Czech Republic celebrated in 2025 the centenary of the discovery of the prehistoric clay sculpture called Venus of Vestonice with a 200 crowns silver coin. Venus is supposed to be about 30 thousand years old and it is one of the oldest known ceramic artefacts in the world. It was found south of Brno in Moravia.
Another stop on my voyage across Germany - principality of Lippe and its capital Detmold. As it turns out yet again I found the very last one, only two dates were ever issued and it is the only Thaler this small principality ever produced.
Emperor Franz Joseph started his reign in Vienna in 1848 but it was only after the agreement with his Hungarian subjects in 1867 that he was crowned in Budapest as the King of Hungary with the Crown of Saint Stephen. The 40th anniversary was celebrated with this commemorative coin struck at Kormocbanya (now Kremnica in Slovakia) in 300 thousand.
The coin is silver and it is not merely a crown but five hundred of them. This is the first of them, celebrating the poet Karel Erben and his volume of poetry "A Bouquet of National Tales". One only is issued per year, most recent issues celebrate local Czech industry - airplanes, cars, tramways, and the like. 25 grams of 0.900 pure silver, exactly like the LMU 5 francs but the diameter is 40 instead of 37mm.
Probably few people know this but the Czech Republic has since 2011 been issuing commemorative 500 koruna coins which are almost exactly the size of LMU 5 francs - 25 grams of 0.900 pure silver but 40mm instead of 37mm - rather than crown size or one ounce. This is the first of them, commemorating the poet Karel Erben and his volume of poetry "A Bouquet of National Tales".
Last year Czech Republic celebrated the centenary of the discovery of the prehistoric clay sculpture called Venus of Vestonice. It is one of the oldest known ceramic artefacts in the world, approximately 30 thousand years old.
Portugal seemed to have forgotten about Angola and its economic needs in the second quarter of the 19th century. It was only in 1848 that new coins were finally struck but there was only one denomination - half macuta equal to 25 reis. This is the final issue as in 1853 Queen Maria II died. Her son Pedro V issued some more half macutas and added massive one macuta coins in 1860 but this was the end of coins for Angola for over sixty years.
After a period of internal conflicts Portugal finally started doing better in the mid-19th century under Queen Maria II. Well enough to remember about their colonies and their economic needs. Angola had not seen new coins since 1819, those in circulation were countermarked with new denominations. The new issue was limited to one denomination only - half Macuta or 25 reis. The coin was first produced in 1848, this is the final issue as in 1853 Queen Maria II died. Her son Pedro V issued some more half Macutas and Macutas and in 1860 the production of coins for Angola stopped for over sixty years.
Yet another souvenir from my trip. Last Thaler from the tiny principality of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen issued in 1870, just as the German Reich was about to happen. Prince Gunther Frederick was the penultimate ruler, his successor died childless and the Principality was inherited by a cousin from Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt who did not issue any coins for his new state. If you wonder whether this coin - or other Thalers - qualify as German Empire coins, they actually do. They were the only coins which remained in circulation till 1908, valued at 3 Reichsmark and then, as it turned out people needed them, 3 Reichsmark coins were introduced.
The last Thaler issued by the German state Electorate of Hesse also known as Hesse-Kassel. A year later the state was taken over by Prussia.
The Electorate of Hesse also known as Hesse-Kassel was another German state which I visited this summer. I brought back the last Thaler of Prince Elector Frederick William I. One year after the coin was issued the Elector made the mistake of taking the side of Austria in the war against Prussia and his state ceased to exist as a result. His grandfather William I decided to keep the title of Prince Elector even though there were no elections of emperors after 1806 as he believed it superior to Grand Duke and he failed to get the title of king the other lay electors got. I visited the palace but I thought that the famous Hercules is more interesting. The cascade is operated only twice a week.
