Wikipedia

Coinage shapes

(Redirected fromHoled coin)

Although the vast majority of coins are round, coins are made in a variety of other shapes, including squares, diamonds, hexagons, heptagons, octagons, decagons, and dodecagons. They have also been struck with scalloped (wavy) edges, and with holes in the middle. Coins in the shape of polygons often have rounded edges or areReuleaux polygons.

TheTenpō Tsūhō,a Japanese coin from the 19th-century.

This article focuses mainly on circulating coins; a number ofnon-circulating commemorative coinshave been made in special shapes, including guitars, pyramids, and maps.[1]There is a list with more unusual shapes of non-circulating commemorative coins at the end of this page, that all have been issued officially by various countries.

Triangular

edit

TheCook Islandshave a circulating2 dollartriangular coin with rounded corners.[2]

Squares and diamonds

edit
50 cent coinfrom theNetherlands Antilles.

Indo-Greek coinswere often square. Aruba has a large circulating square 50 cents coin.[3]

Many countries have struck square coins with rounded corners. Some of these, such as the Netherlands zinc5 cent coinof World War II (1941–1943)[4]and the Bangladesh5 poisha coin(1977–1994)[5]are oriented as a square, while others, such as the Netherlands 5 cents (1913–1940),[6]the Netherlands Antilles50 cent,the Bangladesh 5 poisha (1973–1974)[7]and the 1981 Jersey1 pound coin,[8]are oriented as a diamond. Ceylon (the current Sri Lanka) issued its first square coin in 1909, followed by several others.[9]India has had various circulating square coins as well, like denominated 1/2 and 2 anna coins,[10]as well as 1 and 5 paisa coins.[11]

Siege money,such asKlippecoins or thesiege money of Newark,was often in the shape of alozenge(rhombus).

Pentagonal

edit

TheMutawakkilite Kingdom of Yemenintroducedpentagonal1⁄16and1⁄8rial coins in 1948.[12][13]In 2014 Transnistria was the next country to issue a circulating pentagonal 5 rubles hard plastic coin.[14]

Hexagonal

edit

TheBelgian Congohad ahexagonal2 franc coin,[15]as did theKingdom of Egypt(2 piastres,also known as 2 qirsh).[16]India used to have3 paiseand 20 paise coins that were hexagonal with rounded corners.[17][18]TheBurma(25 pyas) is scalloped hexagonal.[19]

Heptagonal

edit

The Madagascar10 ariarycoin isseven-sided.[20]The Britishtwenty penceandfifty pencecoins are heptagonalReuleaux polygons,[21][22]as is the United Arab Emirates50 filscoin, the Barbadosone dollarcoin,[23]and severalcoins from Botswana.[24]Many countries in theCommonwealth of Nationshave issued heptagonal coins. Reuleaux polygons haveconstant width,which means thecurrency detectorsin coin-operated machines do not need an extra mechanism to detect shape.[25]

Octagonal

edit

The Chile1 pesoand 5 pesos coins issued from 1992 to 2015 areeight-sided.[26][27]So was the old circulating Malta25 cent coincommemorating Malta's first anniversary of the republic[28]and someCalifornia gold coins.Some other countries that have issued circulating octagonal coins are the Lebanon[29]and Sierra Leone.[30]

Octagonal 21⁄2milliemes coin from theKingdom of Egypt.

Nonagonal

edit

In 1972 the first country to issue a circulatingnine-sidedcoin was Thailand with a 1972 regular5 bahtcoin,[31]followed by Kenya in 1973 with a special issue5/=coin. The third and final circulating nonagonal coin issued in the 20th century and is the regular 197650 cent coinfrom Tuvalu.[32]Currently, thePhilippinesissues nonagonal5-peso coinsfrom 2019 as an enhanced design of the round version to make it distinct from the other denominations.[33]

Decagonal

edit

Hong Kong issued aten-sided5 dollar coinfrom 1976 to 1979,[34]while the Philippines issued ten-sidedtwo piso (peso) coinsfrom 1983 to 1990.[35]Some other countries that have issued ten-sided circulation coins are Chile,[36]the Dominican Republic,[37]Jamaica[38]and Madagascar.[39]

Hendecagonal

edit

The oldIndian 2-rupee coinwaseleven-sided,[40]while theCanadian one dollar coinis an eleven-sidedReuleaux polygon.[41]Also Madagascar has issued some circulating eleven-sided coins.[42]

Britain used a dodecagonalthreepencefrom 1937 to 1971.

