Comments on “Thematic sets from the 1920s to date”

[<k>]

Well, there's a strange thing: I can't find an eligible set for 1978. Have I missed something?

Mostly I sit at my PC and search the net for decent images for this topic. It's less trouble than hefting out my albums and doing a scan. And in any case my scans are not great - you can see them in the Rhodesia 1975 post. It's much better to find a nice image online, whether a scan or a photograph.

Some sets are not well photographed online, though. I wanted to show a 1976 Seychelles set but had to make do with a 1977 set instead. The 1976 set seems scarce now. I have uncirculated sets of 1976, 1977 and 1981/2, but then again, I didn't really want to heft 1976 out, just to make some ugly scan of it.

In general the availability of superb images has increased enormously, even, I would say, just in the past couple of years. The internet is still in its relative infancy, of course.

[chrisild]

Well, there's a strange thing: I can't find an eligible set for 1978. Have I missed something?

Don't think so, but I am not sure. Afghanistan issued a new set in 1978 ("Democratic Republic" instead of "Republic"), but theme wise that does not qualify ...

Christian

[chrisild]

Finland issued a 10 markkaa coin for circulation in 1993, finishing a new wildlife design series that it had started in 1990.

The Schön catalog, by the way, lists four coins from that series as "Seasons" issues:
Seasons (1) Spring - 10 penniä (first issued in 1990)
Seasons (2) Winter - 50 penniä (f.i. 1990)
Seasons (3) Summer - 5 markkaa (f.i. 1992)
Seasons (4) Fall - 10 markkaa (f.i. 1993)

What is a little strange is that this would leave the 1 markka coin out (which has a somewhat different design). Side note: In 1983 Finland started using both Finnish and Swedish for the denominations. These coins were the first circulation coins to reflect that change.

Christian

[<k>]

The Schön catalog, by the way, lists four coins from that series as "Seasons" issues:
Seasons (1) Spring - 10 penniä (first issued in 1990)
Seasons (2) Winter - 50 penniä (f.i. 1990)
Seasons (3) Summer - 5 markkaa (f.i. 1992)
Seasons (4) Fall - 10 markkaa (f.i. 1993)

What is a little strange is that this would leave the 1 markka coin out (which has a somewhat different design).

Christian

That's because there are only four seasons in Finland, Christian. 

[Figleaf]

Indeed. <k>, as opposed to NW Europe (that includes the UK), where you have only two. A three months winter and 9 months of autumn.

Peter

[<k>]

I can’t find any thematic set that was issued in 1995. There was still a lot going on in 1995:

1] Croatia and Macedonia issued 50th anniversary FAO versions of some of their circulation coins.

2] Fiji issued a circulation dollar coin.

3] Haiti issued two higher denomination coins:

1  gourde.    Citadel of Saint-Christophe.
5  gourdes.  Four native politicians: Toussaint L'Ouverture, Christophe, Dessalines, Pétion Sabès.

4] Iceland issued a 100 kronur circulation coin, showing a lumpfish.

5] Malawi put the effigy of the new president on its coins and replaced the cockerel on the 1 tambala coin with two tilapia fish.

6] The Maldives issued a 2  rufiyaa circulation coin, showing a conch shell.

7] The United Arab Emirates reduced the size of their 50 fils and 1 dirham coin, and did the same to the 5 fils and 10 fils the following year.

And of course there were all sorts of collector coins commemorating 50 years of the UN and the FAO programme.

[<k>]

Jamaica from roughly 1990 onwards is another messy one. Hard to decide where the new national heroes series begins or ends. It looks as if some of the denominations went through 3 formats in the space of a very few years. How easy to find are the 50c variations, andyg? I wonder if the coin is actually used much there - or ever was. The Norman Manley portrait always reminds me of the cretinous features of that genetic thug, the late Ronnie Biggs, English train robber ("The Great Train Robbery"). In fact, the real Norman Manley looked nothing like him in real life.

I've missed out 2 or 3 sets that I wanted to include, so I'll go back and insert them eventually. Then I'll also make sure to put the countries in alphabetical order within year.

So, I've made it to the 21st century - not far to go then. I couldn't find anything for 1999.

I've learnt one or two things along the way. Hadn't realised that the Sao Tome 1997 species were described in the German catalogue, though it was the Royal Mint who told me some years ago that the coins were designed by Robert Elderton.

[chrisild]

So, I've made it to the 21st century - not far to go then. I couldn't find anything for 1999.

Ah, but I already mentioned elsewhere that you could be flexible when it comes to the euro and cent coins. In several countries the dates start with 1999, as that is when the euro was created. Granted, they were not available to the general public until mid-December 2001 ...

Christian

[<k>]

Ah, but I already mentioned elsewhere that you could be flexible when it comes to the euro and cent coins. In several countries the dates start with 1999, as that is when the euro was created. Granted, they were not available to the general public until mid-December 2001 ...

Christian

And most are dated 2002, so let's be REALISTIC, Christian.   

[chrisild]

"Most" is right. In terms of countries, of the eleven member states that introduced the euro in '99, five (BE, ES, FI, FR, NL) picked 1999 while six (AT, DE, IE, IT, LU, PT) picked 2002. I was trying to be helpful, as you wrote you had not found any 1999 sets so far.

Christian

[<k>]

I was trying to be helpful, as you wrote you had not found any 1999 sets so far.

Christian

Fair enough!    But I want to keep this topic practical, i.e. a year should entail the actual circulation of the coins I mention - that's all.    If we can't find any that truly fit the bill, then that's how it was, so I'll just have to accept that. 

[<k>]

I have conflicting info on the Sudan set dated 2006. Some reports say it wasn't issued until 2007. Who knows the answer?

[chrisild]

I do not but have a suspicion.   The coins are dated 2006, but the currency reform was in January 2007. Also, the Schön catalog says, below the 50 piastres coin, "issued June 2007". Whether that applies to that piece only, or to the lower denominations too, I don't know.

Christian

[<k>]

At last I have got up to 2012. However, I have missed some sets along the way, so at some point I will backtrack and place these extra sets in the correct chronological order.

[chrisild]

Where's that "Like" button when one needs it ...

Christian