Coin Encyclopedia
Search and identify coins from around the world — with country, denomination, metal, mint, history, and how to tell them apart.
500 Yen Bicolor Clad
Japan's large two-tone 500 yen circulation coin, with a floral blossom design and pearl-like beading on one face and bold value numerals on the other.
Circulation
Egyptian 10 Piastres
A modern Egyptian 10 piastres in cupro-nickel, its face carrying Arabic script framed by geometric ornament and diamond-shaped decorative patterns.
World
Copper Fals of Muzaffar Hajji
A worn medieval Islamic copper fals bearing Arabic calligraphy and the name of the ruler al-Muzaffar Hajji, an aniconic base-metal coin used as everyday small change.
Islamic (Medieval)
Gold Dinar of Jaqmaq
A hand-struck Mamluk gold dinar of Sultan al-Zahir Jaqmaq (r. 1438-1453 CE), covered in Arabic calligraphy with no figural imagery; this example is pierced.
Islamic (Medieval)
1 Escudo
Portugal's first silver escudo, struck in 1910 to mark the founding of the Republic, with an allegorical female head and the crowned national shield.
Modern
25 Pesetas (Franco)
Spain's common Franco-era 25 pesetas, a silvery copper-nickel coin bearing the national coat of arms and the value 25; dated 1957 but struck into the 1970s.
Modern
100 Forint (Commemorative)
A Hungarian bi-metallic 100 Forint commemorative pairing the national coat of arms with a bird of prey in flight, struck in a gold-toned ring and pale center.
Commemorative
Gold Crown of Henry VIII (Third Coinage)
A hammered Tudor gold crown of five shillings struck during Henry VIII's Third Coinage, the debased issue that earned him the nickname "Old Coppernose."
Hammered
Pakistan One Rupee
An early coin of newly independent Pakistan, dated 1948, with the GOVERNMENT OF PAKISTAN legend framing an ornate Islamic geometric and floral design.
South Asia
Philippines One Peso
A silver peso struck for the U.S.-administered Philippine Islands, with a standing Liberty and torch and an eagle-over-shield reverse naming the United States.
Southeast Asia
Philippines 50 Centavos
A 1960s Philippine 50-centavos coin in copper-nickel, its obverse showing an allegorical woman with a torch and its reverse the national coat of arms.
Southeast Asia
Scottish Shilling
A historical Scottish silver shilling featuring the thistle, Scotland's national emblem, in a heraldic design on one face and as a growing plant on the other.
World Coin
Libya 1 Dinar (Counterfeit)
A brass coin imitating Libyan 1 Dinar coinage, carrying Arabic legends and geometric ornament but identified as a counterfeit or non-official replica.
World
Puebla 20 Centavos
A copper 20 centavos struck in the State of Puebla during the Mexican Revolution, showing a profile bust and the numeral 20 with the national eagle, dated 1915.
Revolutionary
Oaxaca 5 Centavos
A copper 5-centavos struck by the sovereign State of Oaxaca during the Mexican Revolution, with a profile bust on the obverse and the numeral 5 in a wreath on the reverse.
Revolutionary
Manchukuo 1 Fen
A small bronze 1 fen from Manchukuo, dated 1944, with a large numeral 1 and Chinese inscriptions on one side and an ornamental circular design on the other.
Circulation
Chiconcuautla 20 Centavos
A 1915 copper 20 centavos struck as a local Revolutionary-era issue at Chiconcuautla, with a numeral 20 on one side and the Mexican national eagle on the other.
Revolutionary
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
5 Litai
A nickel-alloy 5 litai of newly independent Lithuania dated 1991, showing the value with radiating lines on one side and the armored knight Vytis on horseback on the other.
Modern
Charles II Fourpence
A small milled sterling silver fourpence of Charles II, with his laureate bust and a crowned cipher of interlinked C's flanked by the national emblems.
Milled
Belgian Congo 5 Francs (Copper)
A copper 5 Francs piece dated 1887 with a radiant star obverse and a crowned heraldic reverse reading CONGO BELGE, widely regarded as a fantasy or novelty type.
World
Bangladesh 5 Taka
A modern Bangladeshi circulation coin worth five Taka, struck in nickel-plated steel, with the national emblem on the obverse and the value in Bengali on the reverse.
South Asia
Republic 1 Fen
A holed copper 1 fen of Republican China, showing a numeral 1 with Chinese characters on one side and flowering plum blossoms on the other, around a central square-ish hole.
Circulation
East India Company Rupee
British East India Company silver rupee struck to the Mughal pattern, carrying only Persian/Urdu calligraphy naming the reigning emperor.
British India