Dodecagonal

edit

Many countries have strucktwelve-sidedcoins, mostly countries belonging to theCommonwealth of Nations.Several of these are threepence coins from thepre-decimal pound.[43][44]Coins currently circulating include the Britishone pound coin,[45]50 cent coins fromAustralia,[46]Fiji[47]and theSolomon Islands,[48]the Tongan50 seniti coin[49]and the circulating commemorative Croatian25 kuna coins.[50]

The20 koruna coinfrom the Czech Republic istridecagonal.

Tridecagonal

edit

In 1993, the Czech Republic was the first country to issue a13 sided20 koruna coin.[51]In 2013, Tunisia followed with a 13-sided 200 millièmes coin.[52]

Pentadecagonal

edit

A 5 dirham commemorative coin from the UAE in 1981 had15 sides,commemorating the 15th century ofHejira.[53]

Scalloped

edit
This50 dirham coinfrom Libya has a scalloped edge with sixteen bumps.

Many countries have coins with scalloped (wavy) edges. These usually have twelve bumps (e.g. the Vanuatu100 vatuor the Hong Kong20 cents), but can have other numbers such as eight (the Eswatini10 centsor the Ang Bagong Lipunan Philippinefive centavo coin) or sixteen (the Libya50 dirhams).

Holed

edit

Often a round coin will have a central hole. In some countries this was to allow them to be strung together,[54]while other reasons include difficulty of counterfeiting and ability for visually impaired people to distinguish them from other coins.[55]

ApatternUnited Statesring nickelwith anoctagonalhole.

Some coins give the impression that holes were used to save metal, though it may not be possible to prove with certainty that this was the reason for creating the holes. An example of such a coin with a fairly large hexagonal hole is a undated tin 1 cash coin, minted in the period 1550–1596, that circulated in theBanten SultanateonJavaandSumatra(Indonesia).[56]Also, several tin 1 pitis coins with exceptionally large round holes, of which some were made in octagonal coins, were used inJambi Sultanateon NorthernSumatra(Indonesia).[57]Due to the soft metaltinused to make these thin old coins, they can easily be bent. In the years 1943–1947 India produced 1 pice coins for circulation with very large holes,[58]continued by Pakistan producing 1 pice coins of equal shape in the years 1948–1952.[59]

Chinese cash coinshad a square hole, while many modern coins have a round hole. Examples include the Japan5 yen coinand50 yen coin,and the Denmark1 krone coin.

Other shapes

edit

Rectangles: In theEdo periodJapan issued several circulating silver and gold rectangular coins,[60][61]as well as a copper clad lead issue with a hole.[62]

Near oval: Japan also issued various near oval coins in theEdo period.[63][64][65]

Half circle: for Barbados Spanish coins were cut in half, it is hard to detect originals though, many forgeries exist.[66]

Additional shapes among non-circulating coins

edit

Triangular: Bermuda has some special issue triangular coins from 1997 onward with curved edges.[67] The Isle of Man has some triangular special issue coins where the triangle is not regular (the angles are not all 60 degrees).[68]

Octagonal: The U.S.Panama–Pacific commemorative 50 dollar coinsof 1915 is shaped like a true octagon.[69]

Tetradecagonal: In 1976, Malaysia was the first country to issue14-sidedcoins, the non-circulating 10 (silver) and 200 (gold) ringgit.[70]Australia started to issue a series of non-circulating 14-sided 50 cents coins dedicated to theChinese zodiacin 2012.[71]

Rectangular: Jersey[72]and Fiji[73]have issued non-circulating rectangular coins.

Oval: Fiji and Poland have issued some non-circulating oval coins.[74][75]

Quarter circle: Poland has issued a 10 złotych coin in the shape of a quarter circle.[76]

Spheres: Niue issued the first official (non-circulating) spherical coin with a face value of 7 New Zealand dollars.[77]Several other countries followed soon with spherical coins, like Poland and Barbados. A 2008–2014 1 dollar sphere issue from Somalia is considered afantasy coin,it was not officially issued by Somalia.[78]

Yin Yang: Fiji has issued some Yin Yang shaped coins.[79]

Arc (section of a circle with a hole): China started to issue a series of arc-shaped coins in the year 2000.[80]

Heart: Several countries have issued non-circulating heart shaped coins, like China, Cook Islands and Poland.[81]

