By Richard Giedroyc, World Coin News November 16, 2009

Oh, but to dream of when coins were actually money! Unfortunately it’s off-the-wall time again as I review some of the more recent noncirculating legal tender commemorative “coins” now being hawked on the market.

Don’t get me wrong. They are collectible. They are interesting. They are part of our current collectibles culture. They reflect coin and collectibles marketing in our times. But, I feel confident in saying none will ever be seen used in commerce, which may not be a bad thing.

No one outside of a few natives unfortunate enough to live there have ever heard of the Chagos Archipelago, so someone came up with the idea of issuing coins using the archipelago’s other name, the British Indian Ocean Territory. Incidentally, this archipelago includes Diego Garcia, site of a remote military base shared by Great Britain, the United States and an assortment of lizards.

The 2009 Life of the Sea Turtle British Indian Ocean Territory 2-pound coin may celebrate an unusual subject, but it is the coin’s composition that caught my attention. This is a ringed bimetal coin with a .925 fine or sterling silver ring coupled with a blue crystal center. There may not be a lot of opportunity to spend this coin, but considering the center plug is a crystal, subsequent wear on such a coin would be interesting to track.

In the past the Pobjoy Mint has introduced some interesting theme coins, including the annual issues for Christmas struck in the name of Gibraltar and the Isle of Man. Well, Cameroon is trying one-upmanship having issued a wedding celebration coin that can be customized for your wedding. This coin took a while to make it to the U.S. market, being dated 2006. The coin has a denomination of 7,500 francs and is available either in silver-plate or gold-plate. The obverse depicts an elephant head and map of Africa – hardly subjects fitting for a traditional wedding in most parts of the world – but the reverse depicts two wedding rings above an open space suitable for a customized engraving. Will anyone follow this issue with a coin that can be broken in half to mark a divorce?

Fiji has recently issued a set of three 2009 House of Romanov $2 coins struck at the New Zealand Mint. The coins are color enhanced and housed in a box resembling an orb that I guess serves as a change purse as well, but what do any of these coins have to do with the Russian imperial family? The coins don’t mark any specific anniversary. Perhaps a false Anastasia pretender to the throne came from Fiji? What’s the connection? Where is the market? Is there a Romanov fan club out there somewhere?

Palau is one of those postage stamp nations in the Pacific Ocean that issues more coins and stamps than it likely has people. Palau was once a German colony, but the three-coin 2009 Palau Battle of Teutoburg Forest $1 is a stretch. These commemoratives mark the historic A.D. 9 battle between the Germans and the Romans (in Europe, not in the Pacific Ocean!), neither of which at the time likely had ever heard of the Pacific Ocean, let alone any islands in it. The three coins are square and color enhanced. You got it – the primary market for these coins is in Germany.

Last month I mentioned U.S. coins on which living people have been depicted in this column. We’ve got another one, except this time the living person is depicted on a coin of the island nation of Vanuatu. The 2009 10-vatu coin depicts U.S. President Barack Obama.

I love Grover Beach, Calif., world coin dealer Joel Anderson’s comment about this coin: “As best as I can figure the only connection between President Obama and Vanuatu is that the president has heard of the place, and that some citizens of Vanuatu read about his election.”

More Resources:

• Standard Catalog of United States Obsolete Bank Notes 4-CD Set, 1782-1866

• Fascinating Facts, Mysteries & Myths About U.S. Coins

• 2010 Standard Catalog of World Coins 2001-Date, 4th Edition

• State Quarters Deluxe Collector's Folder