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RWANDA
The earliest known inhabitants of what is now Rwanda were the Twa Pygmies, an ethnic group that still lives in the country today but represent only 1% of the population. The Twa held sway over much of the mountainous terrain until around the 11th century, when Hutu farmers migrated into the region and displaced them. A few hundred years later the Hutus were subjugated by the warrior-like and pastoralist Watutsis, who came down from either Ethiopia or southern Sudan in the 16th century and forcefully impressed their harsh system of feudalism on the area. The Watutsi (or 'Tutsi') reign was characterised by the absolute rule of a mwami (king) who, with a lot of religious ceremony and formal conqueror's pomp, oversaw the extraction of labour from the Hutus and determined which of them got land and how much. Nothing much changed in Rwanda until the Germans colonised Burundi and Rwanda. The influence of Germany on the territory came to an abrupt halt in the second decade of the 20th century, when the end of WWI forced it to turn over all of its African colonies to the League of Nations. The League, promptly gave Rwanda to Belgium. The Belgians found it administratively convenient to not only uphold but increase the power of the Tutsis in Rwanda, allowing the tribal minority to enjoy even fuller control of the country's bureaucracy, military and education systems (the latter run by Catholic missionaries) and of course over the large Hutu population. Things started unravelling for the Belgian-backed Tutsi leadership in the late 1950s, when Hutus started demanding an improvement in their living conditions and an easing of their ethnic suppression. The response from a newly empowered and particularly ruthless Tutsi clan in 1959 was to murder every Hutu leader they could find. But rather than terrify the Hutus into submission, the plan backfired and generated a Hutu uprising in which an estimated 100,000 Tutsis were massacred. The civil violence ironically forced the Belgians to institute political reform and led to the declaration of Rwanda's independence in 1962. Continued fighting between the two peoples continue to this day with frequents stories of atrocities done by one group upon the other. It is but another example of the chaotic African continent under local, often savage, rule.
10 Francs - 1965
KM-001
- 3,75 g
Edge - Reeded
Mintage - 0,010M
This NCLT "coin" was issued the fifth year of independence from Belgium. The obverse has a bust of President Gregoire Kayibanda (b1924-d1976) with his name around the top. The date 1991 is below the bust with the designer's name A COLOMBO above the date. The reverse has the national arms with the denomination 10 FR between the flags, the mint's name ARGOR to the lower left of the arms and the fineness 900/1000 to the lower left, the country's name REPUBLIQUE RWANDAISE at the top, and INDEPENDANCE 1961 at the bottom.
SAN MARINO
According to the legend San Marino, an expert on working with stone, came from the island of Arbe located in Dalmatia, during the domination of Diocletian. On Mount Titano Marino founded a small community of people following their belief in the Christian religion. It is certain that the area of Mount Titano has been inhabited since the prehistoric times, nevertheless the proof of the existence of a Cenobio, a Pieve (Parish), or of a Castle, which are the elements proving that an organized community on the top of Mount Titano was existent, has only been extant since the middle ages. During the years the small community of Mount Titano, in memory of the legendary stone-cutter Marino, was named "Land of San Marino," then "Community of San Marino," and finally " Republic of San Marino." This was the origin of the social body which later on changed into a form of self-government ruled by an assembly named Arengo (Assembly place), consisting of the head of each of the families. The definition of the first statutes and laws on a democratic basis are due to this assembly. In 1243, for the first time, two members (Capitani Reggenti) with equal authority, jointly acting as the head of the state, were nominated. Even though the autonomy of San Marino was endangered several times during the following years, the Sammarinese always managed to keep their freedom. In 1797 Napoleon offered to extend the territory as a gift and as a sign of friendship with San Marino, but the Sammarinese refused any territorial gains. The Republic of San Marino has always had a strong tradition concerning hospitality, as in this land of freedom never anybody has been denied asylum or help. In 1849, for example, Giuseppe Garibaldi who fled from the enemy armies, was given shelter in San Marino. During WWII San Marino hosted another 100,000 refugees. Nowadays the independent Republic of San Marino, is democratic and neutral, and continues living according to the ancient traditions, being more and more sensitive concerning the importance of liberty.
