Which island issued the original statuette coin. The most amazing and unusual money from around the world. Banknotes with animals, Belarus

Money is considered a necessary attribute of civilization. But if everything was as boring as it sounds, the world would not see such a flight of human imagination, captured in the most ordinary, it would seem, things. We have collected the most interesting coins and money in the world and examples of how they become the subject of art.

The most unusual money in the world

2. Unusual money of the island of Yap, which is impossible not to notice.
They appeared at the beginning of time and are still used by them today. Heavy discs of worn stone with a large hole in the middle to carry them broke not a single pair of legs.

Their value is determined by the size and number of people who died in the process of transporting them to the island. Yapi does not have their own stones, so they have to transport money from the island of Palau in a canoe.

3. Money smells
Those still inventors live on the island of Palau. A few years ago, they decided to issue a series of coins called "Paradise fragrance". The coin with the image of a coconut was the first to be released and it smelled delicious. Another noteworthy one is from the same series - with an engraving of a surfer who caught a wave. Its fragrance is as fresh as ocean waves.

4. Cameroon Butterfly
Three years ago, a silver coin was issued in Cameroon, recognized as the most beautiful and unusual coin in the world of numismatics. This coin is very valuable, but not in terms of its face value, but in terms of aesthetics. It is engraved with a flower on which an amazing butterfly with colored wings has landed. Looks realistic and voluminous. The technology of its manufacture is kept in the strictest confidence, and the number of issued coins is only 2.5 thousand pieces, so there is a little bit of good.

6. Pyramid of Tutankhamun
An interesting coin in the form of a silver pyramid came out of the Pobjoy Mint 5 years ago. This is a tribute to Howard Carter, 70 years since his death at the time. Carter is famous for finding the tomb of the Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamen in the Valley of the Kings. The image from the walls of the tomb is engraved on the coin. The sun is depicted at the top of the pyramid, and this is a particularly remarkable detail, because grains of sand are interspersed in it, which abound in this very tomb.

10 Chile Mint Misprint
In 2008, something irreparable happened in Chile during the minting of coins. 50 million coins with the inscription "Republic of Chii" became the subject of hunting for modern numismatists and the reason for the dismissal of the head of the Mint of Chile. Today, collectors will have to pay double the price for them.

13. Chewbacca instead of an eagle
The small Pacific nation of Niue is in dire need of money, so it released it to make money. The coins depict the characters of the legendary movie saga " star Wars", so fans of the film and collectors will definitely like them. One such unusual coin costs 390 US dollars.

In 2007, a coin with an unusual shape appeared on the Cook Islands, dedicated to Princess Diana, or rather the decade since her death. As you know, the world loved Diana Spencer very much, and therefore the coin looks like a Valentine. In the shape of a heart and with a portrait of a person of blue blood.

15. Science has stepped forward.
The now popular use of QR codes originated in Japan, and today the Netherlands Mint has released the first coins of its kind with this code. It contains a link to the website of the Dutch Ministry of Finance.

We all know that it is impossible to count money after sunset, because they are not visible. Therefore, the recently created Luminous Paper Money concept is a solution to this problem. There are several backlight options, they correspond to a certain face value.

As you can see, human imagination is capable of transforming boring reality into something sublime and beautiful. Interesting coins for the country, this is a kind of calling card, an attempt to express experiences, the desire to perpetuate what you love, and of course dreams of a fantastic future. This is demonstrated by the exhibits presented above.

Many argue that money has become one of the most important inventions of mankind. With their help, we learned how to exchange goods. As a result, today we have the opportunity to get anything in the world, if these most coveted pieces of paper or zeros on the account would be enough. The bulk of money on Earth has a fairly traditional look. They are made either in the form of paper bills or in the form of metal coins. Long gone are the days when in some places you could buy anything for mirrors and beads. Nevertheless, even today in the circulation of some countries of the world there are very strange money.

