Thematic sets from the 1920s to date

[<k>]

1972.

The Cook Islands, a self-governing territory of New Zealand, released its own coinage in 1972. The currency ran into trouble in the 1990s, and the islanders now use the New Zealand dollar. Tangaroa, the islanders' god of creation, who is depicted on the reverse of the dollar, is famously both male and female: notice the pregnant belly.

See also: Coinage of the Cook Islands.




1c.   Taro leaf.
2c.   Pineapples.
5c.   Hibiscus.
10c.  Oranges and leaf cluster.
20c.  Fairylake swallow.
50c.  Bonito fish.
$1.   Tangaroa, Polynesian God of Creation.

Designer: James Berry.

[<k>]

1972.

Malta became independent from Britain in 1964 and issued a national coinage in 1972.

The designs were beautiful, stylish, original and varied. The series was replaced in 1986.

See also: Malta's pre-euro coinage, 1972-2007.




2   mils.     Maltese Cross.
3   mils.     Bee and honey comb.
5   mils.     Earthen lampstand.
1   cent.    George Cross.
2   cents.  Penthesilea, Queen of the Amazons.
5   cents.  Floral altar in the Temple of Hagar Qim.
10 cents.  Barge of the Grand Master.
50 cents.  Great Siege Monument, portraying three deities.

Designer: Christopher Ironside.

[<k>]

1973.

Barbados became independent in 1966 but retained Queen Elizabeth II as its head of state.

It introduced its own coinage in 1973 but has never issued a 50 cents coin.

See also: Coinage of Barbados.




1c.    Broken trident.
5c.    South Point Lighthouse.
10c.  Bonaparte tern.
25c.  Morgan Lewis sugar mill.
$1.    Flying fish.

Designer: Philip Nathan.

[<k>]

1973.

Greece issued two coinage sets in 1973, of which the second, issued after it became a republic, is by far the more thematic of the two.

See also: Greece 1973: the fascinating story behind Series A and B.




10 lepta.        Trident between two dolphins.
20 lepta.        Olive branch.
50 lepta.        Ornament.
1   drachma.   Little owl.
2   drachmai.  Little owl.
5   drachmai.  Pegasus.
10 drachmai.  Pegasus.

[<k>]

1973.

Nigeria issued its first decimal coinage. It did not issue a 50 kobo coin until 1991.

See also:

Nigeria: decimal and pre-decimal variations.

Nigeria: decimal coinage.




½    kobo.  Cotton plants.
1     kobo.  Oil derricks.
5     kobo.  Cocoa beans.
10   kobo.  Oil palms.
25   kobo.  Peanuts.

Designer: Geoffrey Colley.

[<k>]

1973.

The United Arab Emirates is a federation of seven emirates (equivalent to principalities), each governed by a hereditary emir, with a single national president. It became independent from the UK in December 1971. The UAE's first coinage was issued in 1973. It is one of only a very few Arab states to have issued thematic designs on its circulation coinage.

See also: Coinage of the United Arab Emirates.




1  fils.        Palm tree.
5  fils.        Spangled emperor fish (Lethrinus nebulosus).
10 fils.       Arab dhow.
25 fils.       Arab dune gazelle.
50 fils.       Oil derricks.
1  dirham.  Arab coffee can.

Designer: Geoffrey Colley.

[<k>]

1974.

The Falkland Islands, a British Overseas Territory, issued its first coinage. It did not add a 50 pence coin until 1980.

See also: Milestones in the decimal coinage of the Falkland Islands.




½p.   Brown trout.                   
1p.    Gentoo penguins.               
2p.    Upland goose.                   
5p.    Black-browed albatross.         
10p.  Sea lions, cow and bull.       

Designer: William Gardner.

[<k>]

1974.

Swaziland achieved independence from the British in 1968. Its first circulation coinage was issued in 1974.
Only the highest denomination, the 1 lilangeni coin, was circular. All the others were scalloped or polygonal.

See also:

Swaziland's coins.




1c.   Pineapple with sheaf of leaves.
2c.   Four pine trees.
5c.   Arum lily.
10c.  Sugar cane.
20c.  Elephant's head.
50c.  Coat of arms.
1L.   One lilangeni.  Woman and child.

Common obverse: King Sobhuza II.

Designer: Michael Rizzello.

[<k>]

1974.

Trinidad and Tobago released the last few denominations of its new design series in 1974.

I have heard that they stopped circulating in the 1980s because of high inflation.

However, the Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago describes them as "current coins".

See also: Trinidad and Tobago.







1c.    Humming-bird feeding from a balisier flower.
5c.    Greater bird of Paradise.
10c.  Hibiscus flower. 
25c.  Chaconia flower. 
50c.  Steel drums.
$1.    Cocrico. 
$5.    Scarlet ibis.         
$10.  Antique map design.

Designers: 5c - Norman Nemeth; 10c - James Ponter; the rest are by Ernest Lauser.

Note that the 1, 5 and 10 dollar coins are most definitely collector coins only.

[<k>]

1974.