Maps: Nauru has issued some non-circulating map shaped coins.[82][83]Australia also has issued some non-circulating map shaped coins (1 dollar coins in the shape of the map of Australia).[84]

Coca-Cola cap: Fiji has issued some non-circulating coins shaped like the cap of aCoca-Colabottle.[85]

Cannabis leaf: Benin issued a non-circulating100 CFA francs coinshaped like a cannabis leaf in 2011.[86]

Masks: Fiji issued anIron ManMask and aSpider-ManMask coin in 2019, both non-circulating.[87][88]

See also

edit

References

edit
  1. ^Plautz, Jason (13 May 2013)."11 Unusually Shaped Coins".Mental Floss.Retrieved1 July2018.
  2. ^2 Dollars – Elizabeth II (3rd portrait) – Cook Islands.Numista.
  3. ^50 Cents – Beatrix / Willem-Alexander (magnetic) – Aruba.Numista.
  4. ^5 Cents – Wilhelmina I (German Occupation) – Netherlands – Numista.En.numista.com. Retrieved on 2021-05-23.
  5. ^5 Poisha (FAO) – Bangladesh.Numista.
  6. ^5 Cents – Wilhelmina – Netherlands – Numista.En.numista.com. Retrieved on 2021-05-23.
  7. ^5 Poisha – Bangladesh.Numista.
  8. ^1 Pound – Elizabeth II (Battle of Jersey) – Jersey.Numista.
  9. ^5 Cents – Edward VII – Ceylon.Numista.
  10. ^½ Anna – George VI – India – British.Numista.
  11. ^1 Paisa – India.Numista.
  12. ^1/16 Riyal – Ahmad – Mutawakkilite Kingdom.Numista.
  13. ^⅛ Riyal – al-Nasir Ahmad bin Yahya – Mutawakkilite Kingdom.Numista.
  14. ^5 Rubles – Transnistria.Numista.
  15. ^2 Francs – Léopold III – Belgian Congo.Numista.
  16. ^2 Qirsh – Farouk – Egypt.Numista.
  17. ^3 Paise – India.Numista.
  18. ^20 Paise – India – Numista.En.numista.com. Retrieved on 2021-05-23.
  19. ^25 Pyas – Myanmar.Numista.
  20. ^10 Ariary (motto A) – Madagascar.Numista.
  21. ^20 Pence – Elizabeth II (2nd portrait) – United Kingdom – Numista.En.numista.com. Retrieved on 2021-05-23.
  22. ^50 New Pence – Elizabeth II (2nd portrait) – United Kingdom – Numista.En.numista.com. Retrieved on 2021-05-23.
  23. ^1 Dollar – (large type) – Barbados.Numista.
  24. ^5 Thebe – Botswana.Numista.
  25. ^Houston, Kevin(8 July 2011)."Curves of constant width – The 50p story".Retrieved1 July2018.
  26. ^1 Peso – Chile.Numista.
  27. ^5 Pesos – Chile.Numista.
  28. ^25 Cents (1st Anniversary of Republic) – Malta – Numista.En.numista.com. Retrieved on 2021-05-23.
  29. ^50 Līrah / Pounds (stainless steel) – Lebanon.Numista.
  30. ^50 Leones – Sierra Leone.Numista.
  31. ^5 Baht – Rama IX – Thailand.Numista.
  32. ^1 Dollar – Elizabeth II (2nd portrait) – Tuvalu.Numista.
  33. ^Lopez, Melissa (December 17, 2019)."LOOK: Here are the new ₱5, ₱20 coins".CNN Philippines.Archived fromthe originalon October 5, 2020.RetrievedSeptember 17,2020.
  34. ^5 Dollars – Elizabeth II (2nd portrait) – Hong Kong.Numista.
  35. ^2 Piso – Philippines.Numista.
  36. ^50 Pesos – Chile.Numista.
  37. ^1 Peso (Montesinos, Enriquillo, Lemba) – Dominican Republic.Numista.
  38. ^50 Cents (Wide legend) – Jamaica.Numista.
  39. ^20 Ariary (motto A) – Madagascar.Numista.
  40. ^2 Rupees (National Integration; hendecagonal type) – India.Numista.
  41. ^1 Dollar – Elizabeth II (2nd portrait) – Canada – Numista.En.numista.com. Retrieved on 2021-05-23.
  42. ^50 Ariary (motto A) – Madagascar.Numista.
  43. ^3 Pence – George VI – Fiji.Numista.
