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Cover feature: Coins and paper money from Christmas tales

In his cover feature, Gerald Tebben looks at the many Christmas tales that feature descriptions of coins, from the Bible to the works of Charles Dickens and O. Henry. What coins were used to pay taxes described in the Bible? What coins might have been mentioned in A Christmas Carol and “The Gift of the Magi”?

Gerry also explores how Christmas Day used to be just another work day in the United States, with celebrations forbidden by custom and law. He also looks at the popular 19th century bank notes featuring Santa Claus.

To learn more, read Gerry’s cover feature, exclusive to the print and digital editions of the December issue of Coin World.

Isle of Man: A long-running Christmas series

For decades the private Pobjoy Mint struck Christmas-themed coins for the Isle of Man to celebrate the holiday. As Jeff Starck reports in his World Coins feature, some coins depicted festive scenes involving transportation at Christmas time. Other coins depicted traditional secular and religious themes. In many, a Manx cat could be seen playing.

The series is very collectible, Jeff writes. A collector can collect the coins by themselves, or versions that were included with an annual Christmas card with traditional designs.

Read more about this fun series in Jeff’s World Coins section feature, found only in Coin World’s print and digital editions.

Who are you?: Relative unknowns on paper money

In his second contribution to the December issue, Gerry Tebben looks at U.S. paper money from the 19th century with depictions of historical figures who might be unexpected, or unknown to you, perhaps not mentioned in your school’s history textbooks.

Unlike George Washington and Abraham Lincoln and Benjamin Franklin, these people are mostly obscure today. There is Spencer Clark, for one, and Daniel Manning, and Thomas A. Hendricks. And just who was Joseph King Mansfield?

Read Gerry’s Paper Money section feature in the December issue of Coin World.

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