I'd like to know some of the smallest areas or countries that have issued coins in the 1800s (won't mind if the coins were made a few years after the start of the 1900s) I know that thule kap york of Greenland and the cocos keeling islands are two, but are there more countries or areas with, perhaps under 10000 inhabitants that have issued coins during that time period.
Quote: "iiruig"The first country that comes up in my head is Vatican, and in 1800s mean Papal States.
Though actually Papal States' territory was much bigger than Vatican's today. I take it back.
True, the Papal States had a population of around three million in the mid-1800's.
Another one is Monaco. I am sure it is smaller by area than San Marino. But population wise I don't know how many people lived in Monaco in 1800s. In San Marino it was 7000-10000.
Hawaii as a Kingdom in the mid 19th century. Unknown population of all the islands at that time but the total population was estimated to be only 150,000 in 1900.
About 7500 people lived in Liechtenstein when it started issuing coins in the 1900s. (I have this type!)
Some of the smaller 19th century German states probably had even lower populations.
Outside of Europe, some colonies were probably tiny, though I can't think of any specific ones offhand; there were also tiny Indian princely states, though the really tiny ones either didn't issue coins, or their coins just didn't happen to get included on Numista. The smallest one I could find was Makrai State (13025 people as of 1901).
Quote: "zakaye"The smallest I have is probably Cook Islands with a population of about 17,000.
The Cook Islands have had coins since 1972, but also use New Zealand banknotes & coins as well.
British coins would have circulated in the Cook Islands in the 19th. Century.
Aidan.
...I wonder how I missed that.
I, in turn, confused them with the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, whose Ross overlord issued a set of tokens in 1913 (indeed this is mentioned in the OP). At the time, the islands would have had a population of only several hundred.
Peruvian and Chilean coins circulated in Samoa (Population 25,000 in 1875) and Tokelau (Population 600 in 1870) and Niue (Population 1000 in 1901).
These coins found their way there via Blackbirders, who hauled Islanders off to dig guano.
Unitil 1900 when German and British coins became law in Samoa. British coins in Niue and Cooks (NZ only got coins in 1933) and American coins in Tokelau and Swains Island.
I love coins. Especially silver, gold and anything really old.
Member of the Royal Numismatic Society of New Zealand and the Auckland Numismatic Society
Quote: "Moneytane"Peruvian and Chilean coins circulated in Samoa (Population 25,000 in 1875) and Tokelau (Population 600 in 1870) and Niue (Population 1000 in 1901).
These coins found their way there via Blackbirders, who hauled Islanders off to dig guano.
Unitil 1900 when German and British coins became law in Samoa. British coins in Niue and Cooks (NZ only got coins in 1933) and American coins in Tokelau and Swains Island.
I think you mean Western Samoa - as the eastern Samoan islands became American Samoa, which uses the American Dollar.
Even after 1914, Western Samoa was still using British coins, then New Zealand coins from 1933 until 1967, when the first Western Samoan coins were released.
However German Samoa dates from 1900, American Samoa from the same time although the Americans were there by the 1870s - annexation was the same time in 1900.
British coins had circulated before 1900 and were traded 1900 - 1914 but the German mark was currency of choice then, 1900 saw American coins rule supreme in American Samoa.
Tokelau put out a set of stamps in 2010 which showed coins used there and the low value showed a Chilean dollar (Peso) on it, stating that before about 1885, they traded widely in the Eastern pacific with the Peruvain sol.
1914 to 1967 saw the British, then New Zealand pound used and in some islands and places like Tonga and Solomons - the Fijian pound was also used.
Both Tonga and Samoa had their own banknotes from the 1920s onward with a weird 4/- denomination used in Tonga and a 5/- in Samoa. My guess is 4/- was the standard daily pay rate for a labourer?
I love coins. Especially silver, gold and anything really old.
Member of the Royal Numismatic Society of New Zealand and the Auckland Numismatic Society