  44. ^¼ Shilling – Elizabeth II (1st portrait) – Jersey – Numista.En.numista.com. Retrieved on 2021-05-23.
  45. ^1 Pound – Elizabeth II (5th portrait; Nations of the Crown) – United Kingdom – Numista.En.numista.com. Retrieved on 2021-05-23.
  46. ^50 Cents – Elizabeth II (2nd Portrait – Dodecagonal type) – Australia.Numista.
  47. ^50 Cents – Elizabeth II (2nd portrait) – Fiji.Numista.
  48. ^50 Cents – Elizabeth II (3rd portrait; non-magnetic) – Solomon Islands.Numista.
  49. ^50 Seniti – Taufa'ahau Tupou IV – Tonga.Numista.
  50. ^25 Kuna (Danube Region) – Croatia – Numista.En.numista.com. Retrieved on 2021-05-23.
  51. ^20 Korun – Czech Republic.Numista.
  52. ^200 Millièmes – Tunisia – Numista.En.numista.com. Retrieved on 2021-05-23.
  53. ^5 Dirhams – Zayed (15th Hijrah Century) – United Arab Emirates – Numista.En.numista.com. Retrieved on 2021-05-23.
  54. ^"Why Do Some Ancient Coins Have Holes In Them?".Retrieved3 July2018.
  55. ^Gordenker, Alice (20 June 2006)."5 yen and 50 yen coins".The Japan Times.Retrieved3 July2018.
  56. ^1 Cash – Malay peninsula.Numista.
  57. ^1 Pitis – Malay peninsula.Numista.
  58. ^1 Pice – George VI – India – British.Numista.
  59. ^1 Pice – Pakistan.Numista.
  60. ^1 Shu "Kaei Isshugin" – Japan.Numista.
  61. ^2 Shu – Tempo (Edo mint) – Japan.Numista.
  62. ^100 Mon "Dōzanshihō Tōhyaku" – Kubota Domain.Numista.
  63. ^Chōgin "Genbun Chōgin" (6 stamps) – Japan.Numista.
  64. ^100 Mon "Tenpōtsūhō" – Japan.Numista.
  65. ^1 Ryō "Man'en Koban" – Japan.Numista.
  66. ^1 Bit – Barbados.Numista.
  67. ^1 Dollar – Elizabeth II (Wreck of the Sea Venture) – Bermuda.Numista.
  68. ^1 Crown – Elizabeth II Tutankhamun: Death Mask.Numista.
  69. ^50 Dollars (Panama–Pacific Exposition) – United States.Numista.
  70. ^10 Ringgit – (3rd Malaysian Plan) – Malaysia.Numista.
  71. ^50 Cents – Elizabeth II (4th Portrait – Year of the Dragon) – Australia.Numista.
  72. ^50 Pence – Elizabeth II (The Battle of Hastings 50 Pence Silver Coin-Bar) – Jersey.Numista.
  73. ^1 Dollar (Berlin) – Fiji.Numista.
  74. ^10 Dollars – Elizabeth II (Apocalypse I Prophecy of Maya Calendar) – Fiji.Numista.
  75. ^10 Złotych (Grunwald) – Poland.Numista.
  76. ^10 Złotych (Expo 2005) – Poland – Numista.En.numista.com. Retrieved on 2021-05-23.
  77. ^7 Dollars – Elizabeth II (Seven New Wonders of The World) – Niue.Numista.
  78. ^1 Dollar (Volume geometrical figures – Sphere) – Somalia.Numista.
  79. ^1 Dollar (Year of the Goat) – Fiji.Numista.
  80. ^10 Yuan (Year of the Dragon; Silver Bullion) – People's Republic of China.Numista.
  81. ^10 Złotych (Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity) – Poland.Numista.
  82. ^10 Dollars – Elizabeth II (German Mark) – Nauru.Numista.
  83. ^10 Dollars – Elizabeth II (Euro Coinage) – Nauru.Numista.
  84. ^1 Dollar – Elizabeth II (4th Portrait – World Expo – Australia Map Coin) – Australia.Numista.
  85. ^1 Dollar (Coca-Cola) – Fiji.Numista.
  86. ^100 Francs CFA (Cannabis Sativa) – Benin.Numista.
  87. ^5 Dollars (Ironman Mask) – Fiji.Numista.
  88. ^5 Dollars (Spiderman Mask) – Fiji.Numista.
Wikimedia Commons has media related toCoins by shape.
edit
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Coinage_shapes&oldid=1202543728#Holed"