NGC Registry

Collection Manager >

The U.S. Mint Goes to War

Category:  Thematic & Topical Coins
Owner:  coin928
Last Modified:  2/15/2024
  
Set Description
This set was inspired by an excellent article entitled “The U.S. Mint Goes To War” written by Jeff Starck for the December 5th, 2011 issue of “Coin World.” This article is very well written and provides a lot of detail about many of the coins and the nations they were minted for, much of which has been included in the individual coin descriptions. The set description just provides an overview of this very interesting subset of a much larger series.

An act of Congress passed on January 29, 1874, authorized the U.S. Mint to strike coins for foreign countries. It allows the U.S. Mint to strike coins for any foreign country, provided that it does not interfere with the production of coins for the United States. American industry provided the majority of the Allied military equipment used to win the war, and the U.S. Mint also dramatically increased its production to fill the void when foreign mints were unable or unavailable to produce the necessary coinage. In order to satisfy the increased demand for domestic and foreign coinage, the mints in Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco all drastically increased the size of their staff and hit new production records with each successive year of the war.

Annual Foreign Coin Production for the years covered by this set.
_Year__Number of Coins__Number of Countries/Colonies_
193915,725,0004
194033,170,0004
1941208,403,5006
1942307,737,00010
1943186,682,00812
1944788,498,00013
19451,802,376,0046
1946504,528,0004

(My country count by year is taken from mint records and differs slightly from those specified in the Coin World article)

It needs to be noted that there are many cases in this series where the date on the coin does NOT reflect the year in which it was minted. I have tried to indicate where this has occurred in the individual coin descriptions.

There are a variety of reasons these coins were struck, including:
  • Nations that were dependent on the U.S. mint for their coinage regardless of the war.
  • Allied nations that were unable to produce their own coins.
  • Colonies of allied nations that were dependent on their homeland mint for coinage.
  • Neutral nations that were indirectly impacted by the war.
  • Nations and colonies where the U.S. presence increased the demand for coins.
By my count, there are 187 coins in this set, not including unintended varieties. Consequently, this set is only about half complete and truly a work in progress. I have many more coins for this set that are yet to be graded and others that are in too poor of a condition to warrant grading.

The set is ordered by Year, Country and Denomination to emphasize the volume of coins minted in each year. The slot description includes the year, mint mark (if any) Country/Colony and denomination. The Netherlands and associated colonies of The East Indies(current day Indonesia), Curaçao, and Suriname, are grouped together. Curaçao, and Suriname are completely commingled since most of those coins were struck for both Colonies, and any that are identified as having been struck for only one, surely circulated in the other.

Please see my other Custom set Foreign Coins Struck at United States Mints for my efforts at obtaining one each of all of the foreign coins struck by the U.S. Mint and other private mints in the U.S.A.

UPDATE: 1/11/2019
I would like to thank NGC for recognizing this set with the "Most Informative Set" award for 2018. The following are the judges comments concerning this set.

Inspired by an article published in Coin World, the owner of this set has the goal of obtaining one example of every coin struck by the U. S. Mint for other countries during World War II (1939-45). Some 187 in total (including a few 1946 issues for war-ravaged nations), the owner's goal of owning them all is presently halfway complete. Each piece is very well illustrated, with much detailed information about the coin and its historical context. An extremely informative essay on the U. S. Mint's production of foreign coins makes for a great article in itself.

UPDATE: 10/30/2019
I put the registry award prize to good use and had quite a few more raw coins graded, some of which were errors or varieties. These include coins from Australia, El Salvador, French Indo-China, Panama, and most notably, Peru. Thanks again to NGC for making these additions possible. The basic set is now almost 65% complete.

UPDATE: 4/14/2020
This set was created in 2015, and had been viewed roughly 1,000 times when it won the 2018 Most Informative Set award on January 11, 2019. In just 15 months, the view count has now exceeded 101,000! That is roughly three times more than any other NGC Custom Set and means it is being viewed between 6,000 and 7,000 times per month compared to just 30 views per month before the award! Based on these numbers, I suspect that another website or websites may have linked to it. While I'm pleased that it is receiving a wider audience, I am curious as to how people are finding it. If you have come to this set from a link on another website, please send a short email to "coin928 (at) live.com" to let me know how you found it. -- Thanks!

References
  • The U.S. Mint Goes to War, Jeff Starck, Coin World, December 2011, Vol. 52, Issue 2695, pp 135-144
  • Foreign Coins Stuck At United States Mints, by Charles, G. Altz and E.H. Barton, Whitman Publishing Company, Racine, Wisconsin, 1964. (Out of print, but used copies can be found without much difficulty by searching the internet.)
  • Domestic and Foreign Coins Manufactured by Mints of the United States 1793-1980, by the Department of the Treasury/Bureau of the Mint and issued by the Government Printing Office Washington in 1981.
  • Foreign Coins Struck at Mints in The United States, by Philip Steiner and Michael Zimpfer, Wispering Pines Printing, Indiana, 1974. (Out of Print)
  • Standard Catalog of World Coins, Krause Publications, various editions.
Rev: 1/19/2024

Set Goals
The coins in this set encompass all of the coins produced by the U.S. Mint for circulation in foreign countries during World War II. World War II is generally considered to have begun in Europe with the invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939, and officially ended with VJ-Day on August 14, 1945. I have include 1946 since many foreign mints did not go back into full production immediately, and there was still a need for the U.S. Mint to provide coins for the post-war rebuilding effort. I have also included the two 1947 MacArthur commemorative coins minted for the Philippines because they mark the transition from War to Peace time production and seem like a fitting end to this set.

Slot Name
Origin/Country
Item Description
Full Grade
Owner Comments
Pics
View Coin 1939 Cuba, Peso CUBA PESO 1939 KM-22 NGC MS 62 Cuba - 1939(P) Peso ABC Type - KM #22 - Mintage: 9,200,000

These coins were minted in Philadelphia for circulation in Cuba. This was the first full year of production for the new ABC Type Peso. This is quite an attractive coin and exhibits the Art Deco style which was popular at the time.

Why is it called the "ABC" Peso? I was curious, so I did some quick internet research and came across a very comprehensive article in the Cuban Numismatic Association Newsletter from October 2004 entitled "DO YOU KNOW YOUR ABC’s ???" (http://www.cubanumis.com/CNANL-03/abc.html) It appears to be a reprint of a paper entitled "The story behind the 1934-1939 Cuban One Peso Issue." by Michael S. Turrini, orginally published in April, 1986. A really good description of the coin design elements can be found on CoinTalk at http://www.cointalk.com/t18539/.

From these excellent sources I learned that the "ABC" Peso was named after a clandestine group of businessmen, and a few politicians known at the time only as the ABC group. ABC got its name from the three alphabetical cells its members belonged to; A, B, and C. The ABC was organized in December, 1931, and soon won national acclaim for its ability to intimidate Gerardo Machado y Morales and his government. When Morales was overthrown in August 1933, these individuals helped Cuba achieve stability after the chaos generated by the uprising.

Date acquired: 4/30/2020 (Already graded by NGC)

Rev. 4/30/2020
View Coin 1939 Dominican Republic, Peso DOMINICAN REPUBLIC PESO 1939 Dom.rep. KM-22 NGC XF 40 Dominican Republic - 1939 Peso (KM# 22) - Mintage: 15,000

This coin was minted by the US Mint in Philadelphia for circulation in the Dominican Republic. The weight of these coins as stated on the obverse is the same as that of the U.S. silver dollar, last minted in 1935.

The obverse shows the head of a Dominican Indian girl wearing a feathered headdress bearing the word "LIBERTAD." Around the boarder is the denomination "UN PESO," the weight "26.7 GRAMOS," and the date below the bust. The reverse is dominated by the coat-of-arms of the Republic surrounded by wreaths of palm and laurel on either side. The scroll at the top contains the incused words "DIOS PATRIA LIBERTAD" (God, Country and Liberty). The lower scroll, also incused, reads REPUBLICA DOMINCANA."

