How Far Back Can We Go? Sixth Edition! Ended At 1380 Waiting On 1379

1901 -- United Kingdom, 1 sovereign:

1901 -- British India, 1 rupee:

1901 -- Mexican (2nd) Republic, 1 peso:

1901 Belgium.
50 centimes - Leopold II French text.

1901 -- Kingdom of Sweden, 5 kronor:

My first 1901 coin is a medal.





It is a copper medal, crudely made (Look at the rough portrait of King George V as a chinless wonder) and it shows them when they were the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall, with the HMS Ophir on the other side. This was the first Royal Visit to New Zealand since the 1869 visit of Prince Alfred!

Here is an image of them in Christchurch in June 20 1901. You may notice the long shadows - its midwinter in New Zealand then.



Source: the Weekly News 1901.

The Royal couple toured most of the country including Auckland, Rotorua - where a Maori welcome was given, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin.

The black bombazine banners and the general presence of Black clothing was keeping in respect for the mourning of the late Queen and Empress. In 1901 New Zealand was still a crown colony which had turned down union within the Australian Commonwealth.

The first royal visit by a Monarch was not until Queen Elizabeth II in December 1953, a proposed visit in 1949 was cancelled due to KG6's bad health. However as you know the coin slipped out. More coins coming soon.

1901-O -- United States, 1 dollar:

Thank God for that Postman, my 1901 halfcrown arrived today! (And I know it's a man - so feminists cool your heels).





My first Victorian era halfcrown - probably minted well after she was resting at Frogmore with her beloved Albert and Mama.

A Thomas Boehm designed the "Old Head" effigy and the gorgeous obverse of these coins. He also designed the Florin and shilling and the designs appear for only 9 years from 1893 to 1901.

Bear in mind unless you have piles of cash, most Halfcrowns from this era backwards are VG - Fine at best for the everyman collector like myself. A few exceptions, but expect to see mostly VG examples here, a few a bit better and some a bit worse (My 1888 is pretty nasty).