Foreign coins minted in Britain

[Berg]

Im somewhat curios, as I know icelandic coins have been minted in Birmingham and lately in London, what other foreign coins have been/are minted in Britain?

Or does anyone know of where such information can be located?

[kuhli]

Off the top of my head:

prior to 1908, all Canadian coins were minted in Britain.

Throughout the former colonies, there are literally hundreds of coins that bear the H or KN mintmarks, for Heaton and Kings' Norton, respectively.

Czech Republic 1994 200 korun commemorative for the Normandy Invasion (which shows a squadron of Spitfires)

Some early Bulgarian coins were minted at Heaton.

Some early Romanian coins were minted at both Heaton and Kings Norton, also a couple at the Royal Mint.

Yugoslavia, 1931 10 dinara, 1932 50 dinara, both at Royal Mint.

[Berg]

Thank you kuhli.

Do you remember where this kind of information is availible.

[kuhli]

I found most of that information looking through the Krause*

Standard Catalog of World Coins by Chester Krause and Clifford Mischler

If you would like to know what coins from a specific country were issued in Britain, let me know which country, and I can look it up for you.

[krasnaya_vityaz]

Im somewhat curios, as I know icelandic coins have been minted in Birmingham and lately in London, what other foreign coins have been/are minted in Britain?

Or does anyone know of where such information can be located?

Not more than quite a few of my Aussie pennies came into being in Britain.

Many of the African coins, ie Nigerian, West Africa, East Africa, South Africa, Rhodesian coins also originated in Britain.

[mint_mark]

And of course it continues... the Royal Mint still makes all sorts of novelties for countries around the world. And don't forget issues from the Pobjoy mint.

For Scandinavia and the rest of Europe, I think some wartime issues were minted in London as governments moved there to escape occupation. In particular, Danish coins for the Faeroe islands and Iceland (as you mentioned). Some Netherlands coins were minted in the US.

[Berg]

I found most of that information looking through the Krause*

Standard Catalog of World Coins by Chester Krause and Clifford Mischler

If you would like to know what coins from a specific country were issued in Britain, let me know which country, and I can look it up for you.

Thanx kuhli.

Does the book mention anything about if and what coins was minted from:

Norway, Poland, Belgium, Netherlands and Denmark?

[Berg]

And of course it continues... the Royal Mint still makes all sorts of novelties for countries around the world. And don't forget issues from the Pobjoy mint.

For Scandinavia and the rest of Europe, I think some wartime issues were minted in London as governments moved there to escape occupation. In particular, Danish coins for the Faeroe islands and Iceland (as you mentioned). Some Netherlands coins were minted in the US.

Hmmm yea I think I recall something about some minting in Philadelphia during the Second World War, both coinage for the Netherlands as franc to be used in Alger. Perhaps there where even more... lets try to find out.

[kuhli]

Thanx kuhli.

Does the book mention anything about if and what coins was minted from:

Norway, Poland, Belgium, Netherlands and Denmark?

Could not find anything from Belgium, Denmark, Netherlands or Norway.

Poland does have a few of interest:

London (Royal Mint) issued 1 zloty and 2 zlote pieces in 1925

Birmingham (Heaton Mint) issued 2 zlote pieces in 1924 (same design as London issues above)

London (Royal Mint) also issued the 1932 5 and 10 zlotych coins with the maiden on the obverse.

[Berg]

Thanks again kuhli. Changing to another topic, does that book of yours say much about world war 2 coinage of Europe?

[kuhli]

It is a comprehesive catalog of all coins minted from 1901-2000. Do you need information about certain issues? Don't hesitate to ask.

[Berg]

It is a comprehesive catalog of all coins minted from 1901-2000. Do you need information about certain issues? Don't hesitate to ask.

Nice

To start with Im interested wether Luxemburg struck any coins during WW2, wether it was merely Vichy-France that issued french-franc during the same period and if there where any minting of polish coins abroad (USA?) during the german occupation. Also interested of any american made currency for foreign nations while their nations where occupied by the germans... (thinking of starting a new collection ; ) Would be happy for any nominals and timeperiod of their minting.

[kuhli]

The Germans were fairly smart, in a military manner of speaking. They knew that to occupy a nation, they needed to control the people, and what better way to control the people than to control the money. So the majority of the European countries that were occupied by the Germans continued to mint money locally, although under the guidance of the German military. Zinc was the metal of choice, as it is cheap, abundant, and has little use in military arms.

Issued under German occupation:

Belgium:

5 centime (French legends)~1941, 43; (Dutch legends)~1941, 42

10 centime (French legends)~1941-43; (Dutch legends)~1941-46

25 centime (French legends)~1941-43, 46; (Dutch legends)~1942-46

1 franc (French legends)~1941-43; (Dutch legends)~1942-46

5 franc (French legends)~1941, 43-47; (Dutch legends)~1941, 45, 47

Luxembourg:

no coinage issued during the occupation

Netherlands:

1 cent~1941-44

2½ cent~1941

5 cent~1941-43

10 cent~1941-43

25 cent~1941-43

Poland:

1 grosz~1939

5 groszy~1939

10 groszy~1923*

20 groszy~1923*

* (struck 1941-44, on zinc planchets, using old dies)

50 groszy~1938 (iron & nickel-plated iron)

France was occupied, although no coinage was minted in the German occupied areas. The Vichy government (French Free State) issued coinage for the un-occupied areas.

