Bi-metallic coins
Encyclopedia
Bi-metallic coins are coin
s consisting of more than one metal
or alloy
, generally arranged with an outer ring around a contrasting center. Common circulating examples include the €1
, €2
, British
£2, Canadian
$2, South Africa
n R5
, Turkish
1 lira
, and all Mexican
coins of $1
or higher denomination.
Bi-metallic coins have been issued for a long time, with examples known dating from the 17th century, while the Roman Empire issued special occasion, large medallions with a center of bronze or copper and an outer ring of orichalcum
, starting with the reign of Hadrian
. The silver-center cent pattern
produced by the United States
in 1792 is another example. In the 1830s and 1840s, British medalist Joseph Moore produced large numbers of bi-metallic "penny model" and less common "halfpenny model" tokens, as a proposal to replace the relatively large penny
and halfpenny coins. Though not legal tender
, Moore's tokens were circulated widely and accepted at face value by many merchants. Despite their popularity, the Royal Mint rejected the proposal, and did not reduce the size of the penny and halfpenny until decimalization
.
In recent times, the first circulating bi-metallic coin was the Italian
500 lire
, first issued in 1982. France
, with a 10 franc
coin, Monaco
, with a 10 franc
, and Thailand
, with a 10 baht
, issued bi-metallic coins for circulation in 1988, all based on the Italian 500 lire's minting process. India
introduced 10 rupee
bi-metallic coins in 2009 that are dated 2006 (minted at Noida).
France and Monaco also introduced tri-metallic 20 franc coins in 1992. These were similar to the corresponding bi-metallic 10 franc coins, but had two rings instead of one. These were the only tri-metallic circulating coins ever minted.
As well as circulating coins, where they are generally restricted to high denomination coins, bi-metallic coins are often used in commemorative issues
, often made of precious metals. For example, the only bi-metallic coin of the United States
is the $10 Library of Congress commemorative
, made of a gold
ring around a platinum
center. They are used primarily as a way of securing against coin counterfeiting
.
The manufacturing process is similar to that of ordinary coins, except that two blanks (the inner and the outer) are struck at the same time, deforming the separate blanks sufficiently to hold them together.
Coin
A coin is a piece of hard material that is standardized in weight, is produced in large quantities in order to facilitate trade, and primarily can be used as a legal tender token for commerce in the designated country, region, or territory....
s consisting of more than one metal
Metal
A metal , is an element, compound, or alloy that is a good conductor of both electricity and heat. Metals are usually malleable and shiny, that is they reflect most of incident light...
or alloy
Alloy
An alloy is a mixture or metallic solid solution composed of two or more elements. Complete solid solution alloys give single solid phase microstructure, while partial solutions give two or more phases that may or may not be homogeneous in distribution, depending on thermal history...
, generally arranged with an outer ring around a contrasting center. Common circulating examples include the €1
1 euro coins
1 euro coins are made of two alloys: the inner part of cupronickel, the outer part of nickel brass. All coins have a common reverse side and country-specific national sides...
, €2
2 euro coins
2 euro coins are made of two alloys: the inner part of nickel brass, the outer part of copper-nickel. All coins have a common reverse side and country-specific national sides...
, British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
£2, Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
$2, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n R5
South African rand
The rand is the currency of South Africa. It takes its name from the Witwatersrand , the ridge upon which Johannesburg is built and where most of South Africa's gold deposits were found. The rand has the symbol "R" and is subdivided into 100 cents, symbol "c"...
, Turkish
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
1 lira
Turkish lira
The Turkish lira is the currency of Turkey and the de facto independent state of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. The lira is subdivided into 100 kuruş...
, and all Mexican
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
coins of $1
Mexican peso
The peso is the currency of Mexico. Modern peso and dollar currencies have a common origin in the 15th–19th century Spanish dollar, most continuing to use its sign, "$". The Mexican peso is the 12th most traded currency in the world, the third most traded in the Americas, and by far the most...
or higher denomination.
Bi-metallic coins have been issued for a long time, with examples known dating from the 17th century, while the Roman Empire issued special occasion, large medallions with a center of bronze or copper and an outer ring of orichalcum
Orichalcum
Orichalcum is a metal mentioned in several ancient writings, most notably the story of Atlantis as recounted in the Critias dialogue, recorded by Plato. According to Critias, orichalcum was considered second only to gold in value, and was found and mined in many parts of Atlantis in ancient times....
, starting with the reign of Hadrian
Hadrian
Hadrian , was Roman Emperor from 117 to 138. He is best known for building Hadrian's Wall, which marked the northern limit of Roman Britain. In Rome, he re-built the Pantheon and constructed the Temple of Venus and Roma. In addition to being emperor, Hadrian was a humanist and was philhellene in...
