Fascinating Facts

Weekly Trivia: The Eid Mar Denarius was minted by Brutus in 42 BC to celebrate the assassination of Julius Caesar. It features two daggers and a "cap of liberty." It is one of the most espensive and famous Roman coins. next...

Weekly Trivia: While everyday items in the Solomon Islands are bought with standard dollars, traditional ceremonies and community disputes are still settled with an ancient form of currency: dolphin teeth. Alongside shell money, they remain a vital part of the local "kastom" economy. next...

Weekly Trivia: Until 1999, Switzerland was the last country to link its currency to gold. Under its old constitution, the Swiss National Bank was legally required to back at least 40% of its banknotes with physical gold reserves. This decades-long era ended when Swiss voters officially severed the link in an April 1999 referendum. next...

Weekly Trivia: The £100,000,000 Banknote: The Bank of England prints a £100M note called a "Titan." While never used in public circulation, these ultra-high-value notes are held securely in the vaults to legally back the value of all Scottish and Northern Irish banknotes. next...

Weekly Trivia: Why do we 'spend a penny'? This British euphemism dates to the 1850s, when London public toilets required a literal penny to unlock. Although the locks are now relics, the phrase endured as a linguistic staple, even though it wasn't formally recorded until 1945! next...

Weekly Trivia: The phrase "rich as Croesus" comes from the ancient king who invented the world’s first true gold coin. Minted in Lydia around 550 BC, the Croeseid was the first currency to offer standardized purity and weight for general circulation. next...

Weekly Trivia: Established in the 17th century, the "Facing Ways" tradition dictates that the royal effigy on the obverse of British coins and banknotes must face the opposite direction of the preceding monarch. next...

Weekly Trivia: The first US coins were struck in 1793 at a facility in Philadelphia that was guarded by dogs. next...

Weekly Trivia: The largest gold coin ever minted was from Australia in 2011, weighing 1 ton and measuring nearly 80 cm in diameter. next...

Weekly Trivia: Beyond physics, Sir Isaac Newton used his scientific mind as Master of the Royal Mint to hunt down and convict 28 counterfeiters. By introducing the milled edge and mathematical purity tests, he effectively engineered a forgery-proof currency for Britain. next...