The 1928 Kweichow (Guìzhōu) Auto Dollar is one of the most romantic — and collectible — provincial Chinese silver coins of the Republican era. Struck in Year 17 of the Republic (1928), it was commissioned locally in Guizhou province and famously features an automobile on the obverse — a deliberate celebration of the new roads and the governor Zhou Xicheng’s car. Its unusual subject, attractive design, modest original mintage, and historical context have made it a favorite of collectors for nearly a century.  Physical description & variants The coin is a one-yuan silver piece, about 39 mm in diameter and weighing roughly 25.8 g (approximately seven mace and two candareens by Chinese old weight standards). The obverse shows an automobile driving on a road with blades of grass near the curb (those blades are one of the variety markers), and the reverse carries Chinese legends with a central rosette. Small die- and design-variations exist (for example differences in the number of b...

The China 1932 Plain Edge Pattern Silver Dollar is one of the modern world’s most dramatic numismatic surprises — a striking Sun Yat-sen bust obverse paired with a two-masted junk on the reverse, struck as an experimental “Gold Standard” pattern in 1932 and never officially issued. What makes this piece unforgettable is not only the design and the story behind it, but its extreme rarity and the eye-popping prices it has realized at auction in recent years.  Short history & design In the early 1930s China briefly explored a Gold Standard coinage program. The 1932 pattern dollar (often cataloged as a pattern or experimental 1 yuan) was produced in a handful of variants — including reeded, smooth (plain) and an unusual “cherry-blossom” edge — and was struck at the Philadelphia Mint using dies engraved by American artists. The obverse carries a portrait of Sun Yat-sen; the reverse shows a junk (traditional Chinese sailing ship) with birds and a rising sun — a composition that has e...

The China YR16 (1927) Chang Tso-lin silver dollar is one of the most dramatic and desirable pieces in the field of modern Chinese numismatics. Struck in the chaotic years of the Republic of China, the coin carries the portrait of Zhang (Chang) Zuolin — a powerful Manchurian warlord who dominated northeastern China until his assassination in 1928 — and it now commands auction prices that surprise even seasoned collectors. Below I explain what the coin is, why it’s rare, and what drives its value today. A short history and what the coin looks like YR16 means “Year 16 of the Republic,” i.e., 1927. The design is a portrait-type commemorative or pattern-style issue that shows Chang Tso-lin on the obverse; the reverse typically bears denomination and legend elements in the style of other Republic-era “dollars” (often called yuan). These pieces are linked to the political instability of the 1920s: minting, distribution, and documentation were inconsistent, and many pattern and presentation pi...

The numismatic world turned a little quieter — and a lot richer — in August 2024 when a famously elusive coin, the 1906-S Philippine One Peso (KM-168), graded MS63 by PCGS, sold for $156,000 in a Heritage Auctions sale. That result didn’t just reflect a single enthusiastic bidder: it shattered expectations for business-strike examples of the 1906 San Francisco-mint peso and reaffirmed this coin’s status as the “king” of U.S.-Philippine coinage.  Why this particular coin matters The 1906-S peso sits at the top of the U.S. Philippines series in both mystique and market value. Produced at the San Francisco Mint late in the series (the U.S. Mint struck Philippine silver pesos for circulation between 1903 and 1906), the 1906-S is scarce in collectible, problem-free condition. Surviving examples are few and many survivors show issues that earn them “details” grades from the major services, which leaves truly attractive, numerically graded mint-state pieces in extraordinarily high demand....

Collecting old coins is more than just a hobby — it’s a way of holding history in the palm of your hand. Among the most fascinating pieces for numismatists and historians alike are the Spanish era coins from the 1800s. These coins tell stories of colonial power, trade, revolution, and the evolving identities of nations once under Spanish rule. Whether found in Europe, the Americas, or Asia, Spanish coins from this period remain prized for their beauty, rarity, and historical significance. A Legacy of Empire and Transition By the 1800s, Spain was a global empire in decline, yet its influence reached across continents — from Latin America to the Philippines. The coins minted during this century reflect both the lingering might of Spain and the changing tides of independence sweeping through its colonies. During the early 1800s, Spanish coins often bore the portraits of monarchs such as King Charles IV (1788–1808) and King Ferdinand VII (1808–1833). These coins were typically crafted from...

Have you found an old coin somewhere and found yourself fascinated by it that you have tickled your urge to collect old coins? Well, this might not be just a hobby after all ;-) Coins are more than just pocket change — they are silent witnesses to history. In the Philippines, certain rare coins have become highly sought-after treasures among collectors and numismatists (coin enthusiasts). These coins not only represent significant chapters of the nation’s past but also carry remarkable monetary value today. Remember that these monetary values are rated as of this writing, last quarter of 2025 ;-) 1. The 1971 One Peso Coin – The “Magsaysay Error Coin” One of the most famous rare coins in the Philippines is the 1971 One Peso coin featuring President Ramon Magsaysay. What makes it special is the error in minting — some versions were struck with “PILIPINO” instead of “PILIPINAS”, and others had misaligned edges or double strikes. 💰 Current estimated value: ₱1,000 to ₱10,000, dependin...