Austria was incorporated into the "Greater Germany" and used the standard issues of German coinage.

Czechoslovakia was partitioned, and divided into the German protectorate of Bohemia & Moravia, and the puppet state of Slovakia.

Bohemia & Moravia:

10 haleru~1940-44

20 haleru~1940-44

50 haleru~1940-44

1 koruna~1941-44

Slovakia, although allied with the Germans, stayed out of the war, and issued coinage throughout the war for their own state.

US issued coinage for areas liberated by the Allied Forces:

Belgium:

1944 2 francs (using planchets left over from the US 1943 zinc-coated steel cents)

Netherlands:

10 cents~1943P,44P,44D,44S,45P

25 cents~1943P,44P,45P

1 gulden~1944P,1945P

One other area that deserves mention is colonial issues of the occupied areas:

While France was occupied by the Germans, and local coinage was issued in the name of the "French Free State" in Vichy, several colonies issued coinage under the guidance of Vichy. See the ½ piastre and 1 piastre issues of Lebanon and Syria, also 1 cent and 5 cent issues of French Indo-China.

While the US was minting coinage for the liberated Netherlands, they (the US) were also minting coinage for the Dutch colonies of Curaçao, Suriname, and the Dutch East Indies (later Indonesia)

[Berg]

That was an IMPRESSIVE list kuhli. Are they described in the book aswell or merely listed? I should consider to buy such a book myself Some nominals/coins I havent heard of from this time/period... 2 1/2 cent from Netherlands and 5 centimes from Belgium... are there any description included for thoose two?

[kuhli]

Belgium 5 centime:

same size as all 5 centimes prior to WWII, made of zinc, design same as the 10 centime and 50 centime pieces of the German occupation. (center hole, obverse has 3 shields, "5 c."; reverse has 2 "L" facing central "III" with crown)

Netherlands 2½ cents:

Note, this coin was also minted in 1942, but was never released, only about 30 known to exist, quite rare.

[Berg]

Thanx kuhli I have never seen or heard of the above coins until now but now I shall try to have my eyes open when browsing actionssites.

[Berg]

How would you describe the pattern on the left coin? What is that? Somekind of tulip?

[mint_mark]

That was an IMPRESSIVE list kuhli. Are they described in the book aswell or merely listed? I should consider to buy such a book myself Some nominals/coins I havent heard of from this time/period... 2 1/2 cent from Netherlands and 5 centimes from Belgium... are there any description included for thoose two?

Just to add to Kuhli's list... Norway had some distinctive German occupation issues struck in iron, featuring the national shield obverse (instead of the royal monogram) and the normal reverse.

Also, there were Allied occupation issues for Germany itself from 1945 to 1948. These were like the third reich issues, in zinc, but with the swastika replaced by a tail for the eagle.

You should try and get a copy of the catalogue... it is the size of a telephone directory and contains small pictures of almost all the different designs... enough to identify the coins but hard to see any fine detail.

[mint_mark]

How would you describe the pattern on the left coin? What is that? Somekind of tulip?

I always thought it looked like the prows to two ships (Viking style!) but I suppose it could be a large flower... the 10c wartime issue is definitely three stylised tulip flowers.

Edited March 16, 2005 by mint_mark

[Berg]

Two ships!? Yea why not, either that or two swanes

[kuhli]

One other piece I forgot to mention is the 1941 2 kune coin issued by the German backed Croatian government.

from my collection:

And there is also a group of 4 pieces issued for Serbia under German Occupation: (all zinc, minted in Budapest)

50 para, 1 dinar, 2 dinara dated 1942

10 dinara dated 1943

Edited March 17, 2005 by kuhli

[Berg]

Interesting I have merely heard of a 2 koruna coin from Croatia before. I guess there is a lot more I can learn about these types of coins.

I will try to set up a registry of, first, WW2 coins on my website (primarly in swedish as Sweden often lack good litterature in swedish about foreign coinage, the litterature that exists is mostly on english) may I use pics from your collection in such a case?

[mint_mark]

Ooh Berg! Maybe you can answer a question about Swedish WWII coins... I have some really nice examples of the iron issues, but some of them are darkened and some of them have a bright silver appearance.

I guess I'd like to know if some coins are available in both finishes, or are some years always darkened and others always bright? My 1942 1 öre are bright, but 1944 and later are all dark grey.

[Berg]

Ooh Berg! Maybe you can answer a question about Swedish WWII coins... I have some really nice examples of the iron issues, but some of them are darkened and some of them have a bright silver appearance.

I guess I'd like to know if some coins are available in both finishes, or are some years always darkened and others always bright? My 1942 1 öre are bright, but 1944 and later are all dark grey.

Im glad to be of service

The "light colored iron" coins where only made in 1942 as for ordinary iron and bronze there are some years where they made both of the types although the iron coins was mostly made around the world wars.

1950 for example is a year i recall when they made both types.

[Berg]

Examples, for thoose who wonders, of light colored iron, iron and bronze coins from my own collection...