, a Georgian sun symbol): Nodar and Bachana Malazonia.

Reverse designs by  famous Georgian sculptor and painter, Elguja Amashukeli.

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1993.

Indonesia released a new series of coins in 1991, and in 1993 it added a 1000 rupiah coin to the set.

See also: Indonesia: coins of the 1990s.













1993. 25     rupiah.  Nutmeg.
1991. 50     rupiah.  Komodo lizard.
1991. 100   rupiah.  Men cow-racing.
1991. 500   rupiah.  Stick of jasmine.
1992. 1000 rupiah.  Palm tree.

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1993.

Macao put the finishing touches to a new design series in 1993. Unlike in Hong Kong, the same designs still circulated after the return to China.

See also: The modern coinage of Macao.




10 avos.        The Lion Dance.
20 avos.        The Dragon Boat.
50 avos.        The Dragon Dance.
1   pataca.     The Guia Fortress and the Chapel of our Lady of Guia.
5  patacas.    The Ruins of St. Paul's Cathedral, Chinese Junk.

Designer: Justino Lei.

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1993.

Macedonia declared its independence from Yugoslavia in 1991 and was recognised by the United Nations in 1993, the same year that it issued its first national coinage. The coin designs featured wildlife, and some of them were amended slightly, in 1995 only, in order to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Food and Agricultural Organisation.

See also: Coinage of North Macedonia.




50 deni.    Black-headed gull.
1  denar.  Sharplaninec: Macedonian shepherd dog.
2  denari.  Ohrid trout, only found in Lake Ohrid.
5  denari.  Lynx.

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1993.

Namibia became independent from South Africa in 1990. Its first national coinage, issued in 1993, depicted birds and trees. Unusually, the set does not include a 20 cents coin.

The Mint of Finland produced the coins. Jukka Uusitalo of Finland, who was a student at the time, designed the reverse of the 5, 10 and 50 cents. Jukka told me by email that a fellow student had produced some bird designs, but the Namibians used the bird designs of a South African artist, Bernard Sargent, instead. The Mint of Finland produced the coat of arms design for the obverse of the coins.

See also: The coinage of Namibia.




5   cents.    Aloe (Aloe littoralis).
10 cents.    Camelthorn tree (Acacia eriolaba).
50 cents.    Quiver tree (Aloe dichotoma).
1   dollar.    Bataleur eagle (Terathopius ecaudatus).
5   dollars.  African fish eagle (Haliaeetus vocifer).

Common obverse: Coat of arms.

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1993.

Slovakia issued a national coinage. Czechoslovakia had had its "Velvet Revolution" in 1989, and then in 1993 came the "Velvet Divorce" between Slovakia and Czechia: the two countries became independent in the same year. The new Slovakian coinage formed an attractive set, with a style all of its own.
See also:

Slovakia: Two states, three coinages.

Slovakia's first post-communist coin series.




10 halierov.  Bell-tower from the Zemplín region.
20 halierov.  Mount Kriván.
50 halierov.  Devín Castle.   Cupro-nickel.
50 halierov.  Devín Castle.   Copper-plated steel.  Reduced size.
1   koruna.    Madonna of Kremnica.
2   koruny.    The Venus sculpture from Nitra redoubt.
5   korun.      Biatec on horseback. Ancient Celtic Prince, named on the earliest Bratislavan coins.
10 korun.      Cross of Moravia Magna.

Designer: Drahomir Zobek.

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1994.

Cape Verde issued no fewer than three new circulating series in 1994, a unique event in numismatic history.

The 100 escudos coin in each series also came in two versions: a copper-nickel centre in a brass ring, and a copper-nickel centre in a bronze ring.

The series illustrated here is devoted to birds, apart from the 1 escudo coin, which depicts a turtle.

See also: Modern coinage of Cabo Verde (Cape Verde).




1     escudo.   Green turtle.
5     escudos.  Osprey.
10   escudos.  Grey-headed kingfisher.
20   escudos.  Brown booby.
50   escudos.  Sparrow.
100 escudos.  Raza Island lark.

Designer: Mr Kiki Lima of Cape Verde.

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1994.

This is the floral series issued by Cape Verde, which did not include a 1 escudo coin.

Like the other series, the 100 escudos bimetallic coins came in two versions (not illustrated).

See also: Modern coinage of Cabo Verde (Cape Verde).



5     escudos.  Campanula jacobaea Webb.
10   escudos.  Echium stenosiphon.
20   escudos.  Limonium braunii Bolle.
50   escudos.  Asteriscus vogelli (Webb) Walp.
100 escudos.  Aeonium gorgoneum J. A. Schmidt.

Designer: Mr Kiki Lima of Cape Verde.

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1994.

Like the floral series, Cape Verde's ship series did not include a 1 escudo coin.

As in the other two series, the bimetallic 100 escudos coin came in two versions (not illustrated).

See also: Modern coinage of Cabo Verde (Cape Verde).



5    escudos.  Belmira.
10  escudos.  Carvalho.
20  escudos.  Novas de Alegria.
50  escudos.  Senhor das Areías.
100 escudos.  Madalan.

Designer: Mr Kiki Lima of Cape Verde.