Each country strives to reflect the full strength and spirit of its people on its currency, and very often so many details fit in a small space that a coin and a bill look like paintings.
And very often there may be so many details that without the help of coin identification it is difficult to immediately determine the coin and its approximate value.
Our journey starts not in the modern world but in Ancient Greece being bathed in sunlight on the island of Sicily. The city of Syracuse was one of the centers of civilization being rich and powerful.
Local masters named Kimon and Euainetos created a coin considered a perfect ideal until today being a silver decadrachm.
What is depicted on it: On the front side, we see the profile of a nymph named Arethusa turning into a fresh spring wanting to escape an annoying admirer. The master depicted her face with incredible tenderness showing full lips and a straight nose having a calm and deep look.
But the most amazing thing is her hairstyle having hair arranged in a complex net or loose waves looking like they are moving in water. Around the nymph's head, four dolphins are swimming symbolizing the city of Syracuse being surrounded by the sea.
Why it is a masterpiece: Ancient Greeks knew how to work with high relief making the image on the coin not flat like on modern money but very convex looking like a small sculpture.
The nymph seems alive and breathing, so looking at this coin, it is hard to believe it being almost 2500 years old. The masters were so proud of their work, signing their names right on the coins hiding letters in the nymph's hair or on the dolphin's body.
Moving to Victorian England, we see a young queen named Victoria coming to the throne being full of hope and strength.
Honoring her coronation, the chief engraver of the mint named William Wyon created a gold coin of 5 pounds becoming a legend.
What is depicted on it: The story comes from an old poem showing Queen Victoria herself as the fairy tale character Una walking forward with a confident step wearing long clothes waving in the wind.
Next to her, a huge lion walks, being powerful but obedient. Victoria controlling this terrible beast symbolizing the British Empire uses only a wand and she will not use force.
Why it is a masterpiece: Wyon being the creator of the coin was a genius of minimalism and grace. Look at the folds of the Queen's dress looking like real silk made of hard gold. The composition of the coin is perfect showing the figure of the girl and the lion inscribed in a circle so harmoniously allowing nothing to be added or removed.
This coin symbolized the beginning of the "Golden Age" of the British Empire showing a young woman leading a huge power. Today, the original "Una and the Lion" coin costs hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Looking at another British coin, we see Queen Victoria again but in a different style because the fashion of Neo-Gothic came in the middle of the 19th century making people crazy about knightly novels and buildings with spires.
This fashion reflected on money too.
What is depicted on it: The portrait of the queen is unusual here showing her not in profile with an open neck but in a rich medieval dress wearing a crown on her head.
The dress is decorated with a complex pattern of roses and clover symbolizing England and Scotland. The writing on the coin uses an old Gothic font having angular letters looking like a small fence.
Why it is a masterpiece: The detailing of this coin is amazing allowing you to take a magnifying glass and endlessly examine the patterns on the crown and every lock of hair. It looks not like a coin but like a precious medal or brooch.
The silver on the "Gothic Crown" often gets a beautiful rainbow patina making it look like an old mirror from a haunted castle being a triumph of decorative art.
Many experts call this coin the most beautiful one in US history resulting from a president's wish. Theodore Roosevelt visiting a museum one day and seeing ancient Greek coins exclaimed asking why modern dollars were so ugly and flat, wanting American coins to be like the ones of the Olympic gods.
He gave this task to the famous sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens.
What is depicted on it: On the front side, Lady Liberty does not stand like a statue but walks straight to the viewer coming out of the rays of the rising sun holding a torch of enlightenment in one hand and an olive branch of peace in the other.
Her hair and clothes wave in the wind creating a feeling of flight. On the back side, a majestic eagle flies against the background of the sun.
Why it is a masterpiece: Saint-Gaudens created a coin with incredibly high relief being originally so convex making bankers complain about them not stacking in piles.
The mint had to simplify the design for mass production, but even in a simplified form, it strikes with depth being a hymn to the optimism of the early 20th century showing a young and strong America walking towards the sun.
Mexican coins are often underestimated, but their gold coin of 50 pesos is a monumental work of art being large and beautiful released for the 100th anniversary of Mexico's independence.
What is depicted on it: In the center, a beautiful winged figure stands being the Angel of Independence holding a laurel wreath in her right hand and broken chains in her left hand.
But the most interesting thing is the background showing two famous Mexican volcanoes behind the angel's back. An ancient legend says they are a warrior and a princess in love turned into mountains.