The mention of God and liberty (LIBERTAD on both sides of this coin) is very ironic given the iron-fisted nature of the Rafael Trujillo's regime (1930-1961). Economic growth was achieved by absolute repression and the copious use of murder, torture, and terrorist methods against the opposition.

The mintage for this coins is relatively small and high grade specimens are difficult (i.e. very expensive) to obtain. This coin only graded EF40, but the wear is very even and the design elements are still fully identifiable.

Date acquired: 8/27/2014 (Already graded by NGC)
Date regraded: 12/29/2014 (resubmitted to NGC)

Rev. 12/2/2015
View Coin 1939 Honduras, 1C HONDURAS 1C 1939 KM-77.1 NGC MS 65 BN Honduras - 1939 Centavo - KM-77.1 - Mintage:2,000,000

Struck by the Philadelphia mint for circulation in Honduras.

Date acquired: 8/24/2022 (Already graded by NGC)
Date graded: 5/7/2022

Rev. 8/25/2022
View Coin 1939 Honduras, 2C HONDURAS 2C 1939 KM-78 NGC MS 66 RD Honduras - 1939 2 Centavos - KM-78 - Mintage: 2,000,000

Minted by the Philadelphia mint for circulation in Honduras.

Date acquired: 1/19/2020 (Already graded by NGC)

Rev. 1/19/2020
View Coin 1940 El Salvador, 1C EL SALVADOR 1C 1940 Elsalvador KM-133 NGC MS 64 El Salvador - 1940 1 Centavo - KM #133 - Mintage: 1,000,000
Composition: Copper-Nickel
Weight: 2.5000g
Struck with Medallic Rotation
REPÚBLICA DE EL SALVADOR (Minted in Philadelphia - one year type)

This coin bears the image of Francisco Morazán, who was Head of State in El Salvador for less than a year from July 13, 1839 to March 18, 1840. This in and of itself would not seem significant, however Francisco Morazán was also the Head of State of Honduras (1827-1830), President of the Central American Federation from 1830-1839, and Head of State of Costa Rica (1842-1842). Morazán became a martyr and a symbol of the Republic of Central America when he was executed on September 15, 1842, for attempting to restore the union. El Salvador was one of the first countries to pay tribute to Morazán, and his image appears on much of their coinage.

Minted by the Philadelphia mint for circulation in El Salvador.

Date acquired: 1/21/2009 (Raw coin)
Date graded: 9/24/2019 (Self submitted to NGC)

Rev. 10/5/2019
View Coin 1940 French Indo-China, 10C FRENCH INDO-CHINA 10C 1940 F.i.china KM-21.1 NGC MS 66 French Indo-China - 1940 10 Centimes (KM #21.1) - Mintage:25,505,000 (Total all mints)

At first glance, it would appear that this coin was minted by the Paris mint based on the Privy marks on the reverse. The dies were prepared in Paris, but these coins were struck in pure nickel by the U.S. Mint in San Francisco.

Most coins struck this year are softly struck and contain little high point detail. This coin however, is beautifully struck and very well preserved for this date.

Date acquired: 3/13/2016 (Already graded by NGC)

Rev 5/23/2018
View Coin 1940 Nicaragua, 1C NICARAGUA 1C 1940 KM-11 NGC MS 64 RB Nicaragua - 1940(P) Centavo - (KM # 11) - Mintage: 2,000,000

Minted in Bronze by the US Mint. in Philadelphia.

Date acquired: 10/27/2020 (Already graded by NGC)

Rev. 10/28/2020
View Coin 1940 Panama, 1 1/4C PANAMA 1.25C 1940 KM-15 NGC MS 64 BN Panama 1 1/4 Centésimos (KM #15) - Mintage: 1,600,000

Minted by the Philadelphia Mint or circulation in Panama.

Date acquired: 5/23/2009 (Raw coin)
Date graded: 9/24/2019 (Self submitted to NGC)

Rev. 10/4/2019
View Coin 1940 Panama, 2 1/2C PANAMA 2.5C 1940 KM-16 NGC MS 66 Panama 2 1/2 Centésimos (KM #16) - Mintage: 1,200,000

Minted by the Philadelphia Mint or circulation in Panama.

Date acquired: 12/4/2015 (already graded by NGC)

Rev. 10/4/2019

View Coin 1941S French Indo-China, 10C FRENCH INDO-CHINA 10C 1941S F.i.china KM-21.1a NGC MS 62 French Indo-China - 1941S - 10 Centimes (KM# 21.1a) - Mintage: 50,000,000

When France fell to Germany in June of 1940, Indochina (modern day Viet Nam) became one of the first wartime clients of the U.S. Mint. The vast majority of 1940A nickel 10 Centime coins were minted by the San Francisco mint using dies created by the Paris mint, complete with the "A" mint mark. The entire region was very unstable and people began hoarding coins, thus causing a coin shortage. This issue, and a 20 Centime coin with an identical design were contracted by the French government even though Indochina had essentially fallen under Japanese control in September of 1940. The coins were minted at the San Francisco mint and even bear the "S" mint mark at the bottom of the reverse. Once Japan bombed Perl Harbor on December 7, 1941, the U.S. mint ceased all production of coinage for French Indochina. These coins were most likely hoarded as well and quickly disappeared from circulation. These coins are relatively low relief and tend to be poorly struck.

This particular coin is very well struck on the obverse, but the strike on the reverse is good in the central elements, but softens around the peripheral lettering and design elements. The "S" mint mark is very flat at the base and appears to fade into the rim. The reverse die was probably nearing the end of its life when this coin was struck.

Date acquired: 4/3/2013 (Already graded by NGC)

Rev. 11/29/2015
View Coin 1941S French Indo-China, 20C FRENCH INDO-CHINA 20C 1941S F.i.china KM-23a.2 NGC MS 64 French Indo-China - 1941S - 20 Centimes (KM# 23a.2) - Mintage: 25,000,000

When France fell to Germany in June of 1940, Indochina (modern day Viet Nam) became one of the first wartime clients of the U.S. Mint. The vast majority of 1940A nickel 10 Centime coins were minted by the San Francisco mint using dies created by the Paris mint, complete with the "A" mint mark. The entire region was very unstable and people began hoarding coins, thus causing a coin shortage. This issue, and a 10 Centime coin with an identical design were contracted by the French government even though Indochina had essentially fallen under Japanese control in September of 1940. The coins were minted at the San Francisco mint and even bear the "S" mint mark at the bottom of the reverse. Once Japan bombed Perl Harbor on December 7, 1941, the U.S. mint ceased all production of coinage for French Indochina. These coins were most likely hoarded as well and quickly disappeared from circulation. These coins are relatively low relief and tend to be poorly struck.

This particular coin exhibits a fairly typical soft strike. The "S" mint mark is however quite noticeable on the reverse.

Date acquired: 5/4/2014 (Already graded by NGC)

Rev. 11/29/2015
View Coin 1941 Liberia, 1/2C LIBERIA 1/2C 1941 KM-10a NGC MS 66 Liberia - 1941 1/2 cent - KM #10a - Mintage: 250,000

Minted by the Philadelphia mint for circulation in Liberia. These coins had been struck by the mint in Birmingham, England but during the war, the original Birmingham dies were sent to the Philadelphia mint for striking.

This design was struck in Half Cent, One Cent, and Two Cent denominations. The Half and Two Cent denominations must not have been received well because high grade samples of each are relatively easy to find. The one Cent coin however must have been quite popular because these are very difficult to obtain.

This particular coin is a very nice example of the half cent coin.

Date acquired: 8/10/2022 (Already graded by NGC)

Rev. 8/10/2022
View Coin 1941 Liberia, 1C LIBERIA CENT 1941 KM-11a NGC MS 64 Liberia - 1941 Cent - KM #11a - Mintage: 250,000

Minted by the Philadelphia mint for circulation in Liberia. These coins had been struck by the mint in Birmingham, England but during the war, the original Birmingham dies were sent to the Philadelphia mint for striking.

This design was struck in Half Cent, One Cent, and Two Cent denominations. The Half and Two Cent denominations must not have been received well because high grade samples of each are relatively easy to find. The one Cent coin however must have been quite popular because these are quite difficult to obtain.

