The world's oldest coin designs still being issued

[<k>]

French Polynesia. The designs on the 1, 2 and 5 francs originate with the set of 1949 for French Oceania, as it was then known.

The 10, 20, 50 and 100 franc designs were added in 1967. There is a clear mismatch between these styles.

[<k>]

New Caledonia. The designs on the 1, 2 and 5 francs originate from 1949.

The 10, 20, 50 and 100 franc designs were added in 1967. There is a clear mismatch between these styles.

[<k>]

Obverse designs of the predecimal Irish coinage.

Percy Metcalfe's harp of 1928 was adopted as the single design for the Irish national side on the euro.

I am not sure whether we should count this old design on a new currency.

It's a borderline situation. But I will include similar euro cases, just to please the euro fanatics on the forum.

However, I do not count this design personally, because it is a national emblem, more typical of an obverse design.

Common national design for the Irish euro.

[<k>]

Latvia's euro designs are based on its old designs of the 1920s and 1930s.

However, I do not count these as designs, personally.

With the exception of the Latvian lady, they are national emblems / coats of arms.

They are better suited to being an obverse design.

[<k>]

Lithuania's horseman on the euro coins dates from the old coins of the 1920s.

I do not count this, because it is a national emblem, more typical of an obverse design.


See:

1] Lithuanian coins of the 1920s.

2] Pre-euro to euro design continuity.

[brandm24]

The only three US coin series that I can think of, <k>, are the Lincoln Cent (1909 to present), the Roosevelt Dime (1946 to present) and the Washington Quarter (1932 to present). All had design changes to the reverse but the obverse has stayed nearly identical.

Bruce

[<k>]

Thank you, Bruce. The changes of recent years did confuse me.

[<k>]

Honduras. Of the currently still circulating coins, the designs on the 5 and 10 centavos were first used in 1931.

The portrait of Lempira on the 20 and 50 centavos coins was first used in 1978.

Boring coins, but in any case I often even forget that Honduras exists.

[<k>]

The Costa Rican coat of arms has been used on the obverse of the coins for more than a century.

However, in its current form, it seems that the earliest use was 1935.

I was specifically looking at coins whose reverse designs dated back to the 1970s or earlier, but I think I didn't make that clear.

The reverse designs of the current series date back to 1983 only, so I regard Costa Rica as a borderline case.

I would count the obverse designs only where they are all different.

[<k>]

The current designs of Suriname were introduced in 1962. They show various motifs.

See: Milestones in the coinage of Suriname.

[<k>]

Our member eurocoin sent me this complicated story:

Then there is still the Dutch 5 cent design first introduced in 1913. Used in the Netherlands until 1940. Then recycled on the 5 cent coin of Curacao from 1943. Once the Netherlands Antilles were established in 1954 (of which Curacao became part) the design was subsequently used on the Netherlands Antilles 5 cent until 1970. Then in 1989 the design made a reappearance on the 5 cent, 10 cent, 25 cent and 50 cent coins of the Netherlands Antilles.

 It will in the future continue to be used on these denominations on the coins of the Caribbean Guilder, a currency area of the independent constituent countries of Curacao and Sint Maarten.

In this case, I am really not sure what to think.

[<k>]

Comoros.

According to Wikipedia: The 1-, 2-, 5- and 10-franc coins are rarely used because of their low value.



The 50 francs coin was introduced in 1975.



The 100 francs coin was introduced in 1977.



The 25 francs coin was not introduced until 1982.

See: Coinage of Comoros since 1964.

[<k>]

So what can we conclude?

Switzerland's coins are definitely the oldest. Most of the obverse and reverse designs stem from the 1850s, 1860s and 1870s. The 5 francs shepherd design alone dates from 1922 and doesn't really fit. Otherwise the set still has a fine unity of style. No need to update it.

The USA's oldest current obverse design dates from 1909, but the others are from later decades. For me, the presidents are looking a bit tired. Time to replace them, I think - but with what?

Honduras is next, with boring wreath designs from 1931, while the ugly Lempira design dates from 1978. It is a boring set, with no unity of style. Perhaps it needs a new set, but I wonder whether it even deserves to be a country.

Mauritius now has only the plain 5 and 10 cents and the beautiful deer from 1934. The other designs date from the 1980s. The designs blend together reasonably enough.

Canada still has its 5, 10 and 25 cents from 1937. These are attractive designs, and Canada has added its later designs to fit. The set still works well.

Djibouti has designs from 1948, the early 1950s, and 1970. These designs do not gel. The country needs a new design series.

Guatemala's designs date from 1949, but it reworks the same designs every now and then, and the set still looks attractive.

French Polynesia and New Caledonia have sets with half their designs from 1949 and half from 1967. The styles do not gel. New sets are needed.

[<k>]

The designs of the East Caribbean States date from 1955. They are rather boring and old-fashioned. Time for a new series.

Kuwait's designs stem from 1962 - same obverse, similar reverse. A new series is desperately needed.

Suriname has motifs from 1963, but they are rather tired now. New series, please!

Madagascar has some attractive if old-fashioned designs. Some are from the 1960s, others from the 1970s, and without any unity of style. A new series is needed.

Most of Australia's designs stem from 1966/1969, but they still gel well.

New Zealand has a fine set, and a single design from 1967, which still works well with the more modern designs.

Most of Fiji's designs on the reverse of the coins date from 1969 and one from 1975, but they still work well, and the various wildlife designs on the obverse date from 2012 are beautiful.

[<k>]

A surprising number of countries have sets where most of the designs remain unchanged since the 1970s.

Belize has a very plain and boring set. It definitely needs an update.

Barbados, Bermuda, the Cayman Islands, and UAE have attractive designs that gel, but they are looking tired. Time for an update?

Gambia's designs look fine, but the set is due to disappear into the Eco.

Ethiopia's rather communist looking designs of 1977 now look very dated.

The Falkland Islands set is being updated, but not radically enough. New subjects are needed.

PNG's set is mostly from 1975. Nice designs, but time for something more modern?

Comoros has some designs from the 1970s, some from the 1980s. They do not gel at all. A new set with a uniformity of style is needed.

Botswana, Malawi and Lesotho have incorporated 1970s designs with more recent designs that gel together well. No change needed.

Swaziland / Eswatiini has largely retained its old attractive designs. They still look good. The same goes for the Cook Islands and the Solomon Islands.

I think that covers everything.

See also: Circulation sets with poorly unified design.