Vietnamese Green stamps. This currency ranks tenth in our ranking. Surprisingly, the people of Vietnam themselves will not be able to pay for any goods with such money. For these stamps you can buy only some very specific things. The thing is that each banknote has tear-off coupons on the edge. Each of them can be exchanged for the thing that is indicated on the money. For example, the Green Mark can be issued for the purchase of clothing. At the same time, tear-off coupons make it possible to purchase only pants, coats, socks and other similar things. At the same time, coupons of a certain denomination are allocated for each item.

Centinial. It was the only wooden money in the world. At one time they were in circulation in the city of Mus-Jo, which is located in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The fact is that after the First World War, Germany tried with all its might to raise its Reichsbank, which had collapsed due to inflation. After all, it was necessary to pay compensation to all affected countries. In those days, the Germans printed money on everything that was only suitable for these purposes. But it was the tree that became the most unusual material. Such money was processed by Canadians for their needs, their designations were applied to their surface.

Pound Lewis. This money was named after the English town of the same name. At one time, the cunning entrepreneur Michael Chartier was the mayor there. He figured out how best to develop the small traditional shops of his town. To do this, the mayor introduced his own currency in his possessions, which he called the Lewis pound. With this money, the townspeople could pay for any goods in the Lewes area, as well as pay bills. This example was followed a year later by the city of Brixton in South London. A local Brixton pound would have been issued there.

Disney dollar. Disney created a whole fairy-tale world. And what is the world without its own currency? The Disney dollar is equal in par value to the US dollar. Banknotes are issued in denominations of 1, 5, 10 and 50 units. But they can only be used in Disney theme parks, resorts, cruise ships, and Disney's private island, Castaway Cay. This currency was created in 1987. On banknotes, instead of traditional American presidents, cartoon characters are depicted - Mickey Mouse, Goofy and Mini.

Chilean peso. Who today can call this currency strange? To understand this, we must go back to the year 2008, not far from us. Then everything will become clear, and the currency will really seem unusual and funny. After all, then, when minting coins on the engraving, an unfortunate mistake was made. As a result, about 50 million coins were issued in denominations of 50 pesos with the inscription "Republic of Chii" (Republica de Chiie). The head of the mint was arranged, and the coins themselves became the object of hunting for numismatists. For them today they ask for a double face value.

Recycled Caribbean money. The term recycled does not mean at all that this money was made from recycled materials or old paper. The secret should be sought in the middle of the 19th century. At that time, the Caribbean did not have its own currency. So it was decided to melt foreign coins, and mint their own money from the resulting metal. Hence the name for recycled money. The most unusual of them were in circulation in the Dominican Republic. There, in the center of each coin, there was a hole in the firm of the heart.

Space Pound Sterling. It is curious that this currency has never circulated on Earth, although it already exists. This money is only waiting for the development of technologies to eventually become common and uniform for everyone. Interestingly, the currency is designed for large overloads that will occur during interstellar flights. These coins have no sharp corners, and the material from which they are made is absolutely safe for the human body. The space pound was not created by enthusiasts at all, but by scientists from the National Space Center and the University of Leicester. This money will have to replace electronic money transfers, which will no longer be relevant in space.

Palau Silver Dollar. In 2007, these islands, which are also one of the smallest countries in the world, issued their own currency. She came out quite unusual. It was a silver dollar with the image of the Virgin Mary on it. But there was still a small reservoir attached to the coin. It contained holy water from a grotto in Lourdes, France. A year later, the second series of coins appeared, which was dedicated to the 150th anniversary of the appearance of the Virgin Mary in that grotto.

Rai Stones. This money can be considered the strangest, and they are not going to give this title away. Yes, and it is hard to do, because even moving the heavy stones of Rai is not easy. It is amazing that in this age of space and electronic technology, someone continues to use the old money. The inhabitants of Yap Island, which is part of the Solomon Islands, began to use them at the very dawn of commodity-money relations. Their currency was huge stone discs with a hole inside. The larger the circles, the more valuable they are. The price of the currency is also determined by the number of people who died while transporting such a "coin" to the island. Indeed, on the island of Yap, there are simply no such stones. So the natives are forced to swim in their canoes to the neighboring island of Palau, where there is a lot of such money. Then heavy discs are delivered home with great difficulty. The inhabitants of the island of Palau look at these attempts ironically. In their hearts, they are happy that there is already such a currency on the island, and there is no need to sail somewhere for it. I am also glad that there is no capitalism on these islands. There is simply no inflation in the country. Therefore, there is no need to bring home more and more stones of Rai from year to year.

