Which countries use aluminium coins?

[<k>]

This is bigger subject, since aluminium (if you're British) or aluminum (if you're American) coins are still quite common. Indonesia springs to mind straightaway. However, aluminium coins are frowned on by many Western countries yet used by others. Austria used the metal for its final 2 and 10 Groschen coins. Italy also used a few aluminium coins, prior to adopting the euro. Which other countries, especially Western ones, did so?

I mean, of course, wholly aluminium coins - not alloy coins.

[<k>]

British West Africa (currency union): the 1/10 of a penny was first issued in 1907. It was made of aluminium and was probably the world's first aluminium circulation coin. It was also issued in 1908, but it was then replaced by a copper-nickel version.

Around the same time, an aluminium one cent coin was issued for East Africa (another currency union). Both areas were under administration of the British, so these were Royal Mint products.

See also:

British Empire: East Africa and Uganda Protectorates.

British West Africa.

[Pabitra]

In 1970s, India used Aluminium coins for all the lower denominations up to 20 Paise. Smaller denominations of other countries in the region ( Bhutan, Nepal, Srilanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Pakistan etc. ) too used the same metal for lower denomination coins.
Currently, only Pakistan continues to use Aluminium for its 1 and 2 Rupees coins. There is an active proposal to issue 5 Rupees coin in same metal.

[chrisild]

If we leave Eastern European countries, and also "emergency" issues (e.g. Germany 1920s) out ... Spain comes to mind, with the 50 cts coin issued between the mid-60s and mid-70s, 1 peseta from 1982 until 2001 (first large, then small), and the 2 ptas piece from the early/mid 1980s.

Christian

[<k>]

And France had aluminium 1 and 2 franc coins, last issued in 1959.

[davidrj]

And France had aluminium 1 and 2 franc coins, last issued in 1959.

The overseas French Territories were using 5 & 2 Fr aluminium coins till relatively recently. I have a New Caledonia 5Fr from 1994, I'm assuming they now use Euros

David

[<k>]

Thanks, David. I'd forgotten that. According to Wikipedia: "The currency in use in New Caledonia is the CFP franc, pegged to the euro at a rate of 1,000 CFP to 8.38 euros."

[davidrj]

Looks like they are still in use - there's a 2014 New Caledonia 5Fr according to Numista http://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces1458.html

David

[Pabitra]

Like New Caledonia, French Polynesia too uses Aluminium coins.
I just checked database of current circulation coins.
35 countries use Aluminium coins as their current low values coins.
Some unexpected countries include South Korea,Armenia, Moldova, PR China, Croatia, Japan, Netherland Antilles etc.

[Globetrotter]

Hi,

in 2013 these 14 countries still used Al coins, I only checked coins weighing up to 2.2 grams:
Belize
Chile
China
Croatia
Cuba
Eastern Caribbean
French Polynesia
Moldova
Nagorno-Karabakh
Netherlands Antilles
New Caledoni
Pakistan
Peru
South Korea

Ole

[<k>]

So the list is getting smaller. I have read that by the end of the century the only plentiful remaining metals will be aluminium and steel.

[Globetrotter]

Hi,

I'm not sure if that list is really good! Japan's yen is NOT in it! My base was Numista's data base and the filters are not working as they should!

Sorry

Ole

[Figleaf]

I have read that by the end of the century the only plentiful remaining metals will be aluminium and steel.

That is an implicit bet on energy getting cheaper, or at least not getting relatively more expensive. I bet that by the end of the century nobody alive will remembering this "prediction".

Peter

[Prosit]

San Marino issued Aluminum coins up to 2001 but they caught Euroization in 2002.

Dale

[Prosit]

They could make coins from really hard glass and likely be cheaper than Steel or Aluminum.

Dale

So the list is getting smaller. I have read that by the end of the century the only plentiful remaining metals will be aluminium and steel.