On the Money & Geography Blog, I previously posted about two FAO coins that are a part of my collection of coins from around the world. One is from NAMIBIA (5 Cents), while the other is from TURKEY (50,000 Lira - yes, Turkey had that denomination at one time!).
What are FAO coins?
First thing to mention, FAO is the Food and Agricultural Organization, which was established decades ago to address ways to improve agriculture and increase food production. Also decades ago, a coin program was created by this organization in hopes of raising awareness about the importance of food security and increasing output of agriculture to feed a growing population. While the pogram is no longer active, more than 100 countries on every continent (besides Antarctica, of course!) participated by designing agricultural motifs and including phrases like 'Food for All' on circulating and commemorative coins. As of right now, I have 18 FAO coins from 15 countries.
ANDORRA 1 Cèntim - A small principality located in the Pyrenees Mountains between France and Spain, Andorra issued a commemorative 1 Cèntim coin in the year 1999. This was part of the Andorran Diner, a commemorative and unofficial currency. Andorrans used the French Franc and Spanish Peseta before adopting the Euro. The obverse has the FAO letters and the phrase Aliments garantits pel segle XXI in all-caps. Essentially meaning 'Food guaranteed by the 21st Century' in English, this is a sentence in Andorra's official language, Catalan. More information on this coin is found at this en.numista.com page.
BANGLADESH FAO Coins - I received a Bangladesh coin set from Allens, Inc. that features several FAO coins of different sizes and shapes. Regarding the rectangular images to the right, the obverse design featuring Bangladesh's national emblem is found on every coin in the bottom image. The reverse sides, which show the denomination and design elements that differ from coin to coin, are in the top image. The FAO coins in the set are the square 5 Poisha, scalloped 10 Poisha, 8-sided 50 Poisha at the top of the second column (looking at the top image), and the brass 1 Taka. The reverses of the aforementioned FAO coins are as follows: tractor, gear, and tool on 5 Poisha, food (chicken, pineapple, banana, and fish) on 50 Poisha, and a family on both 10 Poisha and 1 Taka coins (signifying the importance of family planning, which could slow down the exponential population growth of Bangladesh so less people go hungry).
PARAGUAY 10 Guaranies - One of two landlocked countries in South America (the other is Bolivia), Paraguay issued a 10 Guaranies FAO coin in 1996. The obverse, like other Paraguayan coins and banknotes, features General Eugenio Garay. The reverse has the denomination, a cow to the left of the 10, and the phrase Alimentos para el mundo, which means 'Food for the world' in English.
SAMOA 2 Sene - A Pacific island country located far east of Australia, Samoa issued a bronze 2 Sene FAO coin in the years 1999 and 2000. The obverse features Malietoa Tanumafili II, a former chief and head of state. The Samoa I Sisifo inscribed simply refers to a formal name of Samoa. The reverse shows the denomination, XXI Century, FAO, and Food Security, two branches of wheat, and the constellation Crux. Crux is a common theme on the flags and coat of arms of Australia and South Pacific nations, including Samoa.
ANDORRA 1 Cèntim - A small principality located in the Pyrenees Mountains between France and Spain, Andorra issued a commemorative 1 Cèntim coin in the year 1999. This was part of the Andorran Diner, a commemorative and unofficial currency. Andorrans used the French Franc and Spanish Peseta before adopting the Euro. The obverse has the FAO letters and the phrase Aliments garantits pel segle XXI in all-caps. Essentially meaning 'Food guaranteed by the 21st Century' in English, this is a sentence in Andorra's official language, Catalan. More information on this coin is found at this en.numista.com page.
BANGLADESH FAO Coins - I received a Bangladesh coin set from Allens, Inc. that features several FAO coins of different sizes and shapes. Regarding the rectangular images to the right, the obverse design featuring Bangladesh's national emblem is found on every coin in the bottom image. The reverse sides, which show the denomination and design elements that differ from coin to coin, are in the top image. The FAO coins in the set are the square 5 Poisha, scalloped 10 Poisha, 8-sided 50 Poisha at the top of the second column (looking at the top image), and the brass 1 Taka. The reverses of the aforementioned FAO coins are as follows: tractor, gear, and tool on 5 Poisha, food (chicken, pineapple, banana, and fish) on 50 Poisha, and a family on both 10 Poisha and 1 Taka coins (signifying the importance of family planning, which could slow down the exponential population growth of Bangladesh so less people go hungry).
PARAGUAY 10 Guaranies - One of two landlocked countries in South America (the other is Bolivia), Paraguay issued a 10 Guaranies FAO coin in 1996. The obverse, like other Paraguayan coins and banknotes, features General Eugenio Garay. The reverse has the denomination, a cow to the left of the 10, and the phrase Alimentos para el mundo, which means 'Food for the world' in English.
SAMOA 2 Sene - A Pacific island country located far east of Australia, Samoa issued a bronze 2 Sene FAO coin in the years 1999 and 2000. The obverse features Malietoa Tanumafili II, a former chief and head of state. The Samoa I Sisifo inscribed simply refers to a formal name of Samoa. The reverse shows the denomination, XXI Century, FAO, and Food Security, two branches of wheat, and the constellation Crux. Crux is a common theme on the flags and coat of arms of Australia and South Pacific nations, including Samoa.
SOMALIA 10 Shillings - Located in the Horn of Africa and east of Ethiopia, Somalia issued several FAO coins, including an aluminum 10 Shillings coin in the years 1999 to 2002. The obverse features a camel and the same English lettering format (century, year, FAO, and Food Security) as Samoa's 2 Sene mentioned above and many other FAO coins. The reverse depicts Somalia's coat of arms and a 10 under it.
TUNISIA 1 Millim - Located along the Mediterranean Sea in North Africa - northeast of Algeria and northwest of Libya - Tunisia issued a couple of FAO coins like Somalia; the one in my collection is the 1 Millim of 2000. The obverse depicts an oak tree underneath Arabic text that reads Central Bank of Tunisia (according to this Chiefa Coins page; description was for a 5 Millim coin, but it still applies to this one). While not exactly fitting with FAO's goal of increasing food production, the oak tree has been a symbol on Tunisian coinage for years. The reverse shows a huge 1, the typical English inscriptions of FAO coins, Arabic text, and two olive branches. Unlike the oak tree, the olive branches certainly represent food production pretty well as olives are valuable in countries around the Mediterranean Sea.Other FAO coins in my collection are as follows: COOK ISLANDS 5 Cents, ETHIOPIA 1 Santim, JAMAICA 1 Cent, MOROCCO 5 Santimat, PAKISTAN 5 Paisa, PANAMA 1 Centesimo, and UNITED ARAB EMIRATES 5 Fils.
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