19th Century Coinage Still In Use In The 20th Century

The Sydney Mint Sovereigns and Half Sovereigns from 1855 to 1870 in theory would have been current in Australia until 1914, when gold was withdrawn from circulation. The British Crown withdrew it's permission to mint these coins in 1870, and Imperial gold was minted in Australia after this time.

I would imagine that the Sydney Mint coins, with gold being a soft metal, would have been rare in circulation by 1914. It was the half sovereign that was mostly in the hands of the public. The Half sovereign was produced to meet local demand. Certainly, the half sovereigns are found in a more worn condition, and bring big prices in top condition.

The Sydney Mint sovereigns were more to pay for imports to Australia, especially from India. It probably helps to explain why Sydney Mint Sovereigns from 1855 to 1868 were alloyed with silver, not copper.

I once owned a complete type set of Australian gold coins, 1855 yo 1931, all from the Sydney Mint, and an Adelaide Pound. The set comprised 17 different types.


I currently have a German New Guinea Company silver 5 Marks of 1894 in EF. My grandparents in law who were missionaries in New Guinea took five of these coins from circulation, one for each of their children. My Aunt, noting that I had a lifetime interest in numismatics, gave me hers about five years before she died. Even though I may be able to realise my coins to cash in my estate when I die, I feel obliged to give this coin to my kids, and not auction it.

A book that I think would be a very good read for you is the "Coin Atlas" by Cribb & Carradice; it gives a country-by-country breakdown of what coins were used there from the introduction of coinage there to the present day.

For the Portuguese African colonies (Angola, Mozambique, St Thomas) "homeland" types would have officially circulated, with coins from neighbouring colonies probably also in evidence.

Brunei: Coins of its larger neighbours, Sarawak and Straits Settlements, would have circulated there.

Comoros: the coins listed under this name were actually issued just for one of the islands, Anjouan. The other islands were under direct French control. French homeland coinage would have been in use.

Danish West Indes: probably still did use the old colonial coins, supplemented by US, Canadian and French coinage.

Dominican Republic: not much of a gap there. Effectively it's continuous use.

East Africa: the Coin Atlas reports that the old predecimal Company coins from 1888 and the Protectorate coins from 1897 did indeed continue to circulate until 1906.

German New Guinea: the coins were issued in the name of the New Guinea Company, which sold out to the German Imperial government in 1899. A mixture of Company and homeland Imperial coins continued to circulate until 1911, and Company coins had only just been demonetized in 1914 when the Australians took the place over during WWI; the 1 mark coin in particular was popular with the locals and was still treated by them as equal to an Australian shilling long after they were officially withdrawn.

Nicaragua: unusually for Central America, Nicaragua had no silver mines, and therefore no mint; most of their coinage was struck in Birmingham, England. Until 1912 they were largely content to use everyone else's coins.

Philippines: the Americans never really expected to acquire a colonial empire as a result of the Spanish-American War, and had made no consideration as to what coinage should be used in its new colonies. Locals would have done what people usually do in the aftermath of war, and use whatever came to hand - Old Spanish coins, revolutionary coins, American coins, Chinese and Japanese coins... until the new owners got around to issuing them new colonial coins.

Zanzibar: the 1886 pysa coinage was struck while Zanzibar was under German influence. In 1890, Britain and Germany swapped islands: Britain surrendered Helgoland (just to the north of Germany) in exchange for German non-resistance to Britain establishing a protectorate over Zanzibar. The 1886 coins may have still circulated for some time, but in 1896, after "the shortest war in history", Zanzibar came under full British control. It's coinage would have become much the same as East Africa's - the 1908 coinage was struck but does not seem to have ever actually been issued for circulation.

I also have a copy of Coin Atlas. One of the most useful buys that I have made.
I got it a 'fly by night' second hand book and record store for minimum dollars. Can't remember the exact price.

I also got a copy of 'Glimpses of History' by Brian Hannon in the same circumstances. Also a mine of hard to get information. Mine is the only copy I have seen. Anybody else have a copy?