I was very fortunate to find this one as a raw coin. I had hoped that this coin might grade MS65, but as of this revision, there are three graded by NGC at MS64 with only one finer at MS65, so this is about as good as it gets for now.

Date acquired: 2/9/2021 (raw coin)
Date graded: 7/8/2021 (self submitted to NGC)

Rev. 2/13/2024
View Coin 1941 Liberia, 2C LIBERIA 2C 1941 KM-12a NGC MS 65 Liberia - 1941 2 cent - KM #12a - Mintage: 810,000

Minted by the Philadelphia mint for circulation in Liberia. These coins had been struck by the mint in Birmingham, England but during the war, the original Birmingham dies were sent to the Philadelphia mint for striking.

This design was struck in Half Cent, One Cent, and Two Cent denominations. The Half and Two Cent denominations must not have been received well because high grade samples of each are relatively easy to find. The one Cent coin however must have been quite popular because these are quite difficult to obtain.

Date acquired: 7/4/2011 (Already graded by NGC)

Rev. 11/28/2015
View Coin 1941P Netherlands-Curaçao/Suriname, 10C CURACAO 10C 1941P KM-37 NGC MS 62 Curaçao/Suriname -1941 P (Palm Privy) - (KM #37) - Total Mintage: 800,000
Curaçao: 300,000 minted in 1941
Suriname: 500,000 minted in 1941

Obverse: Head of Queen of the Netherlands Wilhelmina I facing left
Obverse Legend: WILHELMINA KONINGIN DER NEDERLANDEN (Wilhelmina, Queen of the Netherlands)
Reverse: Denomination and date within wreath
Reverse Legend: none
Edge: Reeded

This coin was minted by the Philadelphia Mint during World War II for circulation in the Dutch Colonies of Curaçao and Suriname. 800,000 coins were struck in 1941, 300,000 for Curaçao and 500,000 for Suriname. It even bears the "P" mint mark just below the second "1" in the date in addition to the Palm tree privy mark used by the Dutch mints to distinguish similar looking coinage intended for the colonies from those intended for circulation in the The Netherlands. The privy mark on those coins is an acorn. The Palm tree was used on nearly all colonial coinage even though in many cases there would have been no confusion given other markings on the coin.

It should be noted that the claim made on the U.S. Mint web site that 1942 was the first year that the Philadelphia mint identified itself on a coin using the "P" mint mark is clearly NOT true. The Philadelphia mint produced no less than four different coins in 1941 bearing a "P" mint mark. The others are the 25 Cent coin minted for Curaçao and Suriname and the .Netherlands East Indies 1/10G. and 1/4G. To be completely accurate, the Philadelphia mint first identified itself on a coin intended for circulation 47 years earlier. "Philadelphia" is fully spelled out on the reverse of the Dos Decimos de Sucre minted for Ecuador in 1895!

The portrait of Queen Wilhelmina used on the Dutch coinage changed as the Queen aged. At the time these coins were struck, the Queen was 61 years old and was living in exile in England. The third style of her left facing portrait which dominates the obverse of this coin, was first used in 1921 when she was just 41 years old.

This particular coin is a very nice example of this dual country issue and is the finest graded by NGC. It is also the plate coin for the NGC price guide.

Date acquired: 7/26/2014 (raw coin)
Date graded: 9/18/2015 (self submitted to NGC)

Rev. 12/5/2018
View Coin 1941P Netherlands-Curaçao/Suriname, 25C CURACAO 25C 1941P KM-38 NGC AU 55 Curaçao/Suriname - 1941 P (Palm Privy) 25 Cents - KM-38 - Total Mintage: 1,100,000
Curaçao: 500,000 minted in 1941
Suriname: 300,000 minted in 1941
Suriname: 300,000 minted in 1942, but still dated 1941

Obverse: Head of Queen of the Netherlands Wilhelmina I facing left
Obverse Legend: WILHELMINA KONINGIN DER NEDERLANDEN (Wilhelmina, Queen of the Netherlands)
Reverse: Denomination and date within wreath
Reverse Legend: none
Edge: Reeded

This coin was minted by the Philadelphia Mint during World War II for circulation in the Dutch Colonies of Curaçao and Suriname. 800,000 coins were struck in 1941, 500,000 for Curaçao and 300,000 for Suriname. 300,000 more were struck in 1942 (still dated 1941) for Suriname. It even bears the "P" mint mark just below the second "1" in the date in addition to the Palm tree privy mark used by the Dutch mints to distinguish similar looking coinage intended for the colonies from those intended for circulation in the The Netherlands. The privy mark on those coins is an acorn. The Palm tree was used on nearly all colonial coinage even though in many cases there would have been no confusion given other markings on the coin.

It should be noted that the claim made on the U.S. Mint web site that 1942 was the first year that the Philadelphia mint identified itself on a coin using the "P" mint mark is clearly NOT true. The Philadelphia mint produced no less than four different coins in 1941 bearing a "P" mint mark. The others are the 10 Cent coin minted for Curaçao and Suriname and the .Netherlands East Indies 1/10G. and 1/4G. To be completely accurate, the Philadelphia mint first identified itself on a coin intended for circulation 47 years earlier. "Philadelphia" is fully spelled out on the reverse of the Dos Decimos de Sucre minted for Ecuador in 1895!

The portrait of Queen Wilhelmina used on the Dutch coinage changed as the Queen aged. At the time these coins were struck, the Queen was 61 years old and was living in exile in England. The third style of her left facing portrait which dominates the obverse of this coin, was first used in 1921 when she was just 41 years old.

This particular coin is not very pretty, but high grade uncirculated examples of this issue are surprisingly difficult to find.

Date acquired: 12/29/2005 (raw coin)
Date graded: 9/18/2015 (self submitted to NGC)

Rev. 12/5/2018
View Coin 1941P Netherlands-Indies, 1/10G N.E.INDIES 1/10G 1941P N.e.indies KM-318 NGC MS 66 Netherlands East Indies - 1941P 1/10 G - KM #318 - Mintage: 41,850,000

Obverse: Crowned Shield from the coat of arms dividing the denomination
Obverse Legend: NEDERL. INDIE. (Netherlands Indies)
Reverse: Arabic text reiterating the denomination of the coin.
Reverse Legend: Javanese text reiterating the denomination of the coin.
Edge: Reeded

This coin was minted by the Philadelphia mint during World War II for the Dutch colony now known as Indonesia, and it even bears the "P" mint mark to the right of the date. It also has the Palm tree privy mark which was used by the Dutch mints to distinguish similar looking coinage intended for the colonies from that intended for circulation in the The Netherlands. The privy mark on those coins is an acorn. The Palm tree was used on nearly all colonial coinage even though in this case there would have been no confusion given the reverse of this coin.

It should be noted that the claim made on the U.S. Mint web site that 1942 was the first year that the Philadelphia mint identified itself on a coin using the "P" mint mark is clearly NOT true. The Philadelphia mint produced no less than four different coins in 1941 bearing a "P" mint mark. The others are the Netherlands East Indies 1/4G., and the 10 and 25 Cent coins minted for Curaçao and Suriname. To be completely accurate, the Philadelphia mint first identified itself on a coin intended for circulation 47 years earlier. "Philadelphia" is fully spelled out on the reverse of the Dos Decimos de Sucre minted for Ecuador in 1895!

The primary element on the obverse is the central shield from the Dutch coat of arms topped by the Dutch royal crown. The background (field) of the shield is azure which is a dark royal blue that is represented by horizontal lines in engraving. Also part of the background is gold billetty which are vertically oriented gold blocks, twice as long as they are wide, arranged in rows but not directly underneath each other. A hatched pattern of dots is used in engraving to represent the gold color of the billets. The lion is rampant (standing on his back legs), crowned with a coronet, and is also gold with a red tongue and red claws. In his sinister (left front) paw he is holding seven silver arrows bound together with a gold ribbon, representing the seven provinces of the Union of Utrecht. In his dexter (right front) paw he is brandishing a silver sword with a golden hilt representing the determination to defend their liberty.

