STOLTENHOFF ISLAND COIN SET FEATURES SHIPS

Stoltenhoff Island is a now uninhabited island that is governed by Tristan da Cunha.  It is named after the brothers Gustav and Friedrich Stoltenhoff who unsuccessfully tried to settle the island between 1871 and 1873.  Tristan da Cunha recently released the first coins ever issued for the island.  The set of eight legal-tender coins for Stoltenhoff Island was struck by the Commonwealth Mint.  The obverse of each coin features Queen Elizabeth. Various sailing ships and boats associated with Tristan da Cunha and Stoltenhof Island are on the reverse.  Due to its isolation in the South Atlantic, Ships played a major roll in the life of Tristan da Cuhna group. Included in the Eight coin set is a 39mm copper-nickel 1 Crown, bimetallic 25 Pence, brass 20 pence, copper-nickel 10 and 5 pence and bronze 2, 1, and 1/2 Pence, all dated 2008.  The coins are Uncirculated though most coins have some minor bagmarks.

TRISTAN DA CUNHA COINS FEATURE SEALIFE

Tristan da Cunha is a small, wet and windy island in the mid-Atlantic.  In 2008 Tristan da Cunha issued its first coin set. The eight coin set includes a large (38mm) copper-nickel 1 crown that depicts a pair of whales.  The bi-metallic 25 pence features a pair of bottlenose dolphins. A killer whale (Orca) is on the brass 20 pence.  A crab is on the 10 pence.  The 5 pence shows a sea turtle. A violet seasnail is on the 2 pence.  The 1 pence shows a lobster. A snipe eel is on the 1/2 Pence.  Because Tristan da Cunha is a British posession, Queen Elizabeth is on the obverse.  All eight coins are Uncirculated

ATTRACTIVE BHUTAN CORINATION CROWN

The tiny Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan issued this 100 Ngultrum coin in 2008 to commemorate the coronation of their new, young, king, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck.  The king, educated in the United States and Europe, is determined to transform Bhutan into a modern democracy.  He is attempting to bring modern technology to his remote kingdom.  His focus is on improving the countries “Gross National Happiness” rather than just economic development.   The obverse of the 38.7mm copper-nickel crown pictures the king and a latent image that features the number 100 in Bhutanese, to signify the 100th anniversary of the modern Bhutanese monarchy.  The reverse features the national emblem which includes a pair of intersecting Varjas, symbolizing the harmony between the religious and secular domains, a lotus representing purity, jewels which stand for sovereign power and two dragons. The coin comes in a colorful, descriptive, protective folder.  In honor of the coronation, a coin was given to each citizen of the country. Relatively few of these attractive coins have been distributed outside of the country.