What could you possibly find digging rocks and soil and mud? With the help of a priest and local firefighters, a medieval stockpile brimming with silver ingots, gold rings and more than a handful of silver coins was recently discovered in a Polish cornfield by an archaeologist. "Lord, may you help your servant Maria," it was written or rather engraved in a Gold Ring, writings is in Cyrillic inscription. The nearly 900-year-old hoard, found in Słuszków, a village in west-central Poland, held a one-of-a-kind treasure. That ring may have belonged to a princess; the coin stash was certainly fit for one. "The newfound hoard consists of over 6,600 items — silver coins and silver clumbs (tiny ingots) … wrapped in three linen pouches, packed in a basket and then put in the ceramic vessel," Adam Kędzierski, an archaeologist at the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnology at the Polish Academy of Sciences, told Live Science in an email. Kędzierski said he wouldn't hav...

Considering reports that a few neighborhood gatherers or collectors sell probably interesting coins at a cost higher than the first sum or its original amount, general society is prompted not to succumb to such tricks or scam. As per Kuya Kim's (Kim Atienza, one of the Journalist here in the Philippines) Friday report (April 22, 2022) on "24 Oras" be that as it may, there is a peso coin esteemed at nearly Php 1 million. This is the 1906 US-Philippine peso coin, which is otherwise called the ruler of Philippine peso. According to Wiki, from 1903 to 1906, the silver coins had a silver content of 90%, while those struck after 1906 had a reduced silver content of 75% for 10 through 50 centavos and 80% for the peso. In both cases the silver was alloyed with copper. Made of 90% silver, the coin is supposed to be uncommon with only under 200 pieces in presence. Since these are profoundly pursued, purchasers are cautioned against copies on the lookout. In the mean time, the Bangk...

Nostalgia, that longing feeling for the past when things seemed better, easier, and more fun. That’s exactly how I feel every time I see things that has been considered Vintage. That old television our family have for years, yeah, programs are still in black and white. What should we be talking about here are those Vinyl records that are collecting dust down the basement. We’re gonna try to research about these records if we can salvage a decent sell. According to Wiki, a phonograph record (also known as a gramophone record, especially in British English), or simply a record, is an analog sound storage medium in the form of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove. The groove usually starts near the periphery and ends near the center of the disc. At first, the discs were commonly made from shellac, with earlier records having a fine abrasive filler mixed in. Starting in the 1940s polyvinyl chloride became common, hence the name vinyl. The phonograph record was the p...

When you try to start to collect toys from your childhood, a girl will most likely to choose doll, a Barbie in particular. On the other hand, a boy might always choose to collect a toy car, I don’t know about you guys but when I was young, Matchbox is the brand most children want to have. The Matchbox name originated in 1953 as a brand name of the British die-casting company Lesney Products, whose reputation was moulded by John W. "Jack" Odell (1920–2007), Leslie Charles Smith (1918–2005), and Rodney Smith. The name Lesney was a portmanteau of Leslie and Rodney Smith's first names. In the earliest years of the regular, or 1-75 series – well before the series actually numbered 75 models – Lesney was marketed/distributed by Moko (itself named after its founder, Moses Kohnstam). Boxes in that era mentioned this, with the text "A Moko Lesney" appearing on each. Lesney gained its independence from Moko in 1959[5] by buying out Moko's share in the joint enterp...

What happens when a chunk of rock from outer space enters the Earth’s atmosphere? Those chuck of rocks are called Meteoroids, they are pieces of rock and metal from outer space. When meteoroids enter Earth’s atmosphere (or that of another planet, like Mars) at high speed and burn up, the fireballs or “shooting stars” are called meteors. Meteors are usually so small that they burn up before they ever hit the ground. But some meteors are bigger lumps that shoot all the way through the atmosphere and hit the ground. When a meteoroid survives a trip through the atmosphere and hits the ground, it’s called a meteorite. A meteorite is a fragment of spatial matter that falls to the surface of a planet. Most meteorites that fall to Earth come from the Asteroid Belt. Watch as a meteorite travels to Earth, causes an explosion, and creates an impact crater. It is a solid piece of debris from an object, such as a comet, asteroid, or meteoroid, that originates in outer space and survives its passa...

When I was a kid, I have so much fascination about robots. This might be due to the Japanese cartoons I have been watching on a daily basis during those times. Voltes V, Mazinger Z, Daimos just to name a few. When I get older, I came across with Gundam, and it was amazing! According to Wiki, Gundam is a Japanese military fiction media franchise/media mix. Created by Yoshiyuki Tomino and Sunrise (now Bandai Namco Filmworks), the franchise features giant robots, or mecha, with the name "Gundam". The franchise began on April 7, 1979, with Mobile Suit Gundam, a TV series that defined the "real robot" mecha anime genre by featuring giant robots called mobile suits (including the original titular mecha) in a militaristic setting. The popularity of the series and its merchandise spawned a franchise that includes 50 TV series, films and OVAs as well as manga, novels and video games, along with a whole industry of plastic model kits known as Gunpla which makes up 90 perc...