Product Description

Coin collectors who can't locate listings for those odd or novelty coins in their collections will find them in this long-awaited fourth edition of Unusual World Coins. This book has coverage of over 400 years of micro-nation coinage, fantasy issues (such as Middle Earth - Lord of the Rings), medieval fair coinage, historical fantasy and pretender issues. There are also new listings for experimental Euro coins tested prior to conversion and medallic Euro coins from non-Euro countries. Listings contain up-to-date pricing in up to five grades of condition, as well as detailed identification information and hundreds of illustrations, making identification fast and easy. Inside, collectors will find everything from old fantasy favourites like Sealand and Atlantis to new medallic issues from globally recognized land-based countries.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #62986 in Books
• Published on: 2005-07-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 552 pages

About the Author
Employed at KP Books since 1975, Colin R Bruce II oversees production of all numismatic catalogue titles that relate to foreign coins and paper money. He has earned 16 numismatic awards for his work.

Customer Reviews

Coin Collectors' Fun Book
This is a coin catalogue worth buying even if you don't have a single coin it lists. The Unusual coins are really unusual in the way they depict human vain hopes, unattainable dreams, and impossible ambitions. You can see here coins from imaginary or lost empires (Russian monarchists struck their coins in 1990), states that have not been recognized by a single sovereign nation (Hutt River Province) or worlds which existed only in the imagination of writers (the Middle Earth) or private mints (Russian euro coins...). All this is a great tribute to human imagination and entepreneurial spirit, neatly presented in the form of a handy volume.
Naturally, you may actually collect these coins. In this case you will find the typical Krause quality - lots of pictures are missing, some coins are not listed completely but as it is in the case of all Krause catalogues: you just won't find anything better!

Excellent Referance Book, Pleased with quality
Excellent Reference Book, Pleased with quality. Rather complete. Glad I purchased it. Found the coins I had that were not in other catalogs.

wild, wooly, wacky and way too much fun!
This book, published as an accompaniment to the big daddy compendium titled 'Standard Catalog of World Coins' is given over to a slew of issues of "novel non-circulating coins, including fantasy issues, micro-nation coinage, medallic types and coins of pseudo-etats." As such, one will find issues from places as varied as 'Atlantis,' the Republic of China, Great Britain, 'Sealand' and Gardiner's Island. Some of the coins listed will have been issued, as in the Republic of China pieces during tumultuous, or perhaps I should say interesting times as a nascent although ultimately unsuccessful state struggled for legitimacy; others were officially issued by recognized and sovriegn nations but not for circulation; some were produced by entities claiming sovriegn status on somewhat shaky legal gounds, such as the above-mentioned Sealand which occupies a World War II anti-aircraft platform in the North Sea; and finally there is a handful of issues that have simply been made up and struck from whole cloth in a manner of speaking,in the monetary equivalent of a vanity press publication. There are other sub-categories but I'm sure you get the idea. The book describes the physical characteristics of the issues, tries to establish mintage dates and numbers, and metallic composition, and sometimes give some background information to boot. The resource is perfect for one attempting to find a little information about something he has found and is curious about. Unfortunately, it is no good for one who wants more than a little information as the authors give nothing more than thumbnail sketches when they give any background information at all. I think the book really falls down on this point. In addition, the author/editors neglect to tell the public what criteria were used to include and exclude various issues. I know almost nothing about this genre but even I immediately questioned some of the entries found in the United States section. I wish that a certain set of rules had been followed or perhaps that the book had been broken up into the various categories so that one would know pretty soon whether these were issued as modern fantasy nation pieces or as once circulating unrecognized states pieces, etc. I bought this version even though there is a later edition now available for the simple reason of cost. This edition can be had for very little money and it is worth every fantasy penny spent, in my opinion.