The geopolitical landscape is littered with nations that have, for reasons of war, economy or otherwise, disappeared off maps, replaced by victors and new nations.
Collecting coins from such places is one way to bring them back to life, so to speak, and one way to tell the history of the region.
Whether it's a secessionist state in southeastern Nigeria (Biafra) or a renegade German state (Saarland), many places minted coins during their (often) short lives. There are plenty of dead nations to collect coins from.
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All coins courtesy of Joel Anderson and www.joelscoins.com. Six-sided 1943 2-franc coin from the Belgian Congo, like many coins from that nation, depicts an elephant.
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Belgian Congo
The Belgian Congo is (so far) the longest-lived incarnation of the region now know as the Congo Democratic Republic. The Congo Free State was formed in 1885 and administered by Belgium, and in 1908, King Leopold II of Belgium formally relinquished personal control over the entity, passing control to the Belgium Parliament, which governed the nation until the Belgian Congo received independence in 1960.
During its 52-year life, the Belgian Parliament appointed a governor general to run the nation, though the heads of state remained the Belgian monarchy.
Political pressure after World War II eventually led to its independence.
A related Belgian colony was Ruanda-Urundi, separate kingdoms that had been annexed by Germany, becoming part of German East Africa before being turned over to Belgium after World War I.
Both the Belgian Congo and Ruanda-Urundi were League of Nation mandates, and later, United Nations trust territories. They were united administratively from 1925 to 1960, according to the 2006 Standard Catalog of World Coins by Chester L. Krause and Clifford Mishler. The entities jointly issued coins from 1952 to 1960, the Standard Catalog states.
Many coins may be collected from these nations. The earliest pieces, around 1910, are 1-, 2-, 5-, 10- and 20-centime coins, with 50-centime and 1-franc coins added in 1921 and 1920, respectively. A 5-franc coin, depicting a lion, was added in 1936.
The 1940s 1-, 2-, 5- and 50-franc coins depict an elephant, and for one year only, 1943, the 2-franc coin is six-sided.
Coins were issued sporadically, but should be plentiful, as there were millions of all denominations made. Brilliant Uncirculated specimens are pricey, but most should be available in Extremely Fine condition for $20 or less.
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Smaller, round 2-franc coin replaced the six-sided coin of the same denomination.
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Rwanda-Burundi
What was Ruanda-Urundi became Rwanda-Burundi upon receiving independence from Belgium in June 1960. On July 1, 1962, Rwanda and Burundi were each granted independence, ending the joint nation's short-lived existence.
During its two-year existence, it issued a single coin, a brass franc that was struck at the Brussels Mint. This coin features a walking lion.
Biafra
The Republic of Biafra declared its independence from Nigeria May 30, 1967. Residents in the heavily Christian region of eastern Nigeria felt persecuted by the Muslims, who controlled most of the Nigerian government, according to world coin dealer Joel Anderson, at his Web site www.joelscoins.com. After more than two years of bloody civil war, in which as many as 2 million people died, the short-lived secessionist state of Biafra surrendered and was re-incorporated into Nigeria.
Collectors will find 3- and 6-pence coins, 1- and 2.5-shilling coins, and coins denominated 1, 2, 5, 10 and 25 pounds, dated 1969, the only year of issuance. The pound-denominated coins are all Proofs and rarer than the circulation coins.
The 2.5-shilling coin features a leopard, while the 1-shilling coin shows an eagle. The standard reverse of the pence- and shilling-denominated coins features a manilla, which is a traditional form of currency used in the region: a palm tree, the sun on the horizon and the legend PEACE UNITY FREEDOM.
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Rwanda-Burundi issued a single coin in its two-year existence, a brass 1-franc piece that features a walking lion.
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Katanga
A bloody civil war broke out in the Belgian Congo upon its gaining independence from Belgium in 1960. Katanga, a mineral-rich province in the south, declared itself independent from the rest of the Congo, according to Anderson. The United States and the Soviet Union supported various factions while the United Nations tried to negotiate a truce.
Katanga issued just two coins for circulation, bronze 1- and 5-franc coins, both dated 1961. Shortly thereafter Katanga was forcibly reunited with the Congo. Katanga is now the southern province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The coin displays the country's traditional form of money, the Katanga cross, on one side of the coins. A bunch of bananas is shown on the other.
Both coins can be acquired for about $11 total in Uncirculated condition, according to the Standard Catalog.
Montenegro
Montenegro became independent upon the collapse of the Serb Empire in 1355, the Standard Catalog states. Despite repeated attacks by the Ottoman Empire, Montenegro managed to maintain independence, according to Anderson.
In World War I, it was merged with Serbia to form what was to become the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. For more than 500 years it was the only Balkan state to avoid subjugation by outside powers, and today it is the only Balkan state other than Serbia still under Serb control.
