? The Hong Kong ten cent 1866 was the first to be struck at the new Hong Kong mint. The obverse features the Leonard Wyon effigy of Queen Victoria along with the legend QUEEN VICTORIA. The reverse has the legend HONG KONG TEN CENTS with an inner circle containing Chinese characters depicting the date, denomination and country of origin. There were two types struck and this one is identifiable by having eleven pearls on the right arch of the Queens crown. The Type II had only ten pearls. ...
? The Hong Kong Fifty Cent coin issued during the reign of Queen Elizabeth II featured the Queens portrait by Percy Metcalfe on the obverse. The artists' initials can be seen just below the neckline. The legend around the perimeter reads QUEEN ELIZABETH THE SECOND. The reverse shows Chinese symbols of the denomination, date and country in the centre along with the legend HONG KONG FIFTY CENTS. Hong Kong was ceded to Britain in 1842 following the First Opium War upon the Treaty of Nanjing. ...
? The second type of the Elizabeth II Sixpence series was issued between 1955 and 1963. The obverse of this new type features a modified legend which reads - 'ELIZABETH II DEI GRATIA REGINA F:D' . The legend was modified to include 'F:D' which had been removed from British coins following the death of King George VI. The removal had attracted substantial controversy with groups including 'The United Protestant's Association' and a number of Australian Bishops leading protests ...
? The Chinese Zodiac is an astrological system that rotates through a twelve year lunar cycle. Each of these years is associated with an animal arranged in order from the rat through to the pig. An ancient folk story states that the order was established by a race between the animals that was orchestrated by the Jade Emperor of China. It is believed that each of these animals is associated with a set of characteristics that may serve as an astrological guide to understand the events that occur in ...
? The Barcelona Olympics took place during 1992 and is often referred to as the XXV Olympiad. Spain was proud to host these Olympics and fought hard against bids from France, Australia, Yugoslavia, Great Britain and the Netherlands. In celebration of this worldwide event, the Royal Australian Mint struck this one dollar commemorative cupro-nickel coin. The reverse features an Olympian throwing a javelin with the legend