I don't collect the Euro coins..but it's not because I am anti-Euro, it's simply that I just can't get into them. It felt/feels like a loss that the Eurozone countries adopted the Euro. "CapitaIist money!" an old Spanish man told me! I can't see the end of the Euro...not unless there is another European war! I'd prefer the Eurozone countries to take up their old currencies to tell the truth.
For the second question. I'd collect Scotland..but I wouldn't have a very big collection since Scottish coins tend to cost a bit. I'd collect Norwegian or Polish as a back up.
I don't know what to think about the Euro. The news in the US makes one believe that it is only a matter of time before the Euro falls apart, and possibly takes the world economy down with it. However they always over play the hand dealt, in order to drive ratings. Guess we will have to wait and see. As for collecting, I agree, the Euro is boring.
As for the other question? I think I would have to go with......... Germany pre-1949. They made a lot of coins, with really interesting designs and a lot of historical weight.
The Eurozone will survive this crisis. However, what nations are included in the Eurozone will change, some will leave and some will still join. I expect that the requirements to join (and more importantly, to maintain) inclusion in the Eurozone will get tougher.
If I could collect coins from only one nation, I choose Switzerland for its long coinage history, design continuity, low mintages and stable value.
I don't think the Euro will fall i think its more likely that the countries with stronger economies will kick out the countries whose economies fail keeping the Euro stable then if they wish let them rejoin at a later date, if all the countries in the Euro went back to thier new currencies it would be an organisational nightmare.
For the coins: I don´t collect them cause most of those for and from normal circulation and boring and the collector coins are too expensive and without an appreciable value or history.
For the Eurozone: This was good for the short to medium time actors and experts on the capital markets. The others will pay the price.
Don´t know what will happen to the zone. But as it´s never possible to create endless profits in a limited system those who want to increase their profits will have to change the system. As money rules the world electors and politicians will have to wait and see what happens to the Euro and it´s zone.
I can't say about the Euro, but for the country I believe it woul'd have been Germany,
for it reprisents many things in the Western-Warld history:
- the First Riche as an empire from the middle age and the end of the 18th century,
- the German-states as nation-states billding process,
- the Second-Rich and WW-I,
- the Waimar Rep. as the baginnig of the democratization processs,
- the Nazis, WW-II and the Holocaust
- East and West Germany for the Cold-War
- united Germany as the new age of liberalism
- the Euro period
Quote: neyogevI can't say about the Euro, but for the country I believe it woul'd have been Germany,
for it reprisents many things in the Western-Warld history:
- the First Riche as an empire from the middle age and the end of the 18th century,
- the German-states as nation-states billding process,
- the Second-Rich and WW-I,
- the Waimar Rep. as the baginnig of the democratization processs,
- the Nazis, WW-II and the Holocaust
- East and West Germany for the Cold-War
- united Germany as the new age of liberalism
- the Euro period
Quote: neyogevI can't say about the Euro, but for the country I believe it woul'd have been Germany,
for it reprisents many things in the Western-Warld history:
- the First Riche as an empire from the middle age and the end of the 18th century,
- the German-states as nation-states billding process,
- the Second-Rich and WW-I,
- the Waimar Rep. as the baginnig of the democratization processs,
- the Nazis, WW-II and the Holocaust
- East and West Germany for the Cold-War
- united Germany as the new age of liberalism
- the Euro period
Im not realy sure what you are saying maybe talking like this ???
I mean I collect coins because I like to see the change of time through it.
The history is not always nice indeed, and Germany above all represent it (as an Israeli-Jew I know it)-
but that exactly why I choose Germany:
For me, anyway, it represents almost any step of change that took place in the western-world in the last 300 year...
neyogev, I agree with you. On coins of Germany, Italy, Spain and few other countries it can be read the eventful History of the Western world. In comparison, the euro and the dollar are boring and of little interest to me.
Referee for Spain, Iberia (ancient), Suebi Kingdom and Visigothic Kingdom
I nearly can't imagine the financial transactions before the euro in daily life. And it would be annoying if 'they' would took the euro away from us again and introduce the frank again when even the older people are starting to get used to the euro.
And it would be silly too I think:
"one loaf of bread please"
"here you are, 90 franks please"
How ridiculously high does that sound!??
Quote: KräftskivaI nearly can't imagine the financial transactions before the euro in daily life. And it would be annoying if 'they' would took the euro away from us again and introduce the frank again when even the older people are starting to get used to the euro.
And it would be silly too I think:
"one loaf of bread please"
"here you are, 90 franks please"
How ridiculously high does that sound!??
My nation, without hesitation: Sweden.
Where are you thinking of that a loaf of bread ever cost 90 francs? By today's prices in France a loaf of bread would be about 12F, assuming the reinstatement of the franc at the old value relative to the pound sterling at the time when it was replaced by the Euro.
The Euro question is sadly a political one. It can never work, because in a capitalist society regional variations will always exist. They exist within the small area of England, on the scale of the Euro zone where those regional variations become national, even with a single nation (which is undoubtedly the ultimate objective of the corporation) the geographical scales simply make it untenable.
I guess an American system of semi-autonomous states under a single federal government might work, the USA seems to function on a single currency, though I still suspect there are wide-sweeping regional variations between and even within individual states.
I assume Matt, that the variations you speak of, are variations in prices for goods and cost of living?
There is indeed a large variation from state to state as well as intrastate cost.