1 Scudo - 1974
Y-038
- 3,00 g
Mintage - 0.087M
This small coin was issued by the Republic of San Marino, the world's oldest republic landlocked in northeast Italy. The obverse features the coat of arms with the Latin legend SAN MARINESE REPUBLIC and the date. The reverse pictures St. Marinus with a Latin legend. St. Marinus was bishop and hermit of Dalmatia, Croatia, born on an island off the coast. A stonemason, he went to Rimini, Italy, with St. Leo and was possibly made bishop there. He died as a hermit in modern San Marino, named in his honor. Below St. Marinus is the date. This was the first of a series of one scudo and 2 scudo gold coins issued by the Republic.
There are more Sanmarinese gold coins in this section if you are interested - Page San Marino 1
SARDINIA
The history of Sardinia dates back many thousand centuries; in fact the first sure traces of human presence date back to the Lower Palaeolithic (100,000 BC), although it was only much later, in the Early Neolithic period (6,000 BC), that permanent settlements were founded. The first indigenous civilisation with original, clearly defined traits is the nuraghic culture, which developed from the Early Bronze Age (1,500 BC), and entered a phase of gradual decline at the end of the Iron Age (500 BC). This culture takes its name from its most typical monument: the nuraghe, an impressive tower building, in the shape of a truncated cone, built with rough-hewn boulders. Over the centuries, this fortified structure became gradually more elaborate, with the addition of curtain walls and turrets, thus requiring a more articulate floor plan which coincided with the age of the greatest splendour of this civilisation. The rich ores of Sardinia attracted to the island the trading peoples of the Eastern Mediterranean, such as the Mycenaeans and the Cypriots. However, it was the Phoenicians who, in the 8th Century BC founded the first permanent settlements, selecting coastal areas with natural harbours, the best locations for trading and commercial centres. A period of Carthaginian domination ensued (500-238 BC) when the exploitation of mining resources was flanked by that of wheat and of the rich timber supply, coming from the thick forests which covered most of the island. The Romans (238 BC - 476 AD) carried the exploitation of the island's resources further, by spreading their domination also in the inland areas, where the local peoples were more fiercely independent. To that end they established a strong, efficient administration, well served by a network of roads, of which some sections remain and which has in the main been followed by the modern highway system. The decadence of the Roman Empire had strong repercussions on the island, leading to the abandonment of agricultural land and of many coastal settlements, coupled to a reduction in the population. Sardinia, abandoned to its own resources, and defenceless, was occupied and raided by the Vandals from Africa for about 80 years (476 - 530 AD); later, after their defeat by the Emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire, the island passed under the rule of Byzantium. In the 9th Century AD, when the Arabs were completing their conquest of the Mediterranean, North-Africa, Spain, and part of France and Sicily, the coastal areas of Sardinia were subject to their raids and incursions. The lack of interest or guidance from distant Byzantium led the Sardinian people to take charge of their own destiny: as a result, Sardinia was divided into the four "Giudicato" (Judgeships) of Arborea, Cagliari, Gallura and Torres, each of which had an autonomous government, presided over by a "Giudice" (Judge), and with an administrative and military organisation. Through various events, the "Giudicato" (Judgeships) survived until the 13th century, when they lost their independence to the domination established by the Maritime Republics of mainland Italy: Pisa and Genoa. Only the Giudicato of Arborea retained its autonomy until 1478, when the crown of Aragon finally conquered the whole island, which already in 1297 had been allotted to it as a feudal holding by Pope Bonifacio VIII, together with Corsica. The new "Regnum Sardiniae" was later to rank among the overseas domains of the Spanish Crown (which had been established at the end of the 15th Century from the union of the kingdoms of Aragon and Castille), until the early 18th Century. After a brief spell of Austrian domination (1708-1718), with the "Treaty of London" the Regnum Sardiniae was awarded to the Savoy, princes of Piedmont. Thus, the Kingdom of Sardinia was founded; Sardinia retained a degree of autonomy by Statute until 1847, when it was definitely joined to Piedmont under a single centralised government, thus bringing to an end its historical connotation. After the wars of Independence, when the Unity of Italy was achieved, the Kingdom of Sardinia became the kingdom of Italy (1861). Nowadays, Sardinia is an Autonomous Region of the Italian Republic: as such, it is regulated by the Special Statute (1948) which also lists the reasons which led the Italian government to grant it a degree of autonomy.
