Odd-Shaped Coins | Jamaica

The island country of JAMAICA, located west of Haiti and the Jamaica Channel and south of Cuba in the Caribbean Sea, issued several odd-shaped coins. They are the 1 Cent (1976 and after), 25 Cents (1991-1994), all 50 Cents (these coins are not produced anymore), and 1 Dollar (1994-2008). Two of those - 1 Cent and 25 Cents - are described in detail below and accompanied with photos.
1 Cent FAO - This 1991-dated aluminum coin shown to the left is shaped like a dodecagon (12-sided shape). The coin's obverse shows the date, country, and Jamaica's coat of arms, including the motto Out of Many, One People in a ribbon banner. The coat of arms also feature a man and woman, crocodile, and five pineapples within the cross on the shield. The coin's reverse is dedicated to FAO's mission of producing more food for a rising population, featuring the motto Let Us Produce More Food. It shows the denomination, 1 Cent. The centerpiece is the Ackee fruit; while it is a commonplace food source in Jamaican cuisine, the fruit can be lethal, especially when it is not perfectly ripe.

25 Cents - This copper-nickel heptagonal (7-sided) coin shown to the left is dated with the year 1993. The 25 Cents obverse is similar to the 1 Cent's obverse, although the denomination is included on this side. The reverse shows Marcus Garvey, a prominent Jamaican black activist for civil rights, with the insciption The RT. Excellent Marcus Garvey above him.

> Visit this en.numista.com page for more Jamaican coins.

> For information about Jamaica and a simple map of it, visit the Jamaica post on my GeoFact of the Day Blog!