Prices in the south east US are a great bit lower than they are in the north east. As much as half the price for most goods and services, but the wages that are paid for the providers of those goods are reduced by half as well (don't quote me on "half", I don't know exact figures, but its a large margin). And this is true for each section of the country.
Quote: ctuckerI assume Matt, that the variations you speak of, are variations in prices for goods and cost of living?
And inflation, interest rates and other economic factors. Which are what the Euro crisis is about. Its not about a single currency, its about a single fiscal policy.
Quote: Matt ProbertWhere are you thinking of that a loaf of bread ever cost 90 francs? By today's prices in France a loaf of bread would be about 12F, assuming the reinstatement of the franc at the old value relative to the pound sterling at the time when it was replaced by the Euro.
I just would like to know how many people who answered this topic belong to the euro zone?
I guess I am the only one(?)
I am very happy that euro exists!
I live in France and I frequently travel through Europe and
- I can compare prices
- I don't give any money to the greedy banks (exchange rate)
So, i wish LONG LIVE TO EURO.
Im English so no Euro here, i dont realy have any problems with the Euro as you say it makes traveling through Europe a lot easier and cheaper. This dosent mean i would like to see the Euro over hear, a countrys currency is part of its identity it says a lot about a nation.
Quote: ctuckerI assume Matt, that the variations you speak of, are variations in prices for goods and cost of living?
And inflation, interest rates and other economic factors. Which are what the Euro crisis is about. Its not about a single currency, its about a single fiscal policy.
Matt
That is something I didn't understand about the Euro. If it is a fiscal policy, then all nations involved would have to stucture their respective systems the same. Right?
I understand that there is no exchange rate between the euro, from country to country, but what about tax rates, interest rates and things of that nature?
Are the banks within the Euro zone interconnected?
Quote: ctuckerI assume Matt, that the variations you speak of, are variations in prices for goods and cost of living?
And inflation, interest rates and other economic factors. Which are what the Euro crisis is about. Its not about a single currency, its about a single fiscal policy.
Matt
That is something I didn't understand about the Euro. If it is a fiscal policy, then all nations involved would have to stucture their respective systems the same. Right?
I understand that there is no exchange rate between the euro, from country to country, but what about tax rates, interest rates and things of that nature?
Are the banks within the Euro zone interconnected?
THAT is the problem! The sovereign nations have no control over setting tax rates, interest rates etc. Hence the likes of Greece etc are in such dire issues. No the banks are not interconnected. They are private businesses, as indeed are fish and chip shops, not even franchises like McDonalds or Dominoes Pizza. Like I said, its a political issue. Personally I am not getting involved in the argument, here in the UK there are two main camps; one pro-Europe and one Euro-sceptic.
I find the Euro coinage tedious, the economics and politics of financial integration of different countries within Europe is a head ache I leave to economists and politicians!
Quote: neyogevI can't say about the Euro, but for the country I believe it woul'd have been Germany,
for it reprisents many things in the Western-Warld history:
- the First Riche as an empire from the middle age and the end of the 18th century,
Please, remind that for some centuries the south Germany was bind to Wien, not to Berlin
Bayern in particular.... for religion, trade, political and other thing
Until 1867 Austria was an Empire, not the Germany
Quote: szmataI just would like to know how many people who answered this topic belong to the euro zone?
I guess I am the only one(?)
- I can compare prices
- I don't give any money to the greedy banks (exchange rate)
Also I live in Euro Zone.... before in my town we used different coins... Lire, Shilling, Dinari, D Mark, until to Slovenia Tolariev . I started to collect coins that tourist spent in shops.... gulden and frank too !
Three borders and many coins.... little, little problem to exchange or compare prices, was a fun !
Yes, you need a few practice. Some people worked to exchange value bank for tourist.
Now we have only a coin, as in 19th century but with inflation and others problem
I wonder if the UK is part of the cause of the problem after all we are a part of the eu but we did not accept the euro as a currenc. i remember at the time the euro started that there were some countries in the far east i think that had adopted the euro as their currency i was quite impressed with that. Although i must admit i am not to impressed with the euro as a coin but at the same time i think the new coins circulating from2008 are rubbish with that silly shield.
Country of choice to collect UK .
Dave
I dont think its fair to say the UK is part of the problem just because we didnt join it. If a group of countries chose to start their own single currency it was their choice and if at the time they wanted the UK to join but the UK didnt, they didnt have to countinue their plans to have a single currency.
I hope the euro lasts, but I don't think it will. For the country who's coins I would collect if I coin only collect one country's coins, I have a small list here. It would be impossible for me to choose one.
United Kingdom
Germany
Canada
Switzerland
Imperial Russia
USSR
Australia
By the way, 90 Belgian Francs is $2.96, or 2,23€, which is a little too high for a loaf of bread.
Quote: dptashnyBy the way, 90 Belgian Francs is $2.96, or 2,23€, which is a little too high for a loaf of bread.
I know it's difficult to believe, but this is real, €2 is rare, €2,10 is the 'normal' price (for as long as it lasts) and you don't have to search long to find €2,20 for a loaf (for the same kind of bread of course)
EDIT: maybe it's important too to mention that a normal loaf of bread weighs about 800 grams in Belgium.
Sorry for the people of europe but the crisis will have no end soon and the crisis will have a bitter end for the human species: Unjustice, slavery,misery ! Who creates euro and europe said : states will have a great desire to enter the union but will have a greater desire to leave the union but they will have no chance to do so( greece for example). For the country i d prefer ottoman coins ( because of their real monetary value) . If No ottoman -> italian lira 1861-2001
The others will pay the price. 
