Package from the Netherlands!

One day recently, @brittandjosie was looking through a second-hand shop and saw a small box of coins for sale. She thought to herself, "Kitty collects coins! I should get these and send some to her!" So, she did just that!

It was awesome to get a package from the Netherlands, and was so sweet of her to think of me and to share the lovely coins she found! She enclosed a delightful card with a handwritten note and seven fabulous coins to add to my collection!

1923 FRANCE 25 CENTIMES KM# 867a

I kinda hate to pick favorites, but one coin in particular really caught my eye: a French 25-centimes piece. Not only is it unique because of the hole in the center, but the writing and decoration on the coin is very special, too!

The obverse (front) is dominated by a large "RF" for "RÉPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE." Above the central hole is a "liberty cap," a particular style of Phrygian cap which is often worn by Marianne, the French version of Lady Liberty. A wreath of some sort climbs up both sides of the coin but I can't quite tell if it is oak, or Rose of Sharon, or something else — and none of my online sources offered any suggestions. It lovely, though! At the very bottom, under the wreath is "EM LINDAUER" for the engraver: Edmond-Emile Lindauer.

The reverse (back) of the coin features the motto of the French Republic: "LIBERTÉ, ÉGALITÉ, FRATERNITÉ" (which means: "Liberty, Equality, Fraternity") across the top of the coin. To each side of the center hole is "25 CMES" for "25 Centimes" (a centime was a hundredth-division of the French Franc). The date of minting (1923, in this case) appears at the very bottom.

1933 BELGIUM 1 BELGA / 5 FRANKS KM# 97

On the obverse of this coin is His Majesty Albert I with "ALBERT KONING DER BELGEN" (Albert, King of the Belgians) arcing around him. His Highness reigned from 1909 to 1934, until his death in a mountaineering accident at the age of 58. In very small letters beneath the portrait is "G.DEVREESE" for the engraver: Godefroid Devreese.

The reverse features the Belgian crown at the top, followed by the denomination of the coin: "EEN BELGA / 5 FRANK" (one "belga" was what a 5-franc piece was called). The date of minting (1933) appears beneath the denomination, and each side of the coin is flanked by a wreath.

1975 ITALY 100 LIRA KM# 96.1

The obverse of the coin features the feminine head of the Italian version of Lady Liberty, wearing a wreath of laurel in her hair. "REPVBBLICA ITALIANA" appears around her. Beneath her is "ROMAGNOLI GIAMPAOLI-INC." for the engraver: Giuseppe Romagnoli.

Gracing the reverse of the coin is Minerva, the Roman goddess, facing an olive tree, holding a staff, and wearing a plumed helmet. Minerva was originally a goddess devoted to the arts, but under the Romans was morphed into a goddess that encompassed the cause of war as well:

Minerva is thought to have been originally an Etruscan goddess. Her name, for instance, is almost identical to Menrva the Etruscan goddess of the arts. The worship of Minerva seems to have been adopted by the Romans later on, who associated the goddess’ name with the Latin word mens which means ‘mind’. Later still, Minerva became identified with the Greek Athena and it was at this time that Minerva became associated with war... [source]

On the opposite side of the olive tree from Minerva is the denomination of the coin "L100" for "100 Lira," which was the currency of Italy prior to the adoption of the Euro in 2002. The mint mark "R" opposite the denomination represents Roma. At the bottom of the coin is the year of mintage, 1975.

_{• for another item in my collection which features Minerva:}
^{https://steempeak.com/steemsilvergold/@thekittygirl/republic-of-minerva}

1973 SFR JUGOSLAVIA 5 DINARA KM# 58

This lovely coin from the former Socialist Federal Republic (SFR) of Yugoslavia was minted from a copper-nickel-zinc alloy and is therefore sharper-looking, brighter, and more durable than the aluminum coins that were minted in the 1950s under the Federal People's Republic (FPR) Yugoslavia.