Collectors will find many coins from the early 20th century to collect. One hundred para equaled 1 perper, and coins of various denominations exist. The designs for para-denominated coins are the same, except for the numerals and dates.
They depict the country's arms on the obverse, and the denomination, date and name on the reverse.
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Primitive money, a Katanga cross, appears on the obverse of coinage from Katanga, like this 5-franc coin from 1961, while bananas appear on the reverse, right.
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North Borneo
North Borneo was an independent state and British protectorate under the sovereign British North Borneo Company from 1882 to 1946, according to www.wikipedia.org, before subsequently becoming a British crown colony from 1946 to 1963.
Located on the northwestern end of the island of Borneo, it is now part of Malaysia. It had its own coins until World War II.
The coins include the 1- and 5-cent pieces, both struck in copper-nickel. One side of the coin shows the denomination. The other side shows the country's arms, which depict two natives (one with a very large sword) upholding a shield that shows a lion and a ship. The coins were struck at the Heaton Mint in Birmingham, England, according to Anderson.
Rhodesia and Nyasaland
The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland was formed in 1953 by combining Britain's colonies in central Africa, Northern and Southern Rhodesia, and Nyasaland.
Tensions between the former colonies mounted over the governance of the federation as Southern Rhodesia dominated political and economic structures, according to the Catalog. The short-lived federation was dissolved in 1964, becoming the independent nations of Zambia, Malawi and Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe).
Collectors have many ways to collect coins from this union, either by collecting pre-unification coins (from Southern Rhodesia), coins from the short-lived union, or coins from all the independent nations that emerged.
The half penny shows a pair of giraffes, while the bronze penny pictures a pair of elephants that are standing on their hind legs and appear to be dancing.
The coin was struck with a hole to make it easy to distinguish from other denominations and to allow natives without pockets to easily carry the coins threaded on strings, according to Anderson.
A flame lily appears on the 3-pence coins and a lion on the 6-pence coin.
A sable antelope appears on the shilling coins, while 2-shilling coins show an African fish eagle. Most of these coins can be obtained for less than $10 in Uncirculated condition.
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1969 is the only year of issuance for coins of Biafra, like this 1-shilling coin, which depicts an eagle.
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Saarland
Saarland, one of 16 German states, is an important center for coal mining and heavy industry located along the French border. Most of its citizens consider themselves to be of German ancestry.
The territory was established in 1920, in accordance with the Treaty of Versailles, Wikipedia reports. It was put under the control of the League of Nations but "in practice administered" by France for 15 years, it said. In 1933, a considerable number of anti-Nazi Germans fled there, because Adolf Hitler did not control it, according to Wikipedia. Despite heavy resistance to Germany, the antipathy toward France was too great to overcome. Election results in 1935 overwhelming favored joining Germany, with some 90 percent of the votes for the move.
Following World War II, France occupied the region and established Saarland as a separate nation, in an effort to cripple Germany's industrial base, Anderson wrote.
Saarland was set up with strong economic ties with France, which assumed control of its foreign affairs. France even issued coins for Saarland. The coins were struck at the Paris Mint and were the same size and composition as the contemporary French coins. They could be interchanged with French coins within Saarland, Anderson wrote at his Web site.
Not long after the coins were issued, Saarland voted to reunite with Germany and this short-lived issue ended.
The 10-, 20- and 50-franken coins, which were struck only a single year, 1954, depict a stylized factory spewing out pollution and the Saarland arms on one side. The other side shows the date and denomination.
"Perhaps it should have been a clue to the French when they had to put the denomination in German - 'Zehn Franken' - that Saarland would not remain under French control," Anderson wrote.
Collecting the dead
Numerous similar nations existed for short periods or changed their name to create a new identity, and are now "dead."
Depending on how you want to define "dead nations," you might include Sikkim (India), old German states, East and West Germany, old Italian states, the United Arab Republic, Hawaii, Texas, the Boer Republic, South Vietnam, Sarawak, Malaya (which preceded Malaysia), even Benin (which changed its name from Dahomey) or Burkina Faso (which had been Upper Volta). Another name change is Burma, also known as Myanmar.
To delve into the topic, grab a Standard Catalog and start thumbing through it. Short chapters indicate a short coinage history. The book can be obtained at bookstores and many public libraries. Grab a good almanac to learn about the history of some of these places, or use search engines to find information on the Internet.
Contact world coin dealers through classified or other advertisements. See what they list for sale.
Because the geopolitical world is in a constant state of flux, there's bound to be new additions to the list of dead nations. War and upheaval play out across the globe. Collecting coins from dead nations, and learning about the nations' existence, should provide material for a "dead nations" collection for years to come.