Western Samoa (now known simply as Samoa) released a new design series.

It was devoted to a common theme: vegetation, of the edible sort.

See also: Coinage of Samoa.




1   sene.  Coconut.
2   sene.  Cocoa pods.
5   sene.  Pineapple.
10 sene.  Taro leaves.
20 sene.  Breadfruit.
50 sene.  Banana tree.
1   tala.    Coconut palm.

Designer: James Berry.

Common obverse: King Malietoa Tanumafili II.  Designer: Humphrey Paget.

[<k>]

1975.

Mozambique became independent from Portugal in 1975 and planned a new currency: 1 metical = 100 centimos.

A coinage was minted but probably never issued. However, the original intention was to issue it, so I include it here.

See also:

Mystery Mozambican Coins of 1975.

Mozambique since independence.













1    centimo.    Angolan protea.    Protea angolensis.
2    centimos.  Rain daisy.           Dimorphotheca pluvialis.
5    centimos.  Purple dissotis.      Dissotis princeps.
10  centimos.  Sugar cane.
20  centimos.  Tea plant.
50  centimos.  Cashew nuts.
1    metica.      Sisal agave.
2½ meticas.    Cotton plant.

Common obverse: President Samora Machel.   

All designs by Geoffrey Colley.

[<k>]

1975.

Papua New Guinea became independent from Australia in 1975 and issued a national coinage.

The stylish designs were devoted to the country's wildlife.

See also: Coinage of modern Papua New Guinea.




1   Toea.  Paradise birdwing butterfly.
2   Toea.  Butterfly codfish.               
5   Toea.  Pitted shell turtle.             
10 Toea.  Spotted cuscus.                 
20 Toea.  Dwarf cassowary. (Muruk bird).   
1    Kina.  River and sea crocodiles.      Reverse: Stylised emblem of Bank of Papua New Guinea.   

Common obverse: National arms.

Designers:

Reverse designs of 1 and 10 toea by Herman deRoos; 2, 5, 20 toea and 1 kina by William Shoyer;

5 kina: New Guinea harpy eagle reverse by Ernest Lauser.

All designs were also modelled by their respective designers.

The obverse designs (Coat of arms, and stylised emblem of Bank of Papua New Guinea - 1 kina) were modelled by Richard Renninger.

[<k>]

1975.

Paraguay issued a new design series. Like most Latin American coin series of that time, it includes a couple of military heroes. The designs on the 1 guarani (Paraguayan soldier) and 5 guaraníes (Paraguayan woman) are based on photos taken by Adolf María Friedrich, an Austrian photographer who worked for a local newspaper during the Chaco War (1932-1935) between Paraguay and Bolivia.

See also: Coinage of Paraguay since 1975.




1    guarani.      Paraguayan soldier.            Reverse: Tobacco plant.
5    guaranies.  Young woman holding jug.  Reverse: Cotton plant.
10  guaranies.  General Garay                      Reverse: Cow's head.
50  guaranies.  Marshall Estigarribia.            Reverse: Acaray River Dam.

[<k>]

1975.

The Philippines issued a new design series, again portraying its national heroes. Same heroes, different portraits.

See also: The Philippines: second National Heroes Coinage, 1975 to 1982.

Denomination	Description	Designer
1   sentimo.	Lapu-Lapu.	Don Everhart II.
5   sentimos.	Melchora Aquino.	Ernest Lauser.
10 sentimos.	Francisco Baltazar.	William Shoyer.
25 sentimos.	Juan Luna.	Anthony Jones.
1   piso.	José Rizal.	James Ferrell.
5   piso.	Ferdinand Marcos.	James Ferrell.

The shield on the reverse of the 1, 5, 10 and 25 sentimos was sculpted by Herman De Roos.
The coat of arms on the reverse of the 1 piso was sculpted by James Ferrell.

For the higher denominations (collector coins only):

25 piso.   Emilio Aguinaldo.	Portrait by H Faulkner.
50 piso.   Ferdinand Marcos.	Portrait by James Ferrell.

[<k>]

1975.

Rhodesia became a republic in 1970 and went decimal the same year. However, it did not release a full set of decimal denominations until 1975, relying until then on some of the dually denominated coins of the 1960s. Like Jamaica, it was one of the few countries to issue both a 20 cents and a 25 cents coin, as replacements for the 2 shilling coin and the 2 shillings and sixpence coin respectively. Rhodesia was also unusual in that it issued a 2½ cents coin.

All the coins carried the coat of arms on one side, but curiously the word "Rhodesia" sometimes appeared on the same side, sometimes not,  depending on the denomination; the 5 cents alone appeared in two different versions.

See also:

1] Rhodesia: design continuity.

2] Southern Rhodesia / Rhodesia and Nyasaland / Rhodesia.




½c.    Leaves of the flame lily.
1c.     Leaves of the flame lily.
2½c.  Spear points.
5c.     Flame lily.
10c.   Coat of arms.
20c.   Zimbabwe bird.
25c.   Sable antelope.

Designer: Tommy Sasseen.