Owner Comments:
1C 1939A:
Collins English Dictionary defines colonialism as "the policy and practice of a power in extending control over weaker people or areas.” That said my intention is not to judge the morality of colonialism, but to trace the spread of western influence throughout the world through coins. Certainly, no one denies the atrocities done in the name of colonialism. Neither can one say that a number of good things did not occur either. However, to understand colonialism is to understand the world of today, for history has shaped the world we live in.
Coins are a powerful medium in which to communicate to the masses. What other medium than coins would people be handling on a daily basis? The featured 1-cent coin in my set comes from French Indo-China and the obverse imagery clearly establishes French sovereignty. Thus, this coin fits in perfectly with Collins definition of colonialism.
The obverse of this coin features a seated image of Marianne representing France and a seated girl representing French Indo-China. Marianne appears sitting with her feet resting on a plinth. In her right hand is a French flag and with her left arm she drapes it around her back and over a young girl. The young girl representing French Indo-China is sitting at the same level as Marianne’s feet. In her right hand is a bamboo staff identifying her as Indo-Chinese and with her left hand, she clutches the end of the French flag draping over her. Interestingly, the girl is looking up to Marianne much as a young girl looks up to her mother to protect and provide for her while Marianne is looking over the girl. Thus, this coin seems to convey a sense of dependency on France for the well-being of French Indo-China. Given that the young girl is tightly clutching the French flag over her seems to indicate that she is willingly subjecting herself under French sovereignty.
The map substituting for the reverse image of this coin shows worldwide colonialism at its zenith just before World War I. As of today, colonialism is practically non-existent. Nevertheless, the effects of colonialism will shape worldwide politics for some time to come. Therefore, it is vital that we understand the history of colonialism. Part of that history is contained in the imagery of the coins we collect.
While my coins primarily focus on seated imagery, a set of coins based on colonialism would make for a very interesting set. Otherwise, as in the case of other custom sets, rather than broadly focusing on colonialism, focus a set more narrowly on the coins of a single country and their colony or colonies.