UNC set: khadi and village industries commission

Khadi and village industries commission cover

Obverse

Reverse

Khadi 50 rupee obverse

Khadi reverse

Khadi 5 rupee copper nickel

The Khadi 5 rupee minted in copper nickel alone is worth at about 1500 rupees, maybe more.

Released on the occasion of 50 years of the inception of the Khadi and village industries commission, this coin shows the image of Mahatma Gandhi on the reverse as he was the one who underlined the importance of swadeshi(country made) goods, like from the khadi industry in the villages. Also shown is a village scene and a woman weaving cloth on a charkha.

Composition

USA one cent - II

In 2009, on the occasion of the bicentennial of Lincoln's birth, four different one cent coins were released. These coins track the journey of Lincoln's life, with his being elected as president as the culmination of his journey.They depict the four crucial phases of the life of Lincoln: his birth, formative years, professional life and finally as the president of the United States.

Lincoln one cent: birth, Kentucky

This one cent depicts the small hut in which Abraham Lincoln was born in a Kentucky farm in 1709.

Lincoln one cent: formative years, Indiana

The Lincoln one cent of Indiana of his formative years shows the desire of a young Lincoln to read and to learn as he reads a book while working as a rail splitter.

Lincoln one cent: Professional life, Iliinois

This design features a young professional Lincoln standing before the Springfield Illinois State Capitol.

After an unsuccessful run in 1832, Lincoln was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives in 1834. He received the highest amount of votes cast for any candidate. He served in the Illinois Legislature until 1840 serving four terms.

Elected as a Whig on August 4 ­to Illinois House of Representatives. He took his seat on December 1 at capital in Vandalia.

Lincoln one cent: presidential life, DC

The fourth one cent in the Lincoln one cent series of 2009 is based on the last stage of his life as the president in Washington DC. The picture depicts the half completed dome of the white house which was under construction at that time.

Note: After the cost of copper went up in the 1970's so much that one penny contained more than one cent worth of copper, subsequent production like these coins shown above have a Zinc base and are coated with copper. They contain about 2.5% copper and 97.5% Zinc.

USA one cent - I

One cent Union shield 2010

Images of the Lincoln memorial

Lincoln cent 2008 D

Lincoln cent(Lincoln memorial), 2007

This one cent coin shows the Lincoln head on the obverse and the Lincoln memorial(which was also showed as a modified version in the ending of the 'Planet of the Apes') on the reverse. The Lincoln Memorial is an American memorial built to honor the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. It is located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. and was dedicated on May 30, 1922. The architect was Henry Bacon, the sculptor of the main statue (Abraham Lincoln, 1920) was Daniel Chester French, and the painter of the interior murals was Jules Guerin.

he building is in the form of a Greek Doric temple and contains a large seated sculpture of Abraham Lincoln and inscriptions of two well-known speeches by Lincoln, The Gettysburg Address and his Second Inaugural Address. The memorial has been the site of many famous speeches, including Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech, delivered on August 28, 1963 during the rally at the end of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.

Lincoln cent wheat ears, 1955D

The Lincoln Wheat Cent (sometimes referred to as a Strawpenny, Wheat penny, Wheatback, Wheat Head, or Wheatie) was a United States one-cent coin produced from 1909 to 1958.

Both the obverse and the reverse were designed by Victor David Brenner, a New York sculptor. Brenner's initials, V.D.B., were included on the reverse of the coin below the two stylized wheat stalks on a limited number of the coins until public controversy forced their removal. Brenner's initials were restored to the obverse, below Lincoln's shoulder, in 1918.

One of the more valuable coins to collectors is the 1909 San Francisco, California-minted VDB cent, so-named because the designer's initials were included between the stalks of wheat on the lower reverse side; only 484,000 were produced before the public outcry at the designer's initials being so prominently displayed.Even poor-quality examples of the 1909-S VDB coin bring hundreds of dollars and a high-grade mint condition example can sell for $6,000 to $12,000 or more. By contrast, the Philadelphia mint produced nearly 28 million examples of the 1909 VDB cent and such coins are far less valuable.

Indian head cent, 1907

The obverse of the Indian head cent shows "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA," the head of Liberty wearing a feather head dress of a Native American and the year of production. The word "LIBERTY" appears on the band of the head dress as is required on all United States coins. From 1859 to 1864 the design did not feature any mark of the designer.

