Currency

Relate briefly the story of barter, showing three reasons why money came into being and naming at least ten strange forms of money used in place of coins or currency.

Relate briefly the history of coinage and paper currency in your country, making sure to mention the dates of the establishment of any mints or engraving plants. Also discover some change in the metal composition of a coin, giving any interesting highlights concerning such a change.

Explain how money is distributed in your country.

Define the following terms:

• a.

  Alloy k. Mint Mark

• b.

  Altered Date l. Obverse

• c.

  Buffed Coins m. Planchet

• d.

  Cast Coins n. Proof

• e.

  Clad Coinage o. Reeded Edge

• f.

  Commemorative p. Reverse

• g.

  Die q. Series

• h.

  Field r. Type

• i.

  Inscription s. Whizzed Coins

• j.

  Lettered Edge t. Wire Edge

Describe the obverse and reverse for paper money of the six lowest denominations currently in use in your country.

Know how coins are graded in quality by collectors.

Collect and mount a type set of coins from your country of any date currently being minted or in circulation. Proof, commemorative, rare, silver, or expensive coins are not needed. In your collection:

• a.

  Possess at least one coin from each mint in the type set.

• b.

  Locate and identify the mint mark (if any) on each coin.

• c.

  Locate and identify the initials (if any) of each coin's designer(s).

Do two of the following:

• a.

  Make enlarged drawings of both sides of ten different denominations or forms of coins for your country no longer in circulation.

• b.

  Collect, identify, and mount 25 different foreign coins. No two coins alike.

• c.

  Collect and mount a type set of coins from your country minted during the 20th Century.

• d.

  Collect and mount a date set of series of coins for your country beginning with your birth year. (Commemorative, gold, proof, expensive, or rare coins need not be included.) Note: Facts About United States Money (free), Office of the Secretary of the Treasury, U.S. Treasury Department, Washington, D.C. 20025. Facts about your countryís currency may be obtained from the government treasury department.

Have the Currency (Coins) Honor

Select a coin or note from your collection and present an oral or written report on the historical or other significance of the person(s), place(s), item(s) or symbol(s) found on both sides.

What are the laws regarding counterfeiting in your country and what devices are used in your nationís currency to prevent it?

Attend a meeting of a local coin club and report on your experience. Possible items to consider:

• a.

  Level of expertise of members as demonstrated by presentations and dialogues.

• b.

  Average general age of attendees.

• c.

  Ideas which might help the club extend its collector interest to a wider audience.

• d.

  How newcomer friendly is the organization.

• e.

  Suggestions on how these people might be reached with the gospel through a manner which they would find attractive.

Select one of the three categories of your collection as required under the Currency Honor requirements 7 and 8, and increase your collection to include twice the total number of specimens.

Add to your collection at least one of the unusual (odd and curious) forms learned about in requirement 1 of the Currency Honor requirements and have in your Currency Honor files, at least a paragraph summarizing how, when and where this item was used as currency.