The world's oldest coin designs still being issued

[Pabitra]

The current circulation coin series which have been issued in piece meal fashion and should go for total redesign are, IMHO, are Israel and Pakistan.

[<k>]

Pakistan's current designs date from 1998 at the oldest. Israel's coins date from 1985, the 1990s, and this century. So in terms of age they do not fit this topic.

[<k>]

Cuba. The designs of the lower denominations date from 1915!

A new design series is desperately needed.

[<k>]

That just leaves South Korea to look at, I believe. Or do you know of any more sets with designs from the 1970s or older?

[Big_M]

That just leaves South Korea to look at, I believe. Or do you know of any more sets with designs from the 1970s or older?

West Africa BCEAO:

https://www.bceao.int/fr/content/pieces-en-circulation

100 Francs from 1967 (last released in 2019)
50 Francs from 1972 (last released in 2019)

5 Francs, the design is from 1957 (for French West Africa + Togo) first released in 1960, last released in 2018.

1 Franc from 1976 (last released in 2011)

10 and 25 Francs bear FAO themes introduced in the 80s

[<k>]

West African States.

And here they are.

Yes, they are old and boring. Time for a change.

See also: Beasts of French Africa.

[quaziright]

Sri Lanka just introduced a design change to their coinage in 2017. Else they were using the same reverse design since the late 60s for some if not all of their denominations

[<k>]

That's disgraceful. I think Sri and Lanka should be split into two different countries, then we'll get two new coin sets. 

[<k>]

Tunisia. The lower denominations seen here are still in circulation, and their original designs all date from the 1960s.

These are surely the ugliest and most boring designs in the world now.

Even Saudi Arabia has adopted some modern designs with portraits. How long can Tunisia resist change?

[<k>]

Tunisia.

The two denominations seen above left date from the 1970s.

[<k>]

In 2013 Tunisia did introduce a very attractive 2 dinar coin.

However, it was issued alongside an ugly 200 milliemes coin with a design taken from the 1960s.

[<k>]

Bernardo O'Higgins first appeared on Chile's coins in 1942.




A similar portrait from 1957. And there were more variations in the 1970s.

See: Bernardo O'Higgins, national hero of Chile.




Four of the modern series of circulating coins in Chile feature that portrait of O'Higgins.

It's time for a change. Very few Latin American countries feature old military heroes these days.

[chrisild]

Cuba. The designs of the lower denominations date from 1915! A new design series is desperately needed.

The setup is somewhat strange too – 1, 2, 5, 20 centavos, and 1 peso. No 0.10 or 0.50 coins? Oh well. Yes, the designs are old, but the convertible peso coins look better.

(Kind of strange, by the way, that the 5 centavos coin in the set you show here still had the old "patria y libertad" motto. That was changed to the usual "patria o muerte" a few years ago. Ha, there you have some change!  )

Christian

[Offa]

The oldest continuously used design has to be Switzerland

[<k>]

Most of South Korea's current coin design themes date back to 1959 (rose of Sharon, turtle ship), the 1960s (Bulguksa Temple), the 1970s (rice plant, Yi Sun-sin - naval commander) and the early 1980s (Manchurian crane bird). Time for a change, I think.

See: Coinage of South Korea.