This particular coin is the single finest known graded by NGC.

Date acquired: 4/27/2022 (already graded by NGC)

Rev. 4/28/2022
View Coin 1941S Netherlands-Indies, 1/10G N.E.INDIES 1/10G 1941S N.e.indies KM-318 NGC MS 65 Netherlands East Indies - 1941S 1/10 G - KM #318 - Mintage: 58,150,000

Obverse: Crowned Shield from the coat of arms dividing the denomination
Obverse Legend: NEDERL. INDIE. (Netherlands Indies)
Reverse: Arabic text reiterating the denomination of the coin.
Reverse Legend: Javanese text reiterating the denomination of the coin.
Edge: Reeded

This coin was minted by the San Francisco mint during World War II for the Dutch colony now known as Indonesia, and it even bears the "S" mint mark to the right of the date. It also has the Palm tree privy mark which was used by the Dutch mints to distinguish similar looking coinage intended for the colonies from that intended for circulation in the The Netherlands. The privy mark on those coins is an acorn. The Palm tree was used on nearly all colonial coinage even though in this case there would have been no confusion given the reverse of this coin.

The primary element on the obverse is the central shield from the Dutch coat of arms topped by the Dutch royal crown. The background (field) of the shield is azure which is a dark royal blue that is represented by horizontal lines in engraving. Also part of the background is gold billetty which are vertically oriented gold blocks, twice as long as they are wide, arranged in rows but not directly underneath each other. A hatched pattern of dots is used in engraving to represent the gold color of the billets. The lion is rampant (standing on his back legs), crowned with a coronet, and is also gold with a red tongue and red claws. In his sinister (left front) paw he is holding seven silver arrows bound together with a gold ribbon, representing the seven provinces of the Union of Utrecht. In his dexter (right front) paw he is brandishing a silver sword with a golden hilt representing the determination to defend their liberty.

As of this revision, this is the finest (and only) example to have been graded by NGC. PCGS has graded one other at this level and one finer at MS66.

Date acquired: 7/10/2006 (raw coin)
Date graded: 9/28/2018 (self submitted to NGC)

Rev. 12/5/2018
View Coin 1941P Netherlands-Indies, 1/4G N.E.INDIES 1/4G 1941P N.e.indies KM-319 NGC MS 67 Netherlands East Indies - 1941P 1/4 G - KM #319 - Mintage: 34,947,000

Obverse: Crowned Shield from the coat of arms dividing the denomination
Obverse Legend: NEDERL. INDIE. (Netherlands Indies)
Reverse: Arabic text reiterating the denomination of the coin.
Reverse Legend: Javanese text reiterating the denomination of the coin.
Edge: Reeded

This coin was minted by the Philadelphia mint during World War II for the Dutch colony now known as Indonesia, and it even bears the "P" mint mark to the right of the date. It also has the Palm tree privy mark which was used by the Dutch mints to distinguish similar looking coinage intended for the colonies from that intended for circulation in the The Netherlands. The privy mark on those coins is an acorn. The Palm tree was used on nearly all colonial coinage even though in this case there would have been no confusion given the reverse of this coin.

It should be noted that the claim made on the U.S. Mint web site that 1942 was the first year that the Philadelphia mint identified itself on a coin using the P mint mark is clearly NOT true. The Philadelphia mint produced no less than four different coins in 1941 bearing a P mint mark. The others are the Netherlands East Indies 1/10G, and the 10 and 25 Cent coins minted for Curaçao and Suriname. To be completely accurate, the Philadelphia mint first identified itself on a coin intended for circulation 47 years earlier. PHILADELPHIA is fully spelled out on the reverse of the Dos Decimos de Sucre minted for Ecuador in 1895!

The primary element on the obverse is the central shield from the Dutch coat of arms topped by the Dutch royal crown. The background (field) of the shield is azure which is a dark royal blue that is represented by horizontal lines in engraving. Also part of the background is gold billetty which are vertically oriented gold blocks, twice as long as they are wide, arranged in rows but not directly underneath each other. A hatched pattern of dots is used in engraving to represent the gold color of the billets. The lion is rampant (standing on his back legs), crowned with a coronet, and is also gold with a red tongue and red claws. In his sinister (left front) paw he is holding seven silver arrows bound together with a gold ribbon, representing the seven provinces of the Union of Utrecht. In his dexter (right front) paw he is brandishing a silver sword with a golden hilt representing the determination to defend their liberty.

This particular coin is very well struck in the date area of the obverse, unlike many seen of this date, NGC has graded 3 at MS67 with one finer at MS67+.

Date acquired: 4/27/2022 (already graded by NGC)

Rev. 4/28/2022
View Coin 1941S Netherlands-Indies, 1/4G N.E.INDIES 1/4G 1941S N.e.indies KM-319 NGC MS 64 Netherlands East Indies - 1941S 1/4 G - KM #319 - Mintage: 5,053,000

Obverse: Crowned Shield from the coat of arms dividing the denomination
Obverse Legend: NEDERL. INDIE. (Netherlands Indies)
Reverse: Arabic text reiterating the denomination of the coin.
Reverse Legend: Javanese text reiterating the denomination of the coin.
Edge: Reeded

This coin was minted by the San Francisco mint during World War II for the Dutch colony now known as Indonesia, and it even bears the "S" mint mark to the right of the date. It also has the Palm tree privy mark which was used by the Dutch mints to distinguish similar looking coinage intended for the colonies from that intended for circulation in the The Netherlands. The privy mark on those coins is an acorn. The Palm tree was used on nearly all colonial coinage even though in this case there would have been no confusion given the reverse of this coin.

The primary element on the obverse is the central shield from the Dutch coat of arms topped by the Dutch royal crown. The background (field) of the shield is azure which is a dark royal blue that is represented by horizontal lines in engraving. Also part of the background is gold billetty which are vertically oriented gold blocks, twice as long as they are wide, arranged in rows but not directly underneath each other. A hatched pattern of dots is used in engraving to represent the gold color of the billets. The lion is rampant (standing on his back legs), crowned with a coronet, and is also gold with a red tongue and red claws. In his sinister (left front) paw he is holding seven silver arrows bound together with a gold ribbon, representing the seven provinces of the Union of Utrecht. In his dexter (right front) paw he is brandishing a silver sword with a golden hilt representing the determination to defend their liberty.

This coin has the smallest mintage by far of all of the coins minted by the U.S. mints for circulation in the Netherlands East Indies. Despite a mintage of over five million, these coins are very difficult to obtain and finding high grade uncirculated specimens is very challenging. At the time I had this coin graded, it was the finest known specimen. Since that time, more have been graded at MS64, and three at MS65 with none finer.

Date acquired: 5/8/2006 (raw coin)
Date graded: 9/28/2018 (self submitted to NGC)

Rev. 10/5/2023
View Coin 1942D Australia, 3P AUSTRALIA - CIRCULATION 3P 1942D KM-37 NGC MS 63 Australia - 1942D 3 Pence - KM #37 - Mintage: 16,000,000

Minted by the Denver Mint for circulation in Australia during World War II. The primary reason these coins were minted was to satisfy the demand for coinage due to the large number of U.S. servicemen stationed in Australia at the time. The "D" mint mark appears on the reverse of the coin.

Date acquired: 8/3/2014 (Raw Coin)
Date graded: 5/4/2023 (Self submitted to NGC)

Rev 5/13/2023
View Coin 1942S Australia, 3P AUSTRALIA - CIRCULATION 3P 1942S KM-37 NGC AU 55 Australia - 1942S 3 Pence - KM #37 - Mintage: 8,000,000

This coin was minted by the San Francisco mint for circulation in Australia during World War II. The primary reason these coins were minted was to satisfy the demand for coinage due to the large number of U.S. servicemen stationed in Australia at the time. The "S" mint mark appears on the far right of the reverse below the 2 in the date.

For whatever reason, these coins are difficult to obtain in mint state, so I finally decided to just grade the one I had. Needless to say, it was a bit of a disappointment.