Two reverse designs were used for the series. In 1859 the reverse featured "ONE CENT" within a wreath of laurel (or properly olive). From 1860 until the end of the series the reverse featured "ONE CENT" within a wreath of oak and olive tied at the base with a ribbon with a Federal shield above.

Proof set: 150th birth anniversary of Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak

Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak proof set cover

Bal Gangadhar Tilak obverse

Reverse

Bal Gangadhar Tilak 100 rupee obverse

100 rupee reverse

5 rupee Tilak: copper nickel

Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak (29th Couplet) Described by British as "The Father of Indian Unrest " Tilak was born on 23.07.1856. His slogan, "Swaraj (Self Rule) is my birthright", inspired millions of Indians. His book "Geetarahasya"a classic treatise on Geeta in Marathi was written by him, in prison at Mandalay.Great journalist- editor, an authority on Vedas, Sanskrit Scholar, mathematician and a natural leader of India. Founded schools and published newspapers, all for his motherland. He rotted in a distant jail at Mandalay, in Burma. he wore himself out till his last breath, to awaken his countrymen.

Tilak was born in Ratnagiri on 23rd July 1856. He lived for 64 years. Every year of his life was a milestone of achievements.

How much the British feared Tilak, can be gauged from the letter the Governor of Bombay wrote in 1908 to the Secretary of State for India in England:
'He is one of the chief conspirators opposed to the British rule in India. He may even be the Chief conspirator. He has planned the Ganesha Festival, the Shivaji Festival, the Paisa Fund and the National Schools, with the sole aim of destroying British rule in India.'


When Tilak passed away, Mahatma Gandhi said: "He used his steel-like will power for the country. His life is an open book. The Lokmanya is the Architect of New India. Future generations will remember Tilak with reverence, as the man who lived and died for their sake."

Composition

USA state quarters - XVII

Wyoming state quarter

Wyoming, nicknamed the "Equality State," was admitted into the Union on July 10, 1890, becoming our Nation's 44th state. The reverse of Wyoming's quarter features a bucking horse and rider.

The bucking horse and rider symbolize Wyoming's Wild West heritage. "Buffalo Bill" Cody personified this in his traveling Wild West show. First settled by fur trappers, Fort Laramie, Wyoming, later became a popular destination for pioneers traveling the Oregon Trail.

Wyoming was nicknamed the "Equality State" because of its historical role in establishing equal voting rights for women. Wyoming was the first territory to grant "female suffrage" and became the first state in the Nation to allow women to vote, serve on juries and hold public office. In 1924, Nellie Tayloe Ross became the first woman elected Governor of Wyoming. In 1933, Ross became the first woman appointed as the Director of the United States Mint.

Wisconsin state quarter

The Wisconsin design depicts an agricultural theme featuring a cow, a round of cheese and an ear of corn. The design also bears an inscription of the State motto, "Forward".

Wisconsin adopted the State motto, "Forward," in 1851, reflecting Wisconsin's continuous drive to be a national leader. Wisconsin is considered "America's Dairy Land" with production of over 15 percent of the Nation's milk. Wisconsin also produces over 350 different varieties, types and styles of award-winning cheeses more than any other state. There are approximately 17,000 dairy farms, with just over one million cows that produce an average of 17,306 gallons of milk each, per year.

Wisconsin is also a major corn-growing state. In 2002, Wisconsin led the Nation in corn silage production and, with 391.5 million bushels produced, it ranked fifth in the production of corn for grain (shelled corn). State corn production contributed $882.4 million to the Wisconsin economy in 2003. Wisconsin is also a leading supplier of mint.

West Virginia state quarter

The West Virginia state quarter captures the scenic beauty of the State with its depiction of the New River and the New River Gorge Bridge. The coin bears the inscription "New River Gorge".

Prior to gaining statehood, the area that is now West Virginia formed the western part of Virginia. Settlers in the western part of the "Old Dominion" began their efforts to join the federal Union when Virginia announced its secession in 1861. In the western part of the State, the Restored Government of Virginia in Wheeling drafted a state constitution in 1862. The new state called West Virginia applied to Congress for admission into the Union. Congress approved the request with one condition, that the new state abolish slavery. President Lincoln signed the West Virginia statehood bill and on June 20, 1863, West Virginia officially became the 35th state to be admitted into the Union.

