Buzz
While state quarters and presidential dollar coins have their charm, if you're after something truly extraordinary, you need to step beyond the typical round shape and explore coins with unconventional forms. Here are 11 coins whose shapes are definitely not suited for a vending machine.
1. Baseball
To celebrate the National Baseball Hall of Fame's 75th anniversary next year, the U.S. Mint revealed plans to release special $5 gold, $1 silver, and half-dollar coins. The catch? These coins will have a convex shape, designed to mimic the form of a baseball. The Mint is hosting a contest to design the concave side—the reverse will feature a logo marking the anniversary of the Hall of Fame. Although this marks the Mint's first attempt at convex coins (and will require Congress to amend a law regulating the diameter of gold and silver coins), other nations have already embraced this design. In 2009, France introduced a coin for the International Year of Astronomy, and just last year, Australia produced one featuring the Southern Cross constellation (above).
2. Australia
The Perth Mint has been crafting a distinctive series of coins to honor Australia—each one shaped to match the contours of the country itself. So far, three silver coins have been released in the series, showcasing a kookaburra, an emu, and a kangaroo set against iconic Australian landscapes.
3. Pyramid
Coins-Auctioned.com
To mark a global exhibition of treasures from Tutankhamun's Tomb, the Isle of Man created special coins shaped like—what else?—a pyramid. The first pyramid-shaped coin in the world (which is triangular, to be precise) was legal tender on the island, though it was mainly intended for collectors. One side depicted an image of King Tut taken directly from the tomb, with authentic sand from the tomb entrance used to fill the sun. The reverse side featured Queen Elizabeth.
4. Guitar
In 2004, Somalia commemorated the 50th anniversary of rock & roll by issuing a limited-edition series of guitar-shaped coins, each representing a different iconic style. These included the Gibson Flying V and a pink star-shaped guitar, similar to the one played by Gary Glitter. Due to the popularity of these coins, Somalia released another set in 2012, featuring Jimmy Page's famous double-neck guitar and a rectangular one reminiscent of the guitar used by Bo Diddley. Despite years of Civil War and a lack of centralized government control over currency, Somalia continues to issue these coins mostly for collectors. This series is just one example of the country’s many unusual coin designs, including…
5. Motorcycle
JoelsCoins.com
…Motorcycles...
6. Sportscar
JoelsCoins.com
And don't miss out on the rare 3D coin set and the animal series, both of which are true collector's items.
7. A Jigsaw Flag
Kckrs.com
Poland and Ukraine co-hosted the Euro 2012 football tournament, and in a gesture of unity, they issued a set of rare bi-national coins. One design featured a traditional coin split into two parts—one valued at 10 Polish zloty and the other at 10 Ukrainian hryvnia. However, these were outshined by the special Polish jigsaw coins, which, when connected, formed the shape of a flag. On one side of the completed coin was the UEFA trophy, while the other depicted four football players. Each individual piece was worth 10 zloty, roughly $2.80 at the time, representing the four Polish cities hosting tournament games.
8. Heart
Coins-and-Banknotes.com
The Pacific island nation of Palau has sought to capture the attention of coin collectors with a series of distinctive coins, incorporating holograms, gems, and even freshwater pearls. Yet perhaps their most eye-catching are the heart-shaped coins. A 2009 edition featured a pair of angels, while the 2012 series depicted a heart with wings and the phrase "My heart flies for you."
9. Valencia Cathedral
Gcoins.net
The reason behind the Cook Islands’ decision to mint a coin honoring Pope Benedict XVI’s 2006 visit to Valencia Cathedral in Spain remains unclear. Nonetheless, the result is a stunning gold-on-silver coin. Shaped like the cathedral, which is believed to house the Holy Grail, the coin replaces the traditional stained-glass window with small embedded crystals.
10. Europe
Fleur-de-Coin.com
The Republic of Nauru, a South Pacific island also known as Pleasant Island, chose to commemorate the 2002 formation of the European Union with a unique coin of its own. The result was a $10 silver coin shaped to represent all of the founding nations of the E.U.
11. The Bermuda Triangle
Numista.com
Embracing its legendary mystique, Bermuda honored the infamous Bermuda Triangle with a series of triangular-shaped coins, with the first released in 1970. These coins are highly sought after by collectors and often feature images of ships navigating the Atlantic. One notable 1997 coin even depicted the wreck of the Sea Venture, a 17th-century English vessel that crashed into Bermuda's reefs.