Why it is a masterpiece: Firstly, the size is impressive being a huge gold coin containing 37.5 grams of pure gold feeling like a real treasure in the hand. Secondly, the composition combines the graceful figure of the angel and the mighty mountains creating an amazing contrast.
This coin breathes with space and freedom not being overloaded with inscriptions allowing the eye to enjoy the pure beauty of the landscape.
If the St. Gaudens Double Eagle is the gold king, then the Walking Liberty Half Dollar is the silver queen created by Adolph Weinman.
What is depicted on it: Lady Liberty is shown here in full height walking on stony ground meeting the rising sun. But look at her clothes seeing her wrapped in the American flag waving in the wind like a superhero cape.
Carrying a bundle of oak and laurel branches in her hands, she stretches her right hand forward giving these goods to people.
But if you’re not sure that it is — check via a free coin identifier app to know all the details.
Why it is a masterpiece: This coin is pure movement making it seem like Liberty will take another step going beyond the metal circle if you blink.
The artist managed to convey incredible dynamics and energy making the design so loved by Americans that the US starting to issue their main investment silver coins in 1986 just took this drawing from 1916 knowing it was impossible to make it better.
France at the end of the 19th century was the time of Art Nouveau being a time of elegant lines and romance. The artist Oscar Roty created an image becoming a symbol of the French Republic for a hundred years.
What is depicted on it: It is dawn showing a young peasant woman in a Phrygian cap walking across the field carrying a bag of grain over her shoulder.
She throws seeds across the field with a wide gesture, having the wind playing with her hair and dress while the sun rises in the background.
Why it is a masterpiece: Unlike pompous queens and goddesses, simple human labor is depicted here being raised to the rank of a sacred action. The sower does not just sow bread but sows ideas and freedom.
Roty showed his genius by removing everything unnecessary, making the girl's figure go beyond the coin, seeming close and understandable. This image is so strong and concise looking modern even today being a standard of elegance.
Italians are recognized masters of design making cars or coins, so in the middle of the 20th century, they released a silver coin becoming perhaps the most beautiful modern coin in Europe.
What is depicted on it: Three ships of Christopher Columbus named Santa Maria, Pinta, and Nina sail on the waves to the right having sails filled with fair wind. Around the ships, we see space and sea feeling the air.
On the other side of the coin, a beautiful female profile in Renaissance style is surrounded by coats of arms of Italian cities.
Why it is a masterpiece: Looking at this coin, you almost smell the salty sea and hear the creak of masts. The detailing of the ships is striking for such a small coin showing ropes and flags. By the way, a funny story is connected with this coin involving the trial version having flags on the ships waving against the wind.
Numismatists, noticing the mistake, said flags must fly forward if the sails are filled forward! Correcting the mistake, the mint released the normal version, but the trial coins with "wrong flags" now cost fabulous money.
Sometimes beauty is not elegant girls in silk but rough power, so the 5-cent coin created by James Earle Fraser is exactly like that.
What is depicted on it: On one side, we see the stern profile of a Native American being not a fictional character but a collective image drawn from three real chiefs. He has a characteristic nose with a hump and deep wrinkles having hair braided with feathers.
The face takes up almost the entire coin leaving no room for inscriptions. On the other side, a mighty American bison stands on a hill being modeled after a real bison named Black Diamond living in the Bronx Zoo.
Why it is a masterpiece: This coin has a unique texture having a field not smooth and mirrored but slightly rough looking like it was carved from stone giving it the look of an ancient artifact.
It looks very "American", being honest and powerful, serving as a monument to the passing era of the Wild West captured in metal.
Ending our list, we look at a coin from Eastern Europe becoming a symbol of the nation, perhaps not being the most famous in the world but being incredibly beautiful.
What is depicted on it: We see the profile of a Latvian girl wearing a national headdress being modeled after a real girl named Zelma Brauere working at a printing house. Her face radiates calm and dignity showing a magical kindness earning her the nickname "Milda" among the people.
Why it is a masterpiece: This coin is an example of a simple portrait becoming an icon. The artist Rihards Zarins, creating an image of ideal purity made a masterpiece.
In Soviet times, people kept these silver coins secretly as a relic remembering independence. The secret of its beauty lies in ethnographic accuracy and soulfulness showing not an abstract goddess but a living person making you want to look into her eyes.
Of course, beauty is a subjective thing, but the ten coins discussed today passed the main test being the test of time admiring people a hundred years ago and admiring them now.
