Coin Encyclopedia
Search and identify coins from around the world — with country, denomination, metal, mint, history, and how to tell them apart.
Charles II Twopence
A small milled twopence of Charles II, showing the king's profile bust on the obverse and a crowned mark of value on the reverse.
Milled
India One Rupee (Cupronickel)
A 1947 British India one rupee in cupro-nickel, its obverse bearing King George VI's crowned bust and its reverse a striding lion above ONE RUPEE INDIA.
Modern India
Spanish Colonial Half Real
The smallest milled silver coin of Spain's American empire: a tiny 1/2 real with a royal bust and the crowned arms between pillars.
Colonial
Austrian Gold Ducat
A high-purity Austrian gold ducat of the Habsburg monarchy, showing a crowned ruler in military dress on the obverse and the double-headed imperial eagle on the reverse.
Bullion/gold
5 Kopecks (Catherine II)
Large copper 5 Kopecks of Catherine the Great, dated 1790 with the EM mint mark, showing a crowned monogram and the imperial double-headed eagle.
Early Modern
Gold Chervonets
Soviet gold coin of 1923 worth one chervonets (10 rubles), showing a peasant sowing before a rising sun and factories, with the Soviet state emblem.
World
India Four Anna
An early Republic of India quarter rupee (four annas) of 1950, showing the Ashoka Lion Capital emblem with radiating rays and the country name INDIA.
Modern India
Canadian Ten Cents
Small silver Canadian dime with the Bluenose schooner reverse and an early Queen Elizabeth II portrait; the pictured coin is dated 1955.
Canadian & Provincial
Milled Sixpence of Elizabeth I
An early machine-struck English silver sixpence of Elizabeth I, showing her crowned draped bust with a rose and the royal shield above a date.
Milled
Flowing Hair Stella
An 1879 U.S. $4 gold pattern coin with a flowing-hair Liberty obverse and a large-star "ONE STELLA" reverse; famous rarity, never circulated.
Stella
Junk Dollar
China's Republic-era silver dollar with Sun Yat-sen facing left and a Chinese junk under sail on the reverse; the pictured coin is Year 23 (1934).
Circulation
New Rochelle Half Dollar
A 1938 U.S. silver half dollar marking the 250th anniversary of New Rochelle, New York, with a Huguenot founder leading a fatted calf and a fleur-de-lis reverse.
Classic Commemorative
Caecidius Noctua Denarius
A silver Roman Republican denarius of the owl (noctua) symbol series, catalogued RRC 135/1 and dated c. 194–190 BC.
Ancient
Holey Dollar
Australia's first struck coin: a Spanish silver dollar with its centre punched out, counterstamped NEW SOUTH WALES 1813 and revalued at five shillings.
Australian
Charles II Halfpenny
A milled copper halfpenny of Charles II showing his laureate bust and a seated Britannia, part of the first regal copper coinage of England, dated 1675.
Milled
India 50 Paise
A George VI half-rupee of British India dated 1946 — the pale nickel-brass ancestor of the modern 50 paise, with a crowned royal bust and a rampant lion reverse.
Modern India
Bangladesh One Taka
A small nickel-plated steel coin of Bangladesh worth one Taka, showing a jute plant with stars on the obverse and the numeral 1 with Bengali text and date on the reverse.
South Asia
Sierra Leone 20 Cents
A 1964 Sierra Leone 20 cents from the country's first decimal coinage, showing a portrait profile on one side and the national coat of arms with its lion on the other.
World
Sri Lanka 5 Rupees
Sri Lanka's 1999 copper-nickel five rupees marking the Cricket World Cup, showing the tournament trophy on one face and a batsman at the crease on the other.
South Asia
2 Kroner
A Danish silver 2 Kroner dated 1875, the first year of the krone, showing the crowned Danish coat of arms and the denomination 2 KRONER.
Modern
Liberia One Cent
An early copper cent tied to Liberia's founding, dated 1847, with a profile portrait obverse and warm brown patina.
World
2 Litai
A white base-metal 2 litai of newly independent Lithuania, dated 1991, showing the value in a radiating sunburst on one side and the Vytis mounted knight on the other.
Modern
New Zealand Halfpenny
New Zealand's small bronze halfpenny, struck from 1940, with a royal portrait obverse and a Maori hei-tiki reverse. The coin shown is a 1940 George VI issue.
New Zealand
Eighth Thistle Merk
A small hammered silver Scottish coin of James VI, showing a crowned heraldic shield of arms on one side and a crowned thistle on the other.
Hammered