20 Lire - 1842
KM-115.1 - 6,45 g
Mintage
- 0,060M
This 20 Lire piece was struck at the Genoa mint. Sardinia is a large island west of the Italian mainland and south of Corsica. The obverse has a bareheaded bust of King Carlo Alberto (b1765-d1849) surrounded by the Latin legend CARLO ALBERTUS BY GRACE OF GOD KING OF SARDINIA, CYPRUS, AND JERUSALEM and the date. The reverse has the royal arms of Savoy which is composed of a central escutcheon decorated with a silver cross on red background, with the royal crown on the top. The escutcheon is surrounded by the the pendant collar of the Order of the Holiest Annunciation (Ordine della Santissima Annunziata). The order was one of greatest chivalric orders of all times. It was established in 1362 by Amedeo VI of Savoy (b1334-d1383). The collar is composed of a series of knots, symbolizing unity, and roses. This is within a wreath which is encircled by a Latin legend with the denomination below and the anchor mintmark on either side of the date.
There are more Sardinian gold coins in this section if you are interested - Page Sardinia 1
SAUDI ARABIA
The early inhabitants of the
Arabian Peninsula developed a civilization of their own that defied outside
conquest. They interacted economically and culturally. trading with communities
in the Fertile Crescent, which stretches from what is present-day Iraq through
Syria to Turkey, as well as with Egypt, the Roman Empire and other peoples
beyond their immediate area. Cities along the western and northern edge of the
Arabian Peninsula were located on a major overland trade route. Evidence of
extensive commercial trade dating from 3000 B.C. has been discovered along this
route. Early trade commodities included agricultural products, spices, textiles,
gold and frankincense.The Saudi Arabian state was first established in the
central region of the Arabian Peninsula in the early 18th century. Modern Saudi
Arabia was founded in 1932 by King Abdul Aziz Bin Abdul Rahman Al-Saud. The
nation experienced remarkable growth over a short period, spurred by the
discovery of oil in the 1930s. The people of Saudi Arabia now enjoy a high
standard of living based on an increasingly diversified economy and have access
to the most modern amenities and services. Proud of their history and energetic
participants in the successful modernization of their country, today's Saudi
Arabians face the future with great confidence. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
enjoys a long and rich history that traces its roots back to the earliest
civilizations of the Arabian Peninsula. The region's ancient nomadic peoples
developed a deep love for the land as well as a strong sense of independence.
With the advent of Islam in the 7th century, tribes and clans were unified under
one religion.
1 Guinea - 1370AH
KM-036 - 7,99 g
Mintage
- 2,000M
The obverse features Arabic legends within and without a circle. At the bottom are the crossed swords arms of the Kingdom with a palm tree on either side The reverse again has Arabic inscriptions within and without a circle. At the bottom is the Arabic number 1 in a shield flanked by palm trees.