In fact, each country has its own unique currency. On the money are usually depicted portraits of famous people, landmarks or illustrations of historical events. But there are also very unusual banknotes. Our review contains 16 coins and banknotes that are the dream of every numismatist.

1. Silver coin with meteorite fragments, Fiji

In 2012, the Republic of Fiji issued a limited edition of 999 $10 coins made of silver, which contained pieces of the real Neuschwanstein meteorite that fell to Earth on April 6, 2002 near Neuschwanstein Castle, located on the border of Germany and Austria.

2. Banknotes with animals, Belarus

While most countries feature historically important people and symbols on their banknotes, the Belarusian 50 kopeck note features a squirrel, the 1 ruble note features a hare, and a pair of beavers can be found on the 3 ruble note. Banknotes of higher denominations contain images of wolves, lynxes, elks, bears and bison. True, the Belarusian "bunnies" have already been withdrawn from circulation.

3. 100-franc coin with marijuana, Benin

The world's first silver coin depicting marijuana was issued by the government of the West African Republic of Benin. On the reverse side The coins have a bright green hemp leaf. When rubbed, the leaf emits a distinct marijuana flavor, which is produced by synthetic additives.

4. 50 pfennig banknote, Germany

The Germans portrayed real social advertising on money. The images on the banknotes were varied - from romantic folklore to social satire, but all very well convey the spirit of the culture of this period in German history. Scary images, such as those on the 50 pfennig banknote, were no exception.

5. Mammoth Fossil Coin, Cote d'Ivoire

Cote d'Ivoire has issued a limited edition 1000-franc coin with tiny fragments of mammoth remains.

100 trillion dollar banknote, Zimbabwe

In Zimbabwe, at the time of the country's exit from the Second Congo War (1998 - 2003), the confiscation of personal land holdings of white farmers began. This led to hyperinflation, which peaked at 79,600 million percent in November 2008. At that time, the National Bank issued $100 trillion banknotes.

7. Talking coin, Mongolia

The 500 tugrik coins, issued in 2007 in Mongolia, were equipped with a button that, when pressed, played the famous "I am a Berliner" speech by former US President John F. Kennedy.

8. Wooden banknote, Germany

Germany plunged into a deep financial crisis after the First World War. This led the Germans to issue their own unofficial currency called "Notgeld" (emergency money). German cities printed currency on everything possible - on wood, aluminum foil, playing cards, in an attempt to circumvent the depreciated value of the German mark.

9. Commemorative coin in honor of the Virgin Mary, Republic of Palau

In honor of the 150th anniversary of the first appearance of the Virgin Mary to Saint Bernadette in the town of Lourdes in southern France in 2008, the Republic of Palau ( Western part Pacific Ocean) released commemorative coin. It has a built-in Lourdes water capsule.

10 Oldest Banknote, China

Paper money was first used by the Chinese, who began introducing banknotes during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). They were used mainly for private bills. Paper notes were in circulation in China for more than 500 years before they began to take root in Europe around the 17th century. The Chinese Kuan of 1380 is the oldest known banknote in the world.

11. Banknote of 100 million billion pengy, Hungary

Hungary's currency, the pengő, has suffered the most high level hyperinflation in history. In 1946, a Hungarian bank issued a 100 million billion pengő note, which was worth only about 20 US cents. In July 1946, the country changed its currency from pengo to forint.

12. Coin with statuette, Easter Island

The most famous landmark of Easter Island was depicted on the coin in a very original way. silver coin was designed so that miniature idol figurines could be inserted vertically into slots on coins, creating a three-dimensional version of the famous monuments on Easter Island.

