Look at coins
From images of coins and banknotes, learn when they were made and how they were used, what their images and words mean, and how to research and handle them.
What you can read here
Coin and banknote galleryCoins and banknotes, shown in images. Choose by gold, silver, copper, country or era.Images, letters and materialsPortraits, animals, emblems, letters and materials. Read from both sides of a coin what its makers wanted to say.Care, storage and tradingHow to clean and store old coins, and the records and rules to check before buying or selling.
Short reads
One topic, in a few minutes.
Readings
The Wealth of the Realm, and a Handful of EarthThe edict declaring "All the wealth of the realm is mine" continues immediately with "even a handful of earth is welcome." In an age when the country was exhausted by plague and rebellion, copper was gathered to construct the Great Buddha.A Coin That Lived for 317 YearsIn 1668, a single coin born in Kameido, Edo, brought an end to the era of imported coins. This coin would survive famines and continue to be legal tender in Japan until the Shōwa era.The Country That Minted Them and the Country That Used ThemYongle Tongbao coins were minted in Ming China, but hardly circulated within the country. There was a country that minted coins for export which it did not use itself, and a country that did not mint its own coins but used imported ones as its standard.The Mint Opened by a UsurperIn 2010, 52,503 Roman coins emerged from British soil. This enormous hoard tells the story of an era when a usurper used coinage as a tool of governance and opened the first mint in London.A Coin Born the Year Before the RebellionThe shogunate began minting the domestic Kan'ei Tsūhō coin the year before the Shimabara Rebellion. In an age when the bodies of those unable to pay taxes became collateral, a domestic coin was created for the first time in 678 years.Silver Coins Valued by Weight, and a Realm Moved by GoldThe Keichō Chōgin, which had no face value, was valued directly by its weight on a scale. In the era when this silver coin was created, gold and silver shook faiths, gathered a hundred thousand soldiers, and decided the fate of castles.
In depth
One subject, step by step.
Courses
Materials of Coins and BanknotesGold, silver, copper, paper. We will examine the properties of the materials used for money and the reasons they were chosen.How Were Coins Made?Casting metal, hammering, striking with a machine. We will examine the differences in manufacturing methods by looking at the shapes of actual coins.The History of Coin CollectingFrom princely collections to museums. We trace the changing purposes of collecting and methods of record-keeping.Those Who Collected CoinsWe trace what kings, scholars, and collectors chose and how they preserved it, exploring collections from a human perspective.Were the two coins made with the same tool?When the reverses of two silver coins are placed side by side, even the position of the letters is identical.What Excavated Coins Tell UsWe investigate the period and location of use from the types and dates of coins found together.Interpreting Coins from Weight and PurityWe will compare weights and metal proportions to investigate differences in standards and wear using numerical data.Deciphering the Images and Text on CoinsWe will compare portraits, animals, coats of arms, and text to consider what the issuer intended to communicate.Reading the Inscriptions on CoinsWe will use abbreviations and dates as clues to determine who made a coin, when, and where.Coin Provenance and Rules for Buying and SellingWhere does a coin come from? Learn about the records to check before buying or selling, and the relevant laws.Storing and Caring for Old CoinsLearn to distinguish between dirt and traces of alteration, and study the handling and storage methods you should know before cleaning.Examining and Documenting CoinsObserve photographs, compare potential attributions and dates, and document the evidence for your research.Enjoying Coins as ArtEngraving, profiles, placement of text. We will compare the designs packed into small coins.Medals, Stamps, Bills of Exchange, and MoneyWe will compare objects similar to coins and those used in their place to consider what fulfills the role of money.
Books
Price
After purchase, the full courses, the illustrated books, every country’s story and the numismatics examination are open to you.
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