The obverse of the coin features the coat-of-arms of the Republic in the center. Around the top is "СФР ЈУГОСЛАВИЈА" in the Cyrillic alphabet and the equivalent "SFR JUGOSLAVIJA" in the Latin alphabet around the bottom.

The reverse of the coin features the numeral "5" and the denomination of the coin (Dinara) written in several versions "ДИНАРА • DINARA • DINARJEV • ДИНAРИ." Across the top are six stars representing the constituent republics: (1) SR Bosnia & Herzegovina, (2) SR Croatia, (3) SR Macedonia, (4) SR Montenegro, (5) SR Serbia, and (6) SR Slovenia. Two wreaths surround the bottom and sides, with the date of minting (1973) above the knot of the wreath.

_{• for coins from the older FPR Jugoslavia:}
^{https://steempeak.com/coins/@thekittygirl/coins-from-fpr-yugoslavia}

2007 ITALY 1 EURO KM# 216

When the Euro was adopted as the currency of many countries, I knew that each such nation was given permission to design a 2 Euro coin, but I did not know that 1 Euro coins were also designed that way! This is an example of such. The coin is bimetallic: copper-nickel clad nickel center with a nickel-brass ring surrounding it.

This coin commemorates Leonardo da Vinci by displaying one of his most famous drawings, "Vitruvian Man," executed by da Vinci circa 1490. Above the drawing are the superimposed letters "RI" for "Repubblica Italiana" ^_[sic] (the Italian Republic). To the left is the mint mark "R" for "Roma," and the minting date (2007) is to the right. Around the outer edge are 12 stars that represent the unity of all European countries (although more than twelve, as the circle of stars is purely symbolic of the principle of unity). If one looks closely inside the lower-left of the square around the drawing, the initials "LC" can be seen, signifying Laura Cretara, the engraver who designed this side of the coin.

On the reverse of the coin is a large "1 EURO" lettered over a stylized map of Europe. The twelve stars of unity appear on the right side. Underneath the "O" in Euro is "LL" for the engraver who designed this side of the coin: Luc Luycx.

_{• for an example of a similarly-styled 2 Euro coin:}
^{https://steempeak.com/steemsilvergold/@thekittygirl/2-euro-greek-coin-km-188}

1981 CANADA 5 CENTS KM# 60.1

This is the only one of the coins sent to me that I already had in my collection, but that is okay — I can always share one of my other coins with someone else who might want it. Since Canada shares a border with the US, I have actually come across quite a few Canadian coins in my life, but just the common pennies, nickels, and quarters, nothing fancy.

This Canadian 5-cent piece features Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II on the obverse. She is surrounded by "ELIZABETH II / D · G · REGINA" which means, "Elizabeth II, Queen by the grace of God." The engraver responsible for Her Highness' portrait is Arnold Machin.

The reverse of the coin has "5 CENTS" across the top, flanked by a maple leaf on each side, an iconic symbol of the nation. Dominating the center is a beaver, an animal that is common to the lakes and rivers. The beaver is looking down on the initials "KG" for the engraver of this side of the coin: George Kruger Gray. Beneath all of that is "CANADA" and the year of minting (1981).

1978 NORWAY 10 Øre KM# 416

The obverse of this coin features a "royal monogram" rather than a portrait. The monogram is that of His Highness, Olav V, King of Norway at the time this coin was minted (1973). The monogram is elegant, but simple: the Norwegian crown with a stylized "O V" for "Olav, the Fifth."

The reverse of the coin features the denomination "10 ØRE," with øre being the hundredth-division of the Norwegian krone (plural is kroner). The øre coins are no longer being used, although the øre still exists for electronic transactions. The name "NORGE" (the Norwegian name for their country) appears beneath the denomination. To the right is a stylized "ØH" for the engraver Øivind Hansen. The crossed-hammers at the bottom of the coin is the mark for the Kongsberg mint, and the "AB" at left is the mark of the Mint Master at the time: Arne Jon Bakken.