The very last Thaler issued by the Principality of Waldeck und Pyrmont, a small state in the West of Germany. The state was so poor that they had to hand over the administration to Prussia more or less at that time although the Princes continued their reign. Frederick, the last Prince and the son of George Victor, pictured here, had 5 and 20 Mark coins struck with his effigy but the mintage was just 2000 of each so it was just vanity, not an economic need.
I was in Waldeck und Pyrmont last month (in the very capital - Bad Arolsen - to see the palace) and, as usual, I brought back some small change. This is the very last Thaler issued by the Principality and, probably, the last coin they issued for circulation. The Duke's son, Frederick, issued 5 and 20 Mark coins in 1903 but they are super rare (only 2000 each) so they were rather presentation pieces.
In 1880 Belgium celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Independence. Two regular commemorative coins were issued - 1 and 2 francs - but, apparently, it was not enough so this coin was added to the series. The reverse is the same as the earlier two, however, the obverse is different and there is no denomination. It was struck in copper - Numista claims it circulated as 10 centimes though it was sold at 25 and it is heavier than earlier copper 10 centimes. The silver version was valued at 5 francs (25 grams of silver 0.900), and gold at 100 francs (31,66 grams). Krause relocated it to Unusual Coins volume as silver 5 francs, also struck in copper and gold. It is quite rare (about 20K in copper and less than 7K in silver) but few people know it exists so not too expensive if you are patient.
I admit I had known about Giverny before but it was Emily that made me go. This is the place when lilies are actually in bloom. A marvelous place, just make sure to avoid weekends including Mondays or come early or late in the afternoon. Otherwise you may be walking around the garden in a queue. No, you can't get a boat, there are just two and they are only for the gardeners taking care of the lilies. They make sure to remove other water plants to keep the view as intended by Claude Monet.
I should have known... Most museums are closed on Mondays but Monet's house and garden in Giverny are not so I thought it would be a good idea to visit, especially as another heat wave is coming and it was a lovely day. I should have figured out I am not the only person to have this brilliant idea. We arrived at 3 p.m. and first waited half an hour in a queue to get the tickets (you can buy them online and get in via a separate entrance!) and then walked around the garden in a queue. Fortunately, the organised groups disappeared about 5 p.m. so we could actually get into the house but it was still rushed. It is an absolutely lovely place and the water lilies are in bloom right now but, if you can, come early or late and avoid weekends including Mondays. If you plan to play Emily in Paris, the boats are only for the staff though you can see them by the bridge. If you plan to arrive late make sure to eat before visiting as the village closes at 6 with the house and the impressionism museum.
Central Lithuania (Litwa Środkowa) was a strange by-product of Polish territorial ambitions after the Great War. The plan was to create a federal Lithuania which would consist of Lithuania of Kaunas (Lithuanian language), Lithuania of Vilnius (or Central, Polish speaking) and Lithuania of Minsk (Belorussian) covering former territories of Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Lithuanians refused to agree to the deal even though Vilnius region was indeed Polish speaking. Most of Belarus was taken by the Soviet Russia. Consequently, Polish army staged a mutiny in October 1920, occupied the contested territory and formed there "an independent state". The state issued their own stamps, the picture shows the first commemorative issue, showing the entry of Polish army and its commander gen. Żeligowski. A few months later the local parliament voted for union with Poland. Lithuanians got Vilnius back in the autumn of 1939 as a gift from Stalin only to lose their independence a few months later.
This is not the first Slovak postage stamp even though it was distributed only in Slovakia. It was issued by Czecho-Slovakia, the new federal state which emerged after the Munich agreement and which is called there the Second Republic. Part of the new agreement were separate local parliaments and the stamp commemorates the opening of the Slovak one. As it had to be done quickly standard 10 koruna stamp - showing a view of Bratislava, the Slovak capital - was reissued in blue and overprinted with the Slovak coat of arms, Slovak text, and new denomination. Less than two months later Slovakia became independent and issued their own stamps.
This is what I like about the Euro Zone - change from a parking meter, three circulating commemoratives, four states. Can you guess where I am?
I can hardly believe it