Date acquired: 3/9/2006 (Raw Coin)
Date graded: 5/4/2023 (Self submitted to NGC)

Rev 5/13/2023
View Coin 1942D Australia, 6P AUSTRALIA - CIRCULATION 6P 1942D KM-38 NGC MS 63 Australia - 1942D 6 Pence - KM #38 - Mintage: 12,000,000

This coin was minted by the US Mint in Denver for circulation in Australia during World War II. The primary reason these coins were minted was to satisfy the demand for coinage due to the large number of U.S. servicemen stationed in Australia at the time. The "D" mint mark appears on the reverse of the coin just above the date.

I don't know why it is, but the obverse of these coins are always much more beaten up than the reverse.

Date acquired: 5/16/2006 (Raw Coin)
Date graded: 5/4/2023 (Self submitted to NGC)

Rev 5/13/2023
View Coin 1942S Australia, 6P AUSTRALIA - CIRCULATION 6P 1942S KM-38 NGC MS 62 Australia - 1942S 6 Pence - KM #38 - Mintage: 4,000,000

This coin was minted by the US Mint in San Francisco for circulation in Australia during World War II. The primary reason these coins were minted was to satisfy the demand for coinage due to the large number of U.S. servicemen stationed in Australia at the time. The "S" mint mark appears on the reverse of the coin just above the date.

I don't know why it is, but the obverse of these coins are always much more beaten up than the reverse, and this coin is very typical.

Date acquired: 5/15/2023 (already graded by NGC)

Rev 5/15/2023
View Coin 1942S Australia, Shilling AUSTRALIA - CIRCULATION 1S 1942S KM-39 NGC AU 58 Australia - 1942-S Shilling KM #39 - Mintage: 4,000,000

Obverse: Head of George VI facing left
Obverse Designer: T. H. Paget
Reverse: Ram's head left above value and date
Reverse Designer: George Kruger Gray

Minted by the US Mint in San Francisco for circulation in Australia during World War II. The primary reason these coins were minted was to satisfy the demand for coinage due to the large number of U.S. servicemen stationed in Australia at the time. The "S" mint mark appears on the reverse of the coin below the rams head and above the "N" in SHILLING.".

Date acquired: 12/5/2009 (Raw coin)
Date graded: 9/24/2019 (Self submitted to NGC)

Rev. 10/6/2019
View Coin 1942 Bolivia, 10C Bolivia 10C 1942 (P) KM-179a PCGS MS 64 Bolivia - 1942 10 Centavos - KM #179a - Mintage: 10,000,000

This coin was part of a three-coin series which included zinc 10 and 20 Centavos and a bronze 50 Centavos, all dated 1942 and all struck at the United States mint in Philadelphia. The three coins all have similar designs. The obverses depict the Bolivian arms which feature the Potosi mountain silver mine, a palm tree, and an alpaca. The reverses have a caduceus, the denomination and date. Bolivia's mines supplied much needed tin to the Allies during World War II.

This particular coin is well preserved for a zinc coin and sports a very appealing dark blue toning. As of this revision, it is one of three at this grade by PCGS with none finer. NGC has one graded at MS64 and only one finer at MS65.

Date acquired: 2/28/2010 (Already graded by PCGS)

Rev. 1/23/2022
View Coin 1942 Bolivia, 20C BOLIVIA 20C 1942 KM-183 NGC MS 63 Bolivia - 1942 20 Centavos - KM #183 - Mintage: 10,000,000

This coin was part of a three-coin series which included zinc 10 and 20 Centavos and a bronze 50 Centavos, all dated 1942 and all struck at the United States mint in Philadelphia. The three coins all have similar designs. The obverses depict the Bolivian arms which feature the Potosi mountain silver mine, a palm tree, and an alpaca. The reverses have a caduceus, the denomination and date. Bolivia's mines supplied much needed tin to the Allies during World War II.

This particular coin is exceptionally well preserved for a zinc coin. As of this revision, it is the one of only four graded by NGC and is the single finest graded by NGC. It is tied with 6 others graded by PCGS with only one finer at MS64.

Date acquired: 4/24/2014 (Already graded by NGC)

Rev.: 1/23/2022
View Coin 1942 Bolivia, 50C BOLIVIA 50C 1942 ORIGINAL KM-182a.1 PCGS MS 66 Red Bolivia - 1942 50 Centavos - KM #182a.1 - Mintage: 10,000,000

This coin was part of a three-coin series which included zinc 10 and 20 Centavos and a bronze 50 Centavos, all dated 1942, all struck with medallic rotation, and all struck at the United States mint in Philadelphia. The three coins all have similar designs. The obverses depict the Bolivian arms which feature the Potosi mountain silver mine, a palm tree, and an alpaca. The reverses have a caduceus, the denomination and date. Bolivia's mines supplied much needed tin to the Allies during World War II.

There are two version of this issue, original (KM-182a.1) and restrike (KM-182a.2). The original was struck by the Philadelphia mint in 1942. The restrike is a bit of a mystery as of this revision. It is unclear why it was struck, who struck it, or when it was actually struck. It is easy to differentiate between the two though since the restrike is poorly struck and lacking in detail. It was definitely not struck by any of the U.S. Mints.

This coin has beautiful bright red centers, darkening to a light cherry red around the periphery. High grade red uncirculated examples of this coin abound, but ultra high grade coins like this one don't come along very often.

Date acquired: 2/2/2014 (Already graded by PCGS)

Rev.: 1/23/2022
View Coin 1942 Ecuador, 5C ECUADOR 5C 1942 KM-75a NGC MS 67 Ecuador - 1942(P) 10 Centavos - (KM #75a, EC #138) - Mintage: 2,000,000
Brass (80% copper, 20% zinc)

Ecuador began adopting a decimal coinage system in 1874 with the minting of one and two centavo coins at the Mint in Birmingham, England. The transition was completed on March 22, 1884 with the creation of the silver sucre coin which was equivalent to 100 centavos. The sucre remained the official unit of currency in Ecuador for 116 years until the President of Ecuador announced on January 9, 2000 that the US dollar would be adopted as Ecuador's official currency.

This coin was minted by the Philadelphia Mint using brass most likely recovered from spent artillery shell casings. Half of the mintage of this coin was listed in the U.S. Mint report of 1943, however all are dated 1942.

Obverse
These coins were minted for the "Republica Del Ecuador" by the Philadelphia mint, however no mint marks were used on the minor coinage produced for Ecuador in Philadelphia. Ecuador dictated the various elements that of their coat of arms, but the actual rendering of these elements by the various mints which produced their coins can vary greatly from mint to mint. In this case the central elements of the ship, water and mountain look more like an ocean going freighter sailing away from a mountainous coastline rather than the river steamship Guayas, sailing the Guayas river with the snow capped Chimborazo volcano in the distant background. There is also no Caduceus appearing as a mast on the ship, an aspect which seems to have eluded all but one mint. The following is a depiction of the 1841 steamship Guayas for comparison:
Guayas


Reverse
The reverse of this coin is very simple, containing only the denomination 5 CENTAVOS surrounded by a Laurel wreath.

This coin
This is a beautiful coin with spectacular eye appeal. If Brass coins could receive a "Red" designation, this one would have it. As of this revision, this coin is the finest graded example of this date and denomination by either NGC or PCGS.

Date acquired: 4/6/2017 (raw coin)
Date graded: 9/28/2018 (self submitted to NGC)

References:
Seppa, Dale and Anderson, Michael, the COINS of ECUADOR (second edition), Almanzar's Coins of the World, San Antonio, 1973.

Rev. 10/2/2018
View Coin 1942 Ecuador, 10C ECUADOR 10C 1942 KM-76a NGC MS 65 Ecuador - 1942(P) 10 Centavos - (KM #76a, ES #164) - Mintage:5,000,000
Brass (80% copper, 20% zinc)

Ecuador began adopting a decimal coinage system in 1874 with the minting of one and two centavo coins at the Mint in Birmingham, England. The transition was completed on March 22, 1884 with the creation of the silver sucre coin which was equivalent to 100 centavos. The sucre remained the official unit of currency in Ecuador for 116 years until the President of Ecuador announced on January 9, 2000 that the US dollar would be adopted as Ecuador's official currency.

