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 Replies: 143 / Views: 8,843 |
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
9665 Posts |
Many coins and medals from around the world depict a map - some modern pieces are even map-shaped! I thought it would be interesting to gather them together from the collections of CCF members and create a gallery. So, what do you have? I'll kick things off with a classic US commemorative coin (What else?) issued to support the 1892-93 World's Columbian Exposition - the Christopher Columbus Souvenir Half Dollar. In addition to a fanciful depiction of Columbus' largest ship of his 1492 voyage - the Santa Maria - the reverse design of the coin also includes two small globes presenting maps of the Eastern and Western Hemispheres. (Side note: The design has lead to the design's joke moniker: "Ship on Wheels!") The maps are small and their details are a little difficult to discern, but they appear to represent a 19th century understanding of the globe vs. that of the 15th century. in 1492, very little was known about what today are referred to as North and South America. Most of the time, in fact, did not even realize the large continents existed, believing them to be no more than islands in the western Atlantic Ocean or even in the Indian Ocean. Projection Map of Boheim's 1492 Globe - One of the First Globes Created (Image Credit: The Story of Geographical Discovery: How the World Became Known. Joseph Jacobs, 1899. Public Domain.)The obverse design of the coin - a right-facing portrait of Columbus - is also somewhat fanciful as no known contemporary paintings/drawings of the explorer can be confirmed; all are renderings that incorporate "artistic license" based on descriptions of the man. 1892 World's Columbian Exposition - Columbus Half Dollar    To read more about the Columbian half dollar, check out: - 1892 World's Columbian Exposition- 1892 World's Columbian Exposition - Cousins- Quick Bits #1: Columbus Half DollarFor other posts about this coin and other commemorative coins and medals, check out: Read More: Commems Collection. Collecting history one coin or medal at a time! (c) commems. All rights reserved.
Edited by commems
08/22/2021 11:21 am
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
2137 Posts |
Sure hope I don't have to explain why this CHAD coin has it's Map depicting JFK's image carved out of ths map of Africa. I realize that the blanked out area is the approximate location of Chad, but have never understood the inference. I have always liked the coin even without knowing. Chad,300 Francs,1970  |
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
5004 Posts |
Old Spanish Trail   |
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Bedrock of the Community
United Kingdom
12293 Posts |
Great idea for a topic!  France 10 francs 1974:  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5004 Posts |
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Bedrock of the Community
United Kingdom
12293 Posts |
1984 Spain 2 pesetas:  |
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Bedrock of the Community
Canada
24882 Posts |
1992 Banco Central de Reserva del Peru. Veinte Nuevos Soles-Protocol of Rio de Janeiro.   A cultivated person is a citizen of the world*
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2251 Posts |
This goes well with the obvious other thread on here, the coin geography game that is doing quite well, ill have to scrounge around my collection to see how many I have  |
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Pillar of the Community
Topic StarterUnited States
9665 Posts |
I'm liking what I'm seeing - thanks to all for the posts!
@kieth12: Nice, flashy Old Spanish Trail. A post about mine is on the way!
Collecting history one coin or medal at a time! (c) commems. All rights reserved.
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Pillar of the Community
Topic StarterUnited States
9665 Posts |
The reverse of the 1926-39 Oregon Trail Memorial coin (per the US Mint) features a Native American, facing east, in front of a map of the Continental US, with small portions of Canada and Mexico included near the US border with each. The Native American has his left arm raised up and his hand positioned as to suggest "Stop!" - as a sign/message to warn off European settlers looking to move into America's western frontier. 1926-39 Oregon Trail Memorial Half Dollar    The Oregon Trail is the name given to the primary pathway that west-bound settlers used to travel to Oregon Territory to establish their new homes on the American frontier. It was a wagon route that stretched approximately 2,170 miles from Independence, Missouri on the Missouri River, to Oregon City, Oregon. Today, it extends through the states of Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, Idaho and Oregon; in its day, the Trail passed through the large Nebraska Territory and Oregon Territory. The Nebraska Territory was later divided into multiple states, encompassing (in whole or in part) present-day Nebraska, Wyoming, South Dakota, North Dakota, Colorado, and Montana. The Oregon Territory was also quite large and included the present-day states of Oregon, Washingon and Idaho, plus portions of Montana and Wyoming. Map of Oregon Trail (Over Present-Day State Borders) (Image Credit: Image courtesy of National Park Service, https://www.nps.gov. Public Domain.)Though the US map on the coin is essentially featureless, from a topographical perspective, it does include an interesting design element to the left of the Native American figure - a series of oxen-lead Conestoga wagons on the trail to Oregon. I've written before that the US Mint considers the Conestoga Wagon side (i.e., the side with the date) to be the obverse and the Native American side to be the reverse even though the artists had the opposite intentions. James Earle Fraser designed the Conestoga Wagon side and Laura Gardin Fraser (LGF) handled the Native American side; LGF prepared the models for both sides, however. Note: I have come across multiple web sites that mis-attribute the design credits for the coin, mistakenly assigning the Native American side to James and the Wagon side to Laura - be careful out there!)I've previously posted about the Oregon Trail half dollar multiple times: - 1926 Oregon Trail Memorial - 1926 Oregon Trail - Rotated Reverse Error? - 1936-S Oregon Trail Half Dollar- Oregon Trail Memorial Half Dollar - Cousin- Oregon Trail Memorial Half Dollars - Coins with Hands Thread- Oregon Trail Memorial Half Dollars - Coins with Hats Thread- Oregon Trail Memorial Half Dollars - Coins Depicting the Sun Thread- Oregon Trail Memorial Half Dollars - Coins with Stars ThreadMore posts about commemorative coins and medals can be found here: Read More: Commems Collection Collecting history one coin or medal at a time! (c) commems. All rights reserved.
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Bedrock of the Community
Canada
24882 Posts |
1943 Brazil. 2 Cruzeiros.   A cultivated person is a citizen of the world*
Edited by Dorado
08/23/2021 09:52 am
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Moderator
United States
46166 Posts |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5004 Posts |
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Moderator
United States
128518 Posts |
Excellent examples! |
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Bedrock of the Community
United Kingdom
12293 Posts |
1992 Portugal 1,000 Escudos (500th anniversary of Columbus' discovery of America):  |
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Moderator
United States
128518 Posts |
Very nice! |
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Replies: 143 / Views: 8,843 |
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Posted 08/22/2021 4:09 pm
