A Medal or A Coin?

A MEDAL? FOR WHAT?

Year 2004, I was back in Laos again to visit my sister who was teaching English in Vientiane and to see friends (I lived there for I think 6 years, between 1997-2004) As usual when I visit a city I go looking for a coin anywhere in between my catching up with friends and site seeing. When I lived in Laos I have never bought a single coin, I found one on the street. Anyway, this time was different. I didn't really know where to buy them but as Laos try to attract more tourist to come they have managed to fix a few landmarks including the famous and one of the country's symbol "Patuxai" or Victory Monument, built in 1969, resembling Arc de Triumph in Paris) on Lane Xang Avenue in the Capital of Vientiane. This time the inside doesn't have this musty punget smell anymore instead they have stalls of souvenirs etc. I was excited of course, I paid like 2 bucks or more to get in and up there. That's where I found my next "medal" here, this souvenir. I am not quite sure what this is. I am sure it's Thai and it's King Chulalongkorn The Great of Thailand or Rama V (1868-1910) but other than that I have no idea. Information is welcome, specially the date.

Note: Searching an hour later after I posted this one I found out (not confirmed) that this is a 1908 1 Baht, KM-Y39, and a website is selling this for $75.oo The real one are apparently very rare. There are very good counterfeits / counterfeits produced around however selling for $15. I have no idea if mine is authentic or not, unlike the counterfeit one and the one selling for $75, mine doesn't have a crown on the 3-headed Elephant

The Tobacco Smile and one good Trade Dollar

Some years ago my husband and I decided to spent our new year in China. He's been to this lovely place before we got married and he wanted to take me there. So after a long night's trip in a stuffy bus from Yunnan to this old town called Lijiang I found myself fascinated with all these old people early in the morning, old men with birds in particular, basking in the sun, blowing smoke and with tobacco smile, it was a few degrees below zero. Some of them with a flask of hot tea warming their hands. It looks so serene, I felt like invading their privacy, well until midday when all these buses filled with Chinese tourist swarmed the place then I seemed to be insignificant by stander! Anyway, after a good Chinese tea and a good "noodley" breakfast or something like that, while my husband was busy taking pictures I set off to find my ultimate buy for the day. I had three things in mind, coin, vase and something antique, it didn't matter if two are in one find. In a big open area after a stone arch bridge I saw this old guy with his tobacco smile holding an open box with some goodies on it. He had one coin. I've never seen a coin like that before let alone that big. I have never really heard anything about Trade Dollars either. The coin looked very interesting, it definitely looked "antique" to me, it could be a souvenir. So I haggled for a price, which made me felt bad because it wasn't really that expensive and this old guy really had a sweet smile, reminded me of a sweet old granddad. I didn't insist more, bought the coin and a pair of silver chopsticks and some stones, just to make him feel lucky and set for the day because I think I was his very first customer. Anyway, I left satisfied, that was the very first coin I actually bought.
Coin: Japanese Trade Dollar
Value: 1 yen (also known as Dragon Yen)
Year: 1877 (Meiji 10)

It took me a while to identify the coin. The first image, notice the flower on top, that is a Japanese Royal Symbol or the Royal Family Crest called Kiku or chrysanthemum. Underneath it is what says 1 ("-") and the symbol after that says "yen". The next image (the other side of the coin), the Kanji Characters says more or less Meiji 10 (1877) Japan. Unless I am wrong. I am open to correction and it is one of my favorites. This one is in very good condition and rare.

Modern Japanese Coins

Cyprus 50 Cents

I received 6 coins from Cyprus today. A 50 cent coin is shown here, 7-lobed, depicting the abduction of Europe by Zeus transfigured into a bull. The inscription "King Timocharis" on the reverse side in Cyprosyllabic and the face value of the coin. This coin's date is 1996, made out of alloy and nickel. The reverse side is the Government's Emblem.

More info HERE and go to "Cyprus Economy" link then look for Currency.

The Coin

One of the coins I mentioned in my previous post. The other side has the Liberty on it. This one is going to Singapore to one of my friends who also collects coins. In return he will identify all the Nepali coins I have collected during my stay in Nepal.

The Bucket Has Tipped Over

I have been waiting to get loose change of the 1 dollar coin that commemorates US dead Presidents. It seems like people are hoarding them. Anyway, one night my husband came home from work and said he has a surprise for me. He pulled out a bunch of 1 dollar coins. I asked him where he found them. He said from the car park after he paid/fed too much bill into the machine and spit all these 1 dollar coin in change. Wowweeeee . . . . imagine my luck. The bunch even had some of the errors in it.