This coin was minted by the Philadelphia Mint using brass most likely recovered from spent artillery shell casings. Half of the mintage of this coin was listed in the U.S. Mint report of 1943, however all are dated 1942.

Obverse
These coins were minted for the "Republica Del Ecuador" by the Philadelphia mint, however no mint marks were used on the minor coinage produced for Ecuador in Philadelphia. Ecuador dictated the various elements of their coat of arms, but the actual rendering of these elements by the various mints which produced their coins can vary greatly from mint to mint. In this case the central elements of the ship, water and mountain look more like an ocean going freighter sailing away from a mountainous coastline rather than the river steamship Guayas, sailing the Guayas river with the snow capped Chimborazo volcano in the distant background. There is also no Caduceus appearing as a mast on the ship, an aspect which seems to have eluded all but one mint. The following is a depiction of the 1841 steamship Guayas for comparison:
Guayas


Reverse
The reverse of this coin is very simple, containing only the denomination 10 CENTAVOS surrounded by a Laurel wreath.

This coin
This is a beautiful coin with great eye appeal. If Brass coins could receive a "Red" designation, this one would have it. As of this revision, only three have been graded higher by NGC, all at MS66.

Date Acquired: 4/6/2017 (raw coin)
Date graded: 9/28/2018 (self submitted to NGC)

References:
Seppa, Dale and Anderson, Michael, the COINS of ECUADOR (second edition), Almanzar's Coins of the World, San Antonio, 1973.

Rev. 10/2/2018
View Coin 1942 Ecuador, 20C ECUADOR 20C 1942 KM-77.1a NGC MS 66 Ecuador - 1942(P) 20 Centavos - (KM #77.1a, EC #190) - Mintage: 5,000,000
Brass (80% copper, 20% zinc)

Ecuador began adopting a decimal coinage system in 1874 with the minting of one and two centavo coins at the Mint in Birmingham, England. The transition was completed on March 22, 1884 with the creation of the silver sucre coin which was equivalent to 100 centavos. The sucre remained the official unit of currency in Ecuador for 116 years until the President of Ecuador announced on January 9, 2000 that the US dollar would be adopted as Ecuador's official currency.

This coin was minted by the Philadelphia Mint using brass most likely recovered from spent artillery shell casings. Half of the mintage of this coin was listed in the U.S. Mint report of 1943, however all are dated 1942.

Obverse
These coins were minted for the "Republica Del Ecuador" by the Philadelphia mint, however no mint marks were used on the minor coinage produced for Ecuador in Philadelphia. Ecuador dictated the various elements that of their coat of arms, but the actual rendering of these elements by the various mints which produced their coins can vary greatly from mint to mint. In this case the central elements of the ship, water and mountain look more like an ocean going freighter sailing away from a mountainous coastline rather than the river steamship Guayas, sailing the Guayas river with the snow capped Chimborazo volcano in the distant background. There is also no Caduceus appearing as a mast on the ship, an aspect which seems to have eluded all but one mint. The following is a depiction of the 1841 steamship Guayas for comparison:
Guayas


Reverse
The reverse of this coin is very simple, containing only the denomination 20 CENTAVOS surrounded by a Laurel wreath.

This coin
This is a beautifu, lvery flashy coin with spectacular eye appeal. If brass coins could receive a "Red" designation, this one would have it. As of this revision, there is only one graded higher by NGC at MS66+..

Date Acquired: 4/17/2016 (Already graded by NGC)

References:
Seppa, Dale and Anderson, Michael, the COINS of ECUADOR (second edition), Almanzar's Coins of the World, San Antonio, 1973.

Rev. 2/29/2024
View Coin 1942 El Salvador, 1C EL SALVADOR 1C 1942 Elsalvador KM-135.1 NGC MS 67 RD El Salvador 1942 One Centavo (KM #135.1) - Mintage: 5,000,000 (struck in 1943)

This coin bears the image of Francisco Morazán, who was Head of State in El Salvador for less than a year from July 13, 1839 to March 18, 1840. This in and of itself would not seem significant, however Francisco Morazán was also the Head of State of Honduras (1827-1830), President of the Central American Federation from 1830-1839, and Head of State of Costa Rica (1842-1842). Morazán became a martyr and a symbol of the Republic of Central America when he was executed on September 15, 1842, for attempting to restore the union. El Salvador was one of the first countries to pay tribute to Morazán, and his image appears on much of their coinage.

This coin was minted by the Philadelphia Mint in 95% copper and 5% zinc for circulation in El Salvador. Despite the date on the coin, it was struck in 1943. This particular coin is by far the finest known specimen graded by NGC. It is the only one graded MS67RD with none finer.

Date acquired: 1/21/2009 (raw coin)
Date graded: 8/19/2022 (self submitted to NGC)

Rev. 10/21/2022
View Coin 1942S Fiji, Half Penny FIJI 1/2P 1942S KM-14a NGC MS 64 Fiji - 1942S Half Penny (KM #14a) - Mintage: 250,000

Minted by the U.S. Mint in San Francisco using brass most likely recovered from spent artillery shell casings. This issue was struck to satisfy the demand for coinage caused by the large number of U.S. servicemen stationed there during World War II. The coin bears the "S" mint mark directly below the word "FIJI" between the"I" and "J."

Date acquired: 5/10/2015 (Already graded by NGC)

Rev. 1/14/2016
View Coin 1942S Fiji, Penny FIJI PENNY 1942S KM-7a NGC MS 63 Fiji - 1942S Penny - KM #7a - Mintage: 1,000,000

Minted by the U.S. Mint in San Francisco using brass most likely recovered from spent artillery shell casings. This issue was struck to satisfy the demand for coinage caused by the large number of U.S. servicemen stationed there during World War II. The coin bears the "S" mint mark directly above the first "N" in "PENNY."

This particular coin looked really nice to me, but NGC said it had been lacquered and would need a trip to NCS or it would be returning in a body bag. I was already in for the grading fee plus insurance and shipping anyway, so what's another $18? After all that, It only garnered a grade of MS63. A bit frustrating consider that I could have purchased an MS64 specimen already graded by NGC for about what this one cost to have graded. At least it didn't get a details grade. So it goes....

Date acquired: 12/5/2015 (raw coin)
Date graded: 8/19/2022 (self submitted to NGC with NCS Conservation)

Rev. 10/19/2022
View Coin 1942S Fiji, 6Pence FIJI 6P 1942S KM-11a NGC MS 62 Fiji - 1942S 6 Pence - KM #11a - Mintage: 400,000

This coin was minted by the US Mint in San Francisco for circulation in Fiji during World War II. The primary reason these coins were minted was to satisfy the demand for coinage due to the large number of U.S. servicemen stationed in Fiji at the time. The "S" mint mark appears on the reverse of the coin just below the 42 in the date.
.

Date acquired: 4/6/2021 (Already graded by NGC)

Rev. 4/6/2021
View Coin 1942P Netherlands-Curaçao/Suriname, Cent CURACAO CENT 1942P KM-39a NGC MS 65 RB Curaçao/Suriname - 1942 P (Palm Privy) 1 Cent Bronze - (KM #39a) - Total Mintage: 2,500,000
Curaçao: 500,000
Suriname: 2,000,000

Obverse: Rampant Lion and Field from the shield of the coat of arms
Obverse Legend: KONINGRIJK DER NEDERLANDEN (Kingdom of the Netherlands), date below
Reverse: Denomination within a wreath of orange tree branches.
Edge: Reeded

This coin was minted by the Philadelphia Mint during World War II for circulation in the Dutch Colonies of Curaçao and Suriname. I find it particularly interesting that unlike all US cents, this one cent coin has a reeded edge.