. The silver-center cent pattern
Pattern coin
A pattern coin is a coin which has not been approved for release, produced for the purpose of evaluating a proposed coin design. They are often off-metal strikes, to proof standard or piedforts...
produced by the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1792 is another example. In the 1830s and 1840s, British medalist Joseph Moore produced large numbers of bi-metallic "penny model" and less common "halfpenny model" tokens, as a proposal to replace the relatively large penny
Penny (British pre-decimal coin)
The penny of the Kingdom of Great Britain and later of the United Kingdom, was in circulation from the early 18th century until February 1971, Decimal Day....
and halfpenny coins. Though not legal tender
Legal tender
Legal tender is a medium of payment allowed by law or recognized by a legal system to be valid for meeting a financial obligation. Paper currency is a common form of legal tender in many countries....
, Moore's tokens were circulated widely and accepted at face value by many merchants. Despite their popularity, the Royal Mint rejected the proposal, and did not reduce the size of the penny and halfpenny until decimalization
Decimal Day
Decimal Day was the day the United Kingdom and Ireland decimalised their currencies.-Old system:Under the old currency of pounds, shillings and pence, the pound was made up of 240 pence , with 12 pence in a shilling and 20 shillings in a...
.
In recent times, the first circulating bi-metallic coin was the Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
500 lire
Italian lira
The lira was the currency of Italy between 1861 and 2002. Between 1999 and 2002, the Italian lira was officially a “national subunit” of the euro...
, first issued in 1982. France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, with a 10 franc
French franc
The franc was a currency of France. Along with the Spanish peseta, it was also a de facto currency used in Andorra . Between 1360 and 1641, it was the name of coins worth 1 livre tournois and it remained in common parlance as a term for this amount of money...
coin, Monaco
Monaco
Monaco , officially the Principality of Monaco , is a sovereign city state on the French Riviera. It is bordered on three sides by its neighbour, France, and its centre is about from Italy. Its area is with a population of 35,986 as of 2011 and is the most densely populated country in the...
, with a 10 franc
Monegasque franc
The franc was the official currency of the Principality of Monaco until 2002 , when it changed to the euro. The franc was subdivided into 100 centimes or 10 decimes. The Monégasque franc circulated alongside the French franc with the same value...
, and Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, with a 10 baht
Thai baht
The baht is the currency of Thailand. It is subdivided into 100 satang . The issuance of currency is the responsibility of the Bank of Thailand.-History:The baht, like the pound, originated from a traditional unit of mass...
, issued bi-metallic coins for circulation in 1988, all based on the Italian 500 lire's minting process. India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
introduced 10 rupee
Indian rupee
The Indian rupee is the official currency of the Republic of India. The issuance of the currency is controlled by the Reserve Bank of India....
bi-metallic coins in 2009 that are dated 2006 (minted at Noida).
France and Monaco also introduced tri-metallic 20 franc coins in 1992. These were similar to the corresponding bi-metallic 10 franc coins, but had two rings instead of one. These were the only tri-metallic circulating coins ever minted.
As well as circulating coins, where they are generally restricted to high denomination coins, bi-metallic coins are often used in commemorative issues
Commemorative coin
Commemorative coins are coins that were issued to commemorate some particular event or issue. Most world commemorative coins were issued from the 1960s onward, although there are numerous examples of commemorative coins of earlier date. Such coins have a distinct design with reference to the...
, often made of precious metals. For example, the only bi-metallic coin of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
is the $10 Library of Congress commemorative
2000 Library of Congress bimetallic ten dollar coin
The 2000 Library of Congress bimetallic ten dollar coin is a modern U.S. commemorative coin issued in a ten dollar denomination. It is the first gold and platinum bimetallic coin to be issued by the United States Mint...
, made of a gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
ring around a platinum
Platinum
Platinum is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Pt and an atomic number of 78. Its name is derived from the Spanish term platina del Pinto, which is literally translated into "little silver of the Pinto River." It is a dense, malleable, ductile, precious, gray-white transition metal...
center. They are used primarily as a way of securing against coin counterfeiting
Coin counterfeiting
Coin counterfeiting of valuable antique coins is common; modern high-value coins are also counterfeited and circulated.Counterfeit antique coins are generally made to a very high standard so that they can deceive experts; this is not easy and many coins still stand out.-Circulating...
.
The manufacturing process is similar to that of ordinary coins, except that two blanks (the inner and the outer) are struck at the same time, deforming the separate blanks sufficiently to hold them together.
Countries