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Pillar of the Community
United States
7992 Posts |
This thread will try to collect coins and medals that incorporate flora in their design. By flora, I mean flowers, non-flowering plants, trees, etc. - anything from the plant world! Personally, the coins/medals I post will present coins that include flora in a meaningful/symbolic way vs. just background vegetation. To kick things off: the US 1918 Illinois Statehood Centennial commemorative half dollar. The Illinois half dollar presents a modified version of the third Illinois State Seal that traces its roots to 1867 when Sharon Tyndale, the then-current Illinois Secretary of State, began his efforts to get a new Seal approved. The Seal incorporates a symbolic flora design element via the olive branch that is shown under the shield; the olive branch is included as a symbol of peace. Earlier versions of the Seal presented a heraldic eagle that featured a bundle of arrows in its right talon and an olive branch in its left - in the same vein as the US Great Seal. The modified Seal, however, dropped the arrows and kept only the olive branch. This can be attributed to Tyndale's desire to move beyond the painful Civil War years and focus on peaceful "National Union" as included in the Illinois State Motto. (See the link below to learn more about the Illinois State Seal.) 1918 Illinois Statehood Centennial Half Dollar    For more details on the Illinois half dollar, see: - 1918 Illinois Statehood Centennial Half Dollar- 1918 Illinois Statehood Centennial Half Dollar - Revisited- Lincoln's Portrait on the 1918 Illinois Half DollarFor more information about the Illinois State Seal presented on this coin, see: - Official Seals on Classic US Commemorative Coins - Part I. For more on other commemorative coins and medals, see: Read More: Commems Collection. Collecting history one coin or medal at a time! (c) commems. All rights reserved.
Edited by commems
05/06/2021 6:18 pm
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Bedrock of the Community
United Kingdom
10666 Posts |
Great new idea for a topic! Quite a lot of British coins show flora representing the four constituent countries of the United Kingdom: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Queen Elizabeth II florin reverse by Cecil Thomas and Edgar Fuller shows a Tudor Rose surrounded by thistles, leeks and shamrocks:  |
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Moderator
United States
114610 Posts |
Fantastic idea!  Quote:
Personally, the coins/medals I post will present coins the include flora in a meaningful/symbolic way vs. just background vegetation. I hope my first example is meaningful enough?   2020 Mayflower 400th Anniversary US Medal  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
7992 Posts |
Quote:
I hope my first example is meaningful enough? Perfect! For an example of "background vegetation," check out the reverse of the 1925 Lexington-Concord - a bit of grass and a few bushes surround the Belfry - neither bit of flora is a meaningful addition to the overall design!
Collecting history one coin or medal at a time! (c) commems. All rights reserved.
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Moderator
United States
114610 Posts |
Quote:
Perfect  Quote:
For an example of "background vegetation," check out the reverse of the 1925 Lexington-Concord - a bit of grass and a few bushes surround the Belfry - neither bit of flora is a meaningful addition to the overall design! Exactly what I expected was your intention. Thank you for giving that example. 
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Pillar of the Community
Sweden
1094 Posts |
Not so many flowers on French coins (apart from the fleur-de-lys lily on older coins of course!), but more often agricultural plants, like on this 5 francs from 1960. Wheat, poppy, olives and oak on the reverse, the Soweress (La Semeuse) on the obverse.  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
7992 Posts |
@erafjel: Nice addition, thanks for posting it!
I really like Roty's timeless La Semeuse design on the obverse.
Collecting history one coin or medal at a time! (c) commems. All rights reserved.
Edited by commems
05/06/2021 5:46 pm
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Bedrock of the Community
United Kingdom
10666 Posts |
The current bi-metallic UK pound coin with the rose for England, leek for Wales, thistle for Scotland and shamrock for Northern Ireland:  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
7992 Posts |
@NumisRob: Classic allegorical symbolism - I like it!
Has the UK fully embraced the 12-sided pound after 3+ decades of the "Round Pound"?
Collecting history one coin or medal at a time! (c) commems. All rights reserved.
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Pillar of the Community
Australia
4015 Posts |
2001 20c from Australia. In this year there was a series release depicting the state floral and fauna sybmols for the states of Australia. This one is for Western Australia and shows the Kangaroo paw flower and the little critter is a bandicoot.  Steve :) |
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Bedrock of the Community
Canada
20848 Posts |
Quote:
By flora, I mean flowers, non-flowering plants, trees, etc. - anything from the plant world! What about this thread ? Post Your Agriculture Themed Coins! http://goccf.com/t/323063
A cultivated person is a citizen of the world*
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Bedrock of the Community
United Kingdom
10666 Posts |
Quote:
Has the UK fully embraced the 12-sided pound after 3+ decades of the "Round Pound"? Yes - they were accepted pretty well immediately. Here's a 'floral' coin from Costa Rica, marking the 25th anniversary of the Central Bank in 1975: 
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Pillar of the Community
United States
7992 Posts |
Quote:
What about this thread ?
Post Your Agriculture Themed Coins! While there is the potential for some overlap. the two threads do not have the same objectives. An "Agriculture" theme should involve crops and livestock grown/raised for food, wool, etc. as well as the tools used to do so. The theme includes farming tools (e.g., tractors, plows), barns, grain silos, shearing tools, etc. This Flora thread is focused on the symbolic use of flora on coins - tractors and grain silos need not apply! 
Collecting history one coin or medal at a time! (c) commems. All rights reserved.
Edited by commems
05/07/2021 07:08 am
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Pillar of the Community
United States
7992 Posts |
Quote:
Here's a 'floral' coin from Costa Rica, marking the 25th anniversary of the Central Bank in 1975: Orchids are a good choice for a coin from Costa Rica - they're the country's National Flower! Thanks for posting!
Collecting history one coin or medal at a time! (c) commems. All rights reserved.
Edited by commems
05/07/2021 06:52 am
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Pillar of the Community
United States
7992 Posts |
Quote:
2001 20c from Australia...This one is for Western Australia and shows the Kangaroo paw flower and the little critter is a bandicoot. Thanks for posting! I enjoyed having the coin expose me to a flower and an animal that were unfamiliar to me.
Collecting history one coin or medal at a time! (c) commems. All rights reserved.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
7992 Posts |
The 1920 Maine Statehood Centennial half dollar incorporates multiple examples of flora in its design. The obverse presents the Maine Seal. Within the Seal, the central design element is a pine tree presented on the shield. The shield is supported by a farmer on the left (viewer's perspective) and a sailor on the right. Maine's official nickname is "The Pine Tree State." The white pine is the State Tree and the pine cone and tassel is the official State Floral Emblem. There are lots of pine trees in Maine - nearly 90% of the state's land is covered by forest! The reverse design includes a wreath that encircles the coin's commemorative inscriptions. The wreath is comprised of pine branches with visible pine cones. 1920 Maine Statehood Centennial    For more on the 1920 Maine half dollar, visit: - 1920 Maine Statehood Centennial- 1920 Maine Statehood Centennial - RevisitedTo learn more details about the Maine State Seal, visit: - 1920 Maine Statehood Centennial - Seal DiscussionTo read other posts on commemorative coins and medals, check out: Read More: Commems Collection. Collecting history one coin or medal at a time! (c) commems. All rights reserved.
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Replies: 304 / Views: 12,716 |
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Posted 05/06/2021 2:51 pm