The primary element on the obverse is the central elements of the shield from the Dutch coat of arms. The background (field) of the shield is azure which is a dark royal blue that is represented by horizontal lines in engraving. Also part of the background is gold billetty which are vertically oriented gold blocks, twice as long as they are wide, arranged in rows but not directly underneath each other. A hatched pattern of dots is used in engraving to represent the gold color of the billets. The lion is rampant (standing on his back legs), crowned with a coronet, and is also gold with a red tongue and red claws. In his sinister (left front) paw he is holding seven silver arrows bound together with a gold ribbon, representing the seven provinces of the Union of Utrecht. In his dexter (right front) paw he is brandishing a silver sword with a golden hilt representing the determination to defend their liberty.

This particular coin is an exceptionally attractive red brown example of this relatively common coin. If you follow the link to the price guide for this coin, you will see that NGC used this coin as the plate coin on that web page.

In recent years, it appears that Brass specimens have been discovered and have been given the number KM-39b by Krause and Mishler. I have yet to discover one myself though.

Date acquired: 6/26/2006 (raw coin)
Date graded: 9/18/2015 (self submitted to NGC)

Rev. 12/5/2018
View Coin 1942P Netherlands-Suriname, 10C CURACAO 10C 1942P KM-9 NGC AU 58 Suriname - 1942P (Palm Privy) - KM-9 - Mintage 1,500,000

Obverse: Head of Queen of the Netherlands Wilhelmina I facing left
Obverse Legend: WILHELMINA KONINGIN DER NEDERLANDEN (Wilhelmina, Queen of the Netherlands)
Reverse: Denomination and date within wreath
Reverse Legend: none
Edge: Reeded

This coin was minted by the Philadelphia mint during World War II for circulation in the Dutch Colony of Suriname. Despite the confusion in the NGC World Price Guide online, this coin was NOT also minted for circulation in Curaçao. It probably did circulate in Curaçao though, but not because it was released there.

The portrait of Queen Wilhelmina used on the Dutch coinage changed as the Queen aged. At the time these coins were struck, the Queen was 62 years old and was living in exile in England. The third style of her left facing portrait which dominates the obverse of this coin, was first used in 1921 when she was just 41 years old.

This is a very nice looking example of this issue despite the grade of AU58.

Date acquired: 12/5/2009 (raw coin)
Date graded: 9/18/2015 (self submitted to NGC)

Rev. 12/5/2018
View Coin 1942P Netherlands-Indies, Cent N.E.INDIES CENT 1942P N.e.indies KM-317 NGC MS 66 RD Netherlands East Indies - 1942P 1 Cent - KM #317 - Mintage:100,000,000

Obverse: 3/4 spray around hole in center with value below.
Obverse Legend: NEDERLANDSCH INDIE (Netherlands Indies) and date
Reverse: Arabic text reiterating the denomination of the coin with flowers below hole.
Reverse Legend: Javanese text reiterating the denomination of the coin.
Edge: Plain

This coin was minted by the Philadelphia mint during World War II for the Dutch colony now known as Indonesia, and it even bears the "P" mint mark just below the date on the right side of the obverse. It also has the Palm tree privy mark (to the left of the denomination) which was used by the Dutch mints to distinguish similar looking coinage intended for the colonies from that intended for circulation in the The Netherlands where the acorn privy mark was used.. The Palm tree appears on nearly all colonial coinage even though in this case there would have been no confusion given the reverse of this coin.

An interesting characteristic of the One Cent coins in this series is that they appear to be struck with medalic rotation while all of the other denominations struck for the Netherlands East Indies were struck with the normal "coin" rotation.

This particular coin is a beautiful high grade red example of this otherwise common date. As of this revision, there are none graded finer by NGC.

Date acquired: 1/17/2008 (raw coin)
Date graded: 9/28/2018 (self submitted to NGC)

Rev. 10/4/2018
View Coin 1942P Netherlands-Indies, Cent - Mint Error N.E.INDIES CENT 1942P N.e.indies KM-317 OFF SET CENTER HOLE NGC MINT ERROR MS 66 RD Netherlands East Indies - 1942P 1 Cent - KM #317 - Mintage:100,000,000

Obverse: 3/4 spray around hole in center with value below.
Obverse Legend: NEDERLANDSCH INDIE (Netherlands Indies)
Reverse: Arabic text reiterating the denomination of the coin with flowers below hole.
Reverse Legend: Javanese text reiterating the denomination of the coin.
Edge: Plain

This coin was minted by the Philadelphia mint during World War II for the Dutch colony now known as Indonesia, and it even bears the P mint mark just below the date on the right side of the obverse. It also has the Palm tree privy mark (to the left of the denomination) which was used by the Dutch mints to distinguish similar looking coinage intended for the colonies from that intended for circulation in the The Netherlands where the acorn privy mark was used.. The Palm tree appears on nearly all colonial coinage even though in this case there would have been no confusion given the reverse of this coin.

An interesting characteristic of the One Cent coins in this series is that they appear to be struck with medalic rotation while all of the other denominations struck for the Netherlands East Indies were struck with the normal "coin" rotation.

This particular coin is an error coin in that the center hole was punched off center. I had always assumed that the hole was punched into the coin after it was struck, but given the distortion of the hole, it is clear that it was punched into the planchet before the coin was struck.

Date acquired: 11/29/2018 (Raw coin)
Date graded: 9/9/2019 (Self submitted to NGC)

Rev. 9/26/2019
View Coin 1942S Netherlands-Indies, 1/10G N.E.INDIES 1/10G 1942S N.e.indies KM-318 NGC MS 67 Netherlands East Indies - 1942S 1/10 G - KM #318 - Mintage: 75,000,000

Obverse: Crowned Shield from the coat of arms dividing the denomination
Obverse Legend: NEDERL. INDIE. (Netherlands Indies)
Reverse: Arabic text reiterating the denomination of the coin.
Reverse Legend: Javanese text reiterating the denomination of the coin.
Edge: Reeded

This coin was minted by the San Francisco mint during World War II for the Dutch colony now known as Indonesia, and it even bears the "S" mint mark to the right of the date. It also has the Palm tree privy mark which was used by the Dutch mints to distinguish similar looking coinage intended for the colonies from that intended for circulation in the The Netherlands where the acorn privy mark was used.. The Palm tree appears on nearly all colonial coinage even though in this case there would have been no confusion given the reverse of this coin.

The primary element on the obverse is the central shield from the Dutch coat of arms topped by the Dutch royal crown. The background (field) of the shield is azure which is a dark royal blue that is represented by horizontal lines in engraving. Also part of the background is gold billetty which are vertically oriented gold blocks, twice as long as they are wide, arranged in rows but not directly underneath each other. A hatched pattern of dots is used in engraving to represent the gold color of the billets. The lion is rampant (standing on his back legs), crowned with a coronet, and is also gold with a red tongue and red claws. In his sinister (left front) paw he is holding seven silver arrows bound together with a gold ribbon, representing the seven provinces of the Union of Utrecht. In his dexter (right front) paw he is brandishing a silver sword with a golden hilt representing the determination to defend their liberty.

As of this revision, this is 1 of only 2 graded MS67 by NGC with none finer.

Date acquired: 2/1/2006 (Already graded by NGC)

Rev. 12/5/2018
View Coin 1942S Netherlands-Indies, 1/10G - Mint Error N.E.INDIES 1/10G 1942S N.e.indies KM-318 STRUCK OFF CENTER NGC MINT ERROR MS 66 Netherlands East Indies - 1942S 1/10 G - KM #318 - Mintage: 75,000,000

Obverse: Crowned Shield from the coat of arms dividing the denomination
Obverse Legend: NEDERL. INDIE. (Netherlands Indies)
Reverse: Arabic text reiterating the denomination of the coin.
Reverse Legend: Javanese text reiterating the denomination of the coin.
Edge: Reeded

This coin was minted by the San Francisco mint during World War II for the Dutch colony now known as Indonesia, and it even bears the "S" mint mark to the right of the date. It also has the Palm tree privy mark which was used by the Dutch mints to distinguish similar looking coinage intended for the colonies from that intended for circulation in the The Netherlands where the acorn privy mark was used.. The Palm tree appears on nearly all colonial coinage even though in this case there would have been no confusion given the reverse of this coin.