13. Coin with pearl, Republic of Palau

Another original coin of complex design was a coin issued in the Republic of Palau, in which green freshwater pearls are embedded - a local symbol of good luck and happiness. The coins, which were issued in a limited edition, are also decorated with various types of sea shells.

14. Coin with a piece of the heat shield "Concorde", Tristan da Cunha

Tristan da Cunha, a British territory located on remote volcanic islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, issued special series coins in honor of the 20th anniversary of the famous aircraft "Concorde" in 2009. Each coin is gold plated and contains a tiny piece of titanium alloy heat shield"Concord".

15. The largest banknote, Philippines

The 100,000 peso note was issued by the Central Bank of the Philippines to celebrate the country's centenary in 1998. The banknote measuring 22x35.5 cm was entered in the Guinness Book of Records as the world's largest banknote, which is legal tender.

16. Leather money, Alaska

In 1799, the Russian-American Company, established in Alaska to develop the natural wealth of these lands, issued leather money. Stamps with a face value of 25, 10, 5, 1 ruble and 50, 25 and 10 kopecks in color resembled Russian banknotes issued by decrees of Catherine II in 1768 and 1787.

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It would seem that the times of beads and mirrors as banknotes are long gone, but is it really so?

In the paradise of the Pacific Ocean, on the island of Yap in Micronesia, locals use huge stone disks with a hole in the middle as money. Their diameter ranges from 1.5-6 m. The value of such a banknote is determined by its size, as well as by how many people suffered during the transportation of the stone.

The fact is that there are no such stones on their native island, so local residents have to canoe to the neighboring island of Palau, where there are still a lot of stone disks, and deliver “money” home.

Inhabitants Palau watch this process with irony, rejoicing that they have their own currency and do not have to work so hard to get it.

Disney dollars

These are the favorite banknotes of all children. They are only used in Disney theme parks, resorts and cruise ships. The value of the Disney dollar, created back in 1987, is equated to the value of the US dollar.

Coins of Africa: Kissi money

Some peoples of West Africa until the twentieth century used twisted iron sticks 33-36 cm long. They were called kissi-penny and were often used during funeral ceremonies.

Obviously, such money was not very valuable, because it was often used in whole matings. A cow, for example, cost 100 bundles of 20 twigs .

The most big coin on the ground

Until 2011, the largest coin in the world was a Canadian coin worth 1 million Canadian dollars. It weighs 100 kg and is 99.9% pure gold.

But in October 2011, the Australians surpassed the Canadians. A giant Australian coin issued by the Partha Mint weighs over a ton. The thickness of the golden beauty is 12 cm, the diameter reaches 80 cm.

The smallest coin in the world

Silver quarter Tara Vijayanagara in India is the smallest coin on Earth. The tiny coin is 4mm in diameter and weighs only 1.7g.

The amazing money of Somalia

In Somalia, instead of coins, they use these geometric figures of a cone (water), a ball (earth), a pyramid (fire), a cylinder (wood) and a cube (metal).

This country is famous for other unusual coins in the form of cars, guitars and motorcycles.

Rare fiber coins

Due to the war in 1944-1945, metal reserves rapidly decreased in Japan. Therefore, some coins were made from red and brown cardboard-like material.

In the city of Moose Jo in Canada, after the First World War, they used ... wooden money. At that time, metal was such a rarity that money was issued in the cities from the most accessible materials, including wooden planks.

The Mongolian 500 tugrik coin depicting US President John F. Kennedy has a small button. By clicking on it, you can hear the historical phrase of the President: « I'm proud to be a Berliner! »

In one of the smallest countries in the world - the state of Palau in 2007, an unusual coin was issued. This is a silver dollar depicting the Virgin Mary holding a small vial of holy water from a holy site in Lourdes, France.

These round coins made of heavy-duty plastic depict the planets of the solar system. Such strange money was made at the National Space Center and the University of Leicester specifically for space tourists.