USA state quarters - XVI

Washington state quarter

The reverse of Washington's quarter features a king salmon breaching the water in front of majestic Mount Rainier. The coin bears the inscriptions "The Evergreen State," "Washington" and "1889."

Mount Rainier is an active volcano encased in more than 35 square miles of snow and glacial ice. It is the symbolic bridge between the eastern and western parts of the State. The salmon is another important symbol of Washington. It is a traditional image of Pacific Northwest culture, and this fish has provided nourishment for the native peoples of the Pacific Northwest.Every year thousands of salmon travel upstream against all odds and reach the source of the river where they mate and then die. The upstream journey is a very difficult one in which salmon fall prey to predators like bears and also make incredible jumps of several feet, and that too against the stream. Newsman and real estate pioneer C.T. Conover nicknamed Washington the "Evergreen State" because of its many lush evergreen forests.

Virgin Islands state quarter

The U.S. Virgin Islands Quarteris the fifth release of the 2009 DC & US Territories Quarter Program. This program is a follow up to the popular 50 State Quarters Program to feature non-state jurisdictions of the United States.

The reverse design of the Virgin Islands Quarter features a bird known as the Banana Quit pictured next to the Yellow Cedar flower. Behind the bird is a Tyre Palm, a tree native to the Virgin Islands. The background includes an outline of the three main islands.

The Virgin Islands Quarter had a combined mintage of 82 million coins for circulation.The mintage was evenly divided between the Philadelphia and Denver Mint facilities.

Virginia state quarter

The Virginia state quarter captures the scenic beauty of the State with its depiction of the New River and the New River Gorge Bridge. The coin bears the inscription "New River Gorge".

This coin also depicts the quadracentennial of the Jamestown settlement, which was the first successful English settlement in America in 1607, following eighteen failed attempts by Europeans to colonize the American mainland. It was named after king James I of England and was founded for the purposes of making quick profit from gold mining while also establishing a permanent foothold in North America.

The island was surrounded by deep water, making it a navigable and defensible strategic point. However, the island was swampy, isolated, offered limited space and was plagued by mosquitoes and brackish tidal river water unsuitable for drinking. In addition to the malarial swamp the settlers arrived too late in the year to get crops planted.Many in the group were gentlemen unused to work, or their manservants, equally unaccustomed to the hard labor demanded by the harsh task of carving out a viable colony.In a few months, fifty-one of the party were dead; some of the survivors were deserting to the Indians whose land they had invaded.In the "starving time" of 1609 - 1610,the Jamestown settlers were in even worse straits. Only 61 of the 500 colonists survived the period.Perhaps the best thing about it from an English point of view was that it was not inhabited by nearby Virginia Indian tribes, who regarded the site as too poor and remote for agriculture.

The following year, 1614, John Rolfe began to successfully harvest tobacco.As the settlers continued to leverage more land for tobacco farming, relations with the natives worsened. After chief Powhatan's death, his brother, a fierce warrior named Opchanacanough, became head of the Powhatan Confederacy.

After several years of strained coexistence, Chief Opchanacanough and his Powhatan Confederacy attempted to eliminate the English colony once and for all. On the morning of March 22, 1622, they attacked outlying plantations and communities up and down the James River in what became known as the Indian Massacre of 1622. The attack killed over 300 settlers, about a third of the English-speaking population.

Jamestown was spared only through a timely warning by a Virginia Indian employee. There was not enough time to spread the word to the outposts.

Despite such setbacks and also inhospitable conditions, the colony continued to grow because settlers kept coming in from England.In 1624, King James revoked the Virginia Company's charter, and Virginia became a royal colony.

USA state quarters - XV

Vermont state quarter

The Vermont quarter features Camel's Hump Mountain with an image of maple trees with sap buckets in the forefront.

The design honors the "Green Mountain State," the first state admitted to the Union after the original 13 colonies. Vermont is most famous for its skiing and the production of maple sugar and syrup. Until the 1800s when cane sugar was introduced, Americans relied on Vermont's maple sugar for much of its sugar supply. Also featured on the quarter is Camel's Hump Mountain in the northern half of Vermont's Green Mountains. Camel's Hump is easily recognized by its unique double-humped profile and is one of the highest peaks in Vermont.

