> Sometimes I look at coins as art. Several South American countries turn out some beautiful coins. Brazil does the ones I like best.

> Canada always has a monarch on one side but the "tails" side shows a lot of variety. I like that nickel with the beaver on the back.

And if you get a few Canadian coins from different time periods and look at the pictures on the obverse, you'll notice that they've changed over time. The penny, for example.

1958: The writing around the edge is "Elizabeth II Dei Gratia Regina". QEII herself seems to be wearing a simple laurel wreath.
1967: "Dei Gratia" has now been shortened to "D.G.". The profile enlarged slightly, and a regular crown is placed around the crown of her head. Also, since this is a centennial penny, the reverse has a dove and "Canada 1867-1967" instead of the usual maple leaves and year.
1975, 1976, 1980, 1983, 1989: The profile changes e-e-ever so slightly over time.
1998: QEII is shown aged with a larger crown on top of her head. She also gets a necklace and earrings.

> US coins are nice too. I like the half-dollars best, but the new state quarters are probably the most beautiful US coin yet. About 100 years ago, US cents had an Indian on the front. He was so popular, they started putting one on the nickel in 1913. But by that time, Abe Lincoln had displaced the once-cent Indian and Thomas Jefferson booted the five-cent Indian in 1939.

I have a half-dollar from 1942. It's pretty neat, though tarnished.

> I guess there is a good history lesson in there somewhere. There might be a good poll question, too.
> Howard

While we're on the subject of coinage... Can anybody from Suomi (a.k.a. Finland) tell me why this coin says both "pennia" and "penni"? Did somebody say, "Oh, I just saw 'penni' on it, and didn't know what denomination it was."? Are there people who speak a particular dialect who will feel put out if it's not included?

Nyperold