Letters & Coins....a

From on 600 BC coins are minted, first only in little Asia and Greece, later in all countries of the world.
In the old days coins where not only a way to pay, but as well small pieces of art, like the Greek coins, with a sacral meaning, often they where addicted to the gods and mythological figures.

Later, in the roman time, coins where often used as a kind of propaganda tool, this, they have not longer anymore, except when you see the coins of former dictated country's, some still do when you count country's like Cuba to it.

Because coins have been are real time updates for culture, art and economies from countries, they have been already for a long time a thing to be collected.
One of the oldest known collectors is the Italian collector, poet and scientist Francesco Petrarca (1304-1374)

The collecting of coins asks from collectors a wide range of numismatic knowledge's, of names and coin related issues.
Him or her who wants to get more knowledge for it has often a far way to go, to libraries, studying all kind of books, the internet, searching to find that one "hit" that he or she needs, before it is to be found.

After a long time of searching, I think it would be helpful for the forum that, listed by the letter, there should be something for starting, and also for more experienced collectors to look up some material.

So my plan is to make a list of the numismatic related letters and names, and place it here at the forum, part by part, and starting with A.

A - Recognition letter on French coins from the Paris mint, on German coins minted in Berlin, and Austrian coins minted in Vienna.

AA - Recognition letters for the French coins minted in Metz from the period 1662-1793.

AAAFF - short for Auro Argento Aere Flando Feriundo title for the triumviri monetalis, the 3 chosen mint masters in the Roman Empire.
On some coins minted in the area of Augustus we also find the title shown as
III VIR AAA FF (tree men for melting, poring and hammering gold, silver and copper.

Anvil - the mint mark of the Dutch mint master Ir. J. de Jong, mint master of the Royal Dutch mint from 1980-1987.

Abacus - Greek for table or plate used for counting.

Abbasi - a Persian silver coin named at the Sjah of Persia Abbas I the great, ruler from 1587-1629, the coin is also known as rial.

Abidi - coin from India, value of a half rupee from Mysore, a state in the south of India, this coin was issued in 1786, before the English occupied this state.

Abu kelb - name for the lionthaler, Abu Tera and Abu Kush where the names for the Maria theresia thaler. Abu = Thaler.

Abu midfa - Middle East name for the Spanish real.

Ackey - silver coin issued by the African Company of Merchants in 1796 and 1818 for the trade at the gold coast in Africa (now known as Ghana).


Aequitas - Roman goddess for equality, op coins to be recognized with sceptre and or horn.

Aeternitas - Roman goddess for eternity, on coins with a flame, sceptre or globe.

Afgani - coin nomination from Afghanistan, used sinds 1926. From 1926-1931 in silver, after that in nickel steel struck.

Aka - small golden coin from Ceylon (Sri Lanka) made in the 9th and 10th century on the front is the goddess Lakshmi with a flower vase.

AE - bronze, this is from Aes = as, the bronze roman coin.

AR - Silver

AV - Gold

Albertusdaalder - also known as patagon, coin struck for the south Netherlands first struck in 1612.

Albus - In the Rhine states in Germany well known name for coins of almost pure silver from the 14th till the 18th century.
The coin system in the Rein states was based on this type until the Thaler came, and took over the system.

Altun - a Turkish coin first time issued in 1454 during the ruling of Muhammad II

Amani - Golden coin from Afghanistan, struck between 1919 and 1936 in weight and gold same as the British pound, there are also ½, 2 ½ and 5 Amani pieces.

Ambrosino - Milanese (Italy) golden and silver coins struck in a short period of the Ambrosian republic from 1302-1310.

Amulet(ten) - coins or tokens who have believed to have a magical value, very known in china and related territories.

Andreasducat - Russian golden coins struck during the period of Peter the Great 1682-1725. Also struck during the time of Elizabeth I from Russia during 1741-1762.

Andries- or Andreasgulder - golden coin with the Holy Andreas on them, minted in the southern Netherlands from 1474-1494 and from 1567-1571 It's a 792/900 gold coin with the weight of 3,40 grams.

Ange d'or - golden French coin with the weight of 7,42 fine gold issued bij Philips the 6th from Valois in 1341.

Angel - very nice golden coins struck by Edward the 4th of England, on the front side Michaël fighting the dragon, struck sinds 1465.

Angelet- or half angel - this coin was in circulation till 1619.

Angelot - French coin similar like the angel, minted in 1427 at mint houses in Paris, Saint-Lô and Le Mans.

Anchor money - popular name for English coins struck for the use on Mauritius, in Canada West Indies and Ceylon. The inscription is COLONIR: BRITAIN: MONET:

Anna - Name for the old Indian coins, in later times it went to 1/16 th of a rupee.
1 Anna = 4 pysas or 12 pie.

Annnona - Roman goddess of the harvest, on coins she goes with a shell of corn and or a horn.

Antoniniamus - a roman coin first from silver, later a mix of silver and other materials issued by the roman emperor Marinus Aurelius Antonius also known as Caracalla in 214 AC it was a double dinarius between 4,7 and 5,3 grams.
The coin is easy to recognize by the lightning crown around the head of the emperor.

Apfelgulden - apfelgulder, golden guilder from the Rhineland from the 15th and 16th century named for the cross and apple on its front.

Aphrodite - Greek goddess of love, in Rome called Venus, often to see with her child Eros on Greek and roman coins.

Argenteus - Silver roman coin who was introduced by the Emperor Diocletianus in 294 AC and struck until 310 AC. The weight is 3,4 grams

Argentino - golden coin from Argentina with the value of 5 pesos, struck from 1881-1889 and 1896.

Artemis - Greek goddess of the hunt, with a bow and arrow shown on Greek and roman coins.

As - roman coin unit that is related to the As Libra, a coin that is used a verry long time in the roman empire.

At - Currency of Laos. 100 At = 1 Kip.

Att - copper coin minted in Thailand from 1874-1905.

Augustalis - golden coin from Kaiser Friedrich II as king of sicily minted in 1231 at Messina and Brindisi with a weight of 5,24 grams.

Aureus - golden roman coin with the falue of 25 denarii = 100 sesterii first with the weight of 8,19 grams, later reduced to 7,28 and even 5,46 grams.
Later replaced by the solidus in 309 AC bij Constantin the Great.

Avers - international name for the front side of the coin or token.

Avo - currency of Macao, a portugese colonie in the east indies, and at Timor, (Indonesia) 100 avo = 1 pataca.