Utah state quarter

The reverse of Utah's quarter features two locomotives moving toward the golden spike that joined the Central Pacific and Union Pacific railroads, linking East to West and transforming both the Utah Territory and the Nation with the inscription "Crossroads of the West."

On May 10, 1869, two steam locomotives met at Promontory, Utah, for the "Joining of the Rails Ceremony," at which the Union Pacific and Central Pacific railroads completed the transcontinental route. The event was crucial to the development of the American West because it made cross-country travel more convenient and economical. The construction of the railroad, and the subsequent mining boom, brought diverse ethnic and religious populations to Utah. The railroad also symbolized the changing technology, and moved Utah from an agrarian economy to a more industrialized one.

Even before the time of steam locomotives, Utah experienced a steady flow of explorers and pioneers. The Spaniards first came to explore Utah in the 18th century and were followed by mountain men, Mormons and prospectors in search of precious metals found in the 1860s. Because of its central location, Utah became known as the "Crossroads of the West."

Texas state quarter

The Texas quarter's reverse design incorporates an outline of the State with a star superimposed on the outline and the inscription, "The Lone Star State." The lariat encircling the design is symbolic of the cattle and cowboy history of Texas, as well as the frontier spirit that tamed the land.

Texas comes from the Indian word "tejas," meaning friends or allies, and appropriately Texas's motto is "Friendship." Probably the two most recognized symbols of Texas are its unique shape and the lone star that is represented on the State flag. The Texas flag design was approved in 1839 to symbolize the Republic of Texas and was adopted as the State flag in 1845. The simple design of a lone star and three bold stripes of red, white and blue represent bravery, purity and loyalty, respectively. Texas is the only state to have had six different flags fly over its land; Spain, France, Mexico, Republic of Texas, Confederate States of America and the United States of America.

Proof set: Saint Alphonsa

Alphonsa proof set cover
Alphonsa proof set obverse

Reverse

Alphonsa 100 rupee obverse

Alphonsa 100 rupee reverse

Mumbai mint mark

Alphonsa 5 rupee

Alphonsa Mutthapadathu was born in 1910 in village Kudamaloor near Kottayam in Kerala. She had a difficult childhood plagued by poverty and illness. She fell into a pit of burning chaff and both here feet got deformed, leaving her handicapped. In 1936, she was miraculously cured by saint Therese of Lisieux. She taught at a school and there are a large number of miracles associated with her, many of which involved curing children having clubbed feet as she herself had been disabled by her feet for many years. In 1939 she had an attack of double-pneumonia which left her weakened and she died in 1946 after a painful illness. In 1985, Pope John Paul II formally approved a miracle that was attributed to her and she received the title of Venerable Sister Alphonsa. One year later, she was beatified. On the 50 years of her death, a stamp was released as the first sign of national recognition to her. Pope Benedict XVI authorized her canonization in 2007 and the process was completed after an year, meaning that Alphonsa is now the first woman and only the second saint from India after Saint Gonsalo Garcia.

Apart from this coin set, a stamp was also released to commemorate the canonization of Alphonsa. I have that stamp as well in my collection.

Composition

UNC set: Saint Alphonsa

Alphonsa UNC set Cover

Alphonsa UNC set obverse

Reverse

Alphonsa 100 rupee obverse

100 rupee reverse

Alphonsa 5 rupee

Alphonsa Mutthapadathu was born in 1910 in village Kudamaloor near Kottayam in Kerala. She had a difficult childhood plagued by poverty and illness. She fell into a pit of burning chaff and both here feet got deformed, leaving her handicapped. In 1936, she was miraculously cured by saint Therese of Lisieux. She taught at a school and there are a large number of miracles associated with her, many of which involved curing children having clubbed feet as she herself had been disabled by her feet for many years. In 1939 she had an attack of double-pneumonia which left her weakened and she died in 1946 after a painful illness. In 1985, Pope John Paul II formally approved a miracle that was attributed to her and she received the title of Venerable Sister Alphonsa. One year later, she was beatified. On the 50 years of her death, a stamp was released as the first sign of national recognition to her. Pope Benedict XVI authorized her canonization in 2007 and the process was completed after an year, meaning that Alphonsa is now the first woman and only the second saint from India after Saint Gonsalo Garcia.

Apart from this coin set, a stamp was also released to commemorate the canonization of Alphonsa. I have that stamp as well in my collection.

composition