The primary element on the obverse is the central shield from the Dutch coat of arms topped by the Dutch royal crown. The background (field) of the shield is azure which is a dark royal blue that is represented by horizontal lines in engraving. Also part of the background is gold billetty which are vertically oriented gold blocks, twice as long as they are wide, arranged in rows but not directly underneath each other. A hatched pattern of dots is used in engraving to represent the gold color of the billets. The lion is rampant (standing on his back legs), crowned with a coronet, and is also gold with a red tongue and red claws. In his sinister (left front) paw he is holding seven silver arrows bound together with a gold ribbon, representing the seven provinces of the Union of Utrecht. In his dexter (right front) paw he is brandishing a silver sword with a golden hilt representing the determination to defend their liberty.

This is an error coin that was struck roughly 10%off center.

Date acquired: 5/3/2020 (raw coin)
Date graded: 8/4/2020 (self submitted to NGC)

Rev. 11/22/2021
View Coin 1942S Netherlands-Indies, 1/4G N.E.INDIES 1/4G 1942S N.e.indies KM-319 NGC MS 66 Netherlands East Indies - 1942S 1/4 G - KM #319 - Mintage: 32,000,000

Obverse: Crowned Shield from the coat of arms dividing the denomination
Obverse Legend: NEDERL. INDIE. (Netherlands Indies)
Reverse: Arabic text reiterating the denomination of the coin.
Reverse Legend: Javanese text reiterating the denomination of the coin.
Edge: Reeded

This coin was minted by the San Francisco mint during World War II for the Dutch colony now known as Indonesia, and it even bears the "S" mint mark to the right of the date. It also has the Palm tree privy mark which was used by the Dutch mints to distinguish similar looking coinage intended for the colonies from that intended for circulation in the The Netherlands where the acorn privy mark was used.. The Palm tree appears on nearly all colonial coinage even though in this case there would have been no confusion given the reverse of this coin.

The primary element on the obverse is the central shield from the Dutch coat of arms topped by the Dutch royal crown. The background (field) of the shield is azure which is a dark royal blue that is represented by horizontal lines in engraving. Also part of the background is gold billetty which are vertically oriented gold blocks, twice as long as they are wide, arranged in rows but not directly underneath each other. A hatched pattern of dots is used in engraving to represent the gold color of the billets. The lion is rampant (standing on his back legs), crowned with a coronet, and is also gold with a red tongue and red claws. In his sinister (left front) paw he is holding seven silver arrows bound together with a gold ribbon, representing the seven provinces of the Union of Utrecht. In his dexter (right front) paw he is brandishing a silver sword with a golden hilt representing the determination to defend their liberty.

This particular coin is a beautiful example of this relatively common date. As of this revision, this is one of two known 1942- 1/4 Gulden graded MS66 by NGC with none finer.

Date acquired: 10/28/2014 (Already graded by NGC)

Rev. 12/5/2018
View Coin 1942(P) Peru, 5C PERU - DECIMAL 5C 1942 KM-213.2a.1 NGC MS 65 Peru - 1942 5 Centavos - KM-213.2a.1 - Mintage: 4,000,000
Note that the date is spelled out in Spanish as: MIL NOVECIENTOS CUARENTA Y DOS

This coin was minted by the Philadelphia Mint during World War II for circulation in Peru from brass recovered from artillery shell casings. There is no mint mark on this coin.

Date acquired: 5/3/2009 (Raw coin)
Date graded: 9/30/2019 (Self submitted to NGC)

Rev. 10/7/2019
View Coin 1942S Peru, 5C PERU - DECIMAL 5C 1942S KM-213.2a.2 NGC MS 65 Peru - 1942S 5 Centavos - KM-213.2a.2 - Mintage: 4,000,000
Note that the date is spelled out in Spanish as: MIL NOVECIENTOS CUARENTA Y DOS

This coin was minted by the San Francisco Mint during World War II for circulation in Peru from brass recovered from artillery shell casings. The "S" mint mark appears just below the word CENTAVOS on the reverse.

Date acquired: 11/12/2015 (already graded by NGC)

Rev. 11/12/2015
View Coin 1942(P) Peru, 10C PERU - DECIMAL 10C 1942(PHILA.) 214a.1 NGC MS 64 Peru - 1942(P) 10 Centavos - KM 214a.1 - Mintage: 2,000,000

Minted by the Philadelphia Mint for circulation in Peru during World War II.

Date acquired: 1/25/2019 (Already graded by NGC)

Rev. 1/26/2019
View Coin 1942S Peru, 10C PERU - DECIMAL 10C 1942S KM-214a.2 NGC MS 65 Peru - 1942S 10 Centavos - KM-214a.2 - Mintage: 2,000,000
Note that the date is spelled out in Spanish as: MIL NOVECIENTOS CUARENTA Y DOS

This coin was minted by the Philadelphia Mint during World War II for circulation in Peru from brass recovered from artillery shell casings. The"S" mintmark appears on the reverse below the word CENTAVOS.

Date acquired: 11/23/2007 (Raw coin)
Date graded: 9/30/2019 (Self submitted to NGC)

Rev. 10/27/2019
View Coin 1942(P) Peru, 20C PERU - DECIMAL 20C 1942(PHILA.) KM-215a.1 NGC AU Details Peru - 1942 20 Centavos - KM-215a.1 - Mintage: 500,000
Note that the date is spelled out in Spanish as: MIL NOVECIENTOS CUARENTA Y DOS

This coin was minted by the Philadelphia Mint during World War II for circulation in Peru from brass recovered from artillery shell casings. There is no mint mark on this coin.

Date acquired: 3/11/2007 (Raw coin)
Date graded: 7/27/2020 (Self submitted to NGC)

Rev. 9/6/2020
View Coin 1942S Peru, 20C PERU - DECIMAL 20C 1942S KM-215a.2 NGC AU Details Peru - 1942 20 Centavos - KM-215a.2 - Mintage: 500,000
Note that the date is spelled out in Spanish as: MIL NOVECIENTOS CUARENTA Y DOS

This coin was minted by the San Francisco Mint during World War II for circulation in Peru from brass recovered from artillery shell casings. The "S" mint mark appears directly below the denomination on the reverse.

Date acquired: 10/9/2008 (Raw coin)
Date graded: 7/27/2020 (Self submitted to NGC)

Rev. 9/6/2020
View Coin 1942(P) Peru, Half Sol PERU - DECIMAL 1/2S 1942(PHILA.) KM-220.2 NGC MS 64 Peru - 1942 1/2 Sol - KM-220.2 - Mintage: 4,000,000

This coin was minted by the Philadelphia Mint during World War II for circulation in Peru from brass recovered from artillery shell casings. There is no mint mark on this coin.

There are many varieties of 1/2 sols for 1942, with quite a few differentiating characteristics. The most definitive though in determining whether the coin was minted in Philadelphia or not is the number of palm fronds to the left of the llama in the national coat of arms. The coins minted in Philadelphia have 5 while all others have only 3.

Sources
  1. Flatt, Horace P., "Peruvian Half-Sol Coins, 1935-1965" The Numismatist, Vol 95, No. 1 1982, pp. 41-49.
  2. Flatt, Horace P., "Peruvian Centavos," The Numismatist, Vol 97, No. 2 1984, pp. 254-261.
Date acquired: 4/3/2008 (Raw coin)
Date graded: 9/30/2019 (Self submitted to NGC)

Rev. 10/27/2019
View Coin 1943D Australia, 3P AUSTRALIA - CIRCULATION 3P 1943D KM-37 NGC MS 66 Australia - 1943D 3 Pence - KM #37 - Mintage: 16,000,000

Minted by the Denver Mint for circulation in Australia during World War II. The primary reason these coins were minted was to satisfy the demand for coinage due to the large number of U.S. servicemen stationed in Australia at the time. The "D" mint mark appears on the reverse of the coin.

Date acquired: 11/4/2014 (Already graded by NGC)

Rev 11/4/2014
Page 1 of 4 (177 items)
Prev
[1]
2
3
4
Next

To follow or send a message to this user,
please log in