There are more Saudi gold coins in this section if you are interested - Page Saudi 1
SAXONY
After Charlemagne's conquest (772-804) of the Saxons, their land was incorporated into the Carolingian empire, and late in the 9th cent. the first duchy of Saxony. Including the four divisions of Westphalia, Angria, Eastphalia, and Holstein, it occupied nearly all the territory between the Elbe and Saale rivers on the east and the Rhine on the west; it bordered on Franconia and Thuringia in the south. Duke Henry I (Henry the Fowler) of Saxony was elected German king in 919, and his son, Emperor Otto I, bestowed (961) Saxony on Hermann Billung (d. 973), a Saxon nobleman, whose descendants held the duchy until the extinction of the male line in 1106. Lothair of Supplinburg bestowed it on his Guelphic son-in-law Henry the Proud who was already duke of Bavaria. In 1142 the duchy passed to Henry the Lion, son of Henry the Proud. The struggle between Henry the Lion and Emperor Frederick I ended with Henry's loss of all his fiefs in 1180. The stem duchy was broken up into numerous fiefs. The Guelphic heirs of Henry the Lion retained only their allodial lands, the duchy of Vrunswick. The ducal title of Saxony went to Bernard of Anhalt, a younger son of Albert the Bear of Brandenburg and founder of the Ascanian line of Saxon dukes. Besides Anhalt, Bernard received Lauenburg and the country around Wittenberg, on the Elbe. These widely separate territories continued after 1260 under separate branches of the Ascanians as Saxe-Lauenburg and Saxe-Wittenberg. The Golden Bull of 1356 raised the duke of Saxe-Wittenberg to the permanent rank of elector, with the right to participate in the election of the Holy Roman Emperor. Electoral Saxony, as his territory was called, was a relatively small area along the middle Elbe. To the south of Electoral Saxony extended the margraviate of Meissen, ruled by the increasingly powerful house of Wettin. The margraves of Meissen acquired (13th-14th cent.) the larger parts of Thuringia and of Lower Lusatia and the intervening territories, and in 1423 Margrave Frederick the Warlike added Electoral Saxony; he became (1425) Elector Frederick I. Thus, Saxony shifted to east central and wast Germany from NW Germany. In 1485 the Wettin lands were partitioned between two sons of Elector Frederick II; the division came to be permanent. Ernest, founder of the Ernestine branch of Wettin, received Electoral Saxony with Wittenberg and most of the Thuringian lands. Albert, founder of the Albertine branch, received ducal rank and the Meissen territories, including Dresden and Leipzig. Duke Maurice of Saxony, a grandson of Albert and a Protestant, received the electoral title in the 16th cent.; it remained in the Albertine branch until the dissolution (1806) of the Holy Roman Empire. The rivalry between Saxony and Brandenburg (after 1701 the kingdom of Prussia) was a decisive factor in later Saxon history, as was the election (1697) of Augustus II (who was Frederick Augustus I as elector of Saxony) as king of Poland; the election led to an economic partnership between the declining Poland and Saxony, whose prestige was thereby diminished. In the War of the Austrian Succession, Saxony adhered to what had become its traditional wavering policy, changing sides in the middle of the conflict. The death (1763) of Augustus III ended the union with Poland. The period of Saxon rule in Poland marked a time of economic and social decay but of cultural and artistic flowering. Augustus II and Augustus III were lavish patrons of art and learning and greatly beautified their capital, Dresden. Saxony sided with Prussia against France early in the French Revolutionary Wars, but changed sides in 1806. For this act its elector was raised to royal rank, becoming King Frederick Augustus I. His failure to change sides again before Napoleon's fall cost him (1815) nearly half his kingdom at the Congress of Vienna. The kingdom of Saxony lost Lower Lusatia, part of Upper Lusatia, and all its northern territory including Wittenberg and Merseburg to Prussia. Its principal remaining cities were Dresden, Leipzig, Chemnitz, and Plauen. The larger part of the territories ceded in 1815 were incorporated with several other Prussian districts into the Prussian province of Saxony, with Magdeburg its capital. The kingdom sided (1866) with Austria in the Austro-Prussian War and was defeated. It was forced to pay a large indemnity and to join the North German Confederation. From 1871 until the abdication (1918) of Frederick Augustus III, it was a member state of the German Empire. The kingdom of Saxony became the state of Saxony after 1918 and joined the Weimar Republic. Dresden became its capital. In the 19th and early 20th cent. Saxony became one of the most industrialized German states, with a noted textile industry. Chemnitz became its main industrial center and Leipzig its chief commercial hub.
20 Mark - 1874
KM-1236 - 7,965 g
Mintage
- 0,153M
The obverse features King Albert (b1828-d1902) encircled by the German inscription for ALBERT KING OF SAXONY. Below the bust is the mint mark E for the Dresden mint. The reverse has the German Imperial arms encircled by the German legend for GERMAN EMPIRE, the date 1874, and, at the bottom, the denomination 20 MARK.
There are more Saxon gold coins in this section if you are interested - Page Saxony 1
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