CoinClinic: Numismatic Traditions

I heard on the news that some coins were to be buried with Pope Francis when he recently died. What would be the purpose of this?

In this case, the reason to bury coins with his remains would be to assist, at a much later date, in identifying the body should other identification become lost or deteriorate. I’m not certain if this is a custom or a one-time action.

Are there other burial traditions that include coins?

The ancient Greeks placed a coin in the mouth of the deceased to pay Charon, the Ferryman, for the journey over the River Styx into the underworld. Coins have also been placed over the eyes of the deceased to keep the eyes closed, keeping rigor mortis in mind. The custom has also been practiced due to the superstition that the dead person might be looking for someone to take with him.

Aren’t coins involved in Oriental traditions as well?

In the Oriental tradition, money is to be burned as an offering to ancestors. Hell Bank notes are not negotiable but are made of very flammable paper for this purpose. Hell white paper wrapped “coins” have also been used for the same purpose. In more modern times, frugal individuals seeking to make a monetary offering to their ancestors have been known to offer an expired credit card or a check to the dead.

Have coins been deliberately buried with people in the past for purposes of identification at some later date?

I don’t know if coins have been deliberately buried for this purpose, but coins found buried or hidden can be used to date the site in a similar manner to how what are called index fossils are used by paleontologists to date the site of an excavation

What can buried coins tell an archaeologist about the people who lived at that site?

Archaeology and numismatics can go hand in hand. Coins can help date a dig site, identify the government in control, local or national borders, trade routes, local technological and artistic capabilities, contemporary economic activity, religion being practiced, military activity, and more.

What can you tell me about coins being placed over the eyes of the person appearing on the Shroud of Turin?

The Shroud of Turin has been the source of much controversy. Among associated controversies is the question of whether the image shows a coin placed over each of the eyes of the person whose image appears on the shroud. Antonio Lombatti makes a particularly convincing argument that there are no coins on the shroud in his article Doubts Concerning the Coins Over the Eyes published in the British Society for the Turin Shroud newsletter No. 45 in 1997. Lombatti points out that the legends on the alleged coins are claimed to read TIBEPIOY KAICAPOC. The C in Latin should be a K on coins attributed to the Emperor Tiberius. As a rebuttal to this article, I will note Hendin 1233 (David Hendin “Guide to Biblical Coins”) identifies a C appearing three times in the legend on a contemporary, although different Judaic coin naming the emperor.

In Canada, the Winnipeg Police Service recently warned of counterfeit bank notes that had “prop money” hidden within the design. Has there ever been fake U.S. currency with some clandestine message hidden in the design?

There are likely numerous such incidents, but the Secret Service isn’t forthcoming to volunteer much about counterfeits that have been seized over the years. The incident that comes to mind is the Confederate States of America fakes produced by Philadelphia businessman Samuel Upham. The notes carry an inscription reading: “Facsimile Confederate Note-sold wholesale and retail by S.C. Upham” along with his address.

North Korea is known to have produced fake U.S. $100 bills. Has the U.S. government ever printed fake bank notes of another country?

I’m not certain it has ever been officially acknowledged, but it appears the U.S. government printed and distributed fake Iraqi bank notes during the wars with Iraq at the time Saddam Hussein was dictator. The objective of these bogus notes would be to interrupt Iraq’s domestic economy.

Are there other instances when a government has counterfeited the currency of another nation?

There are many such instances. Russia was well known for counterfeiting Dutch gold ducat coins throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. In turn, French Emperor Napoleon had an estimated 6.5 to 25 million counterfeit Russian rubles produced in a failed effort to destroy the Russian economy during the Napoleonic wars. During World War II, Operation Bernhard, conducted by Nazi Germany, printed British bank notes with the same purpose in mind. These are just a few of the highest-profile such counterfeiting efforts.

Is North Korea the primary country counterfeiting U.S. money?

North Korea may be the primary country counterfeiting U.S. currency; however, some sources point to Peru. In 2003, U.S. Secret Service spokesman Brian Leary said, “It’s been increasing, and right now 17 percent of all counterfeit dollars in the U.S. are of Peruvian origin.” Other sources identified Peruvian drug trafficker “Crazy Alfredo,” not the Peruvian government, as the major culprit. A major bust was made by the US Secret Service Lima Resident Office in partnership with the Peruvian National Police Anti-Counterfeit Group in 2020, but I don’t have any more current information.

I read recently that about 650 million 2025 cents have been made. I did not imagine production could continue. Collectors have been paying upwards of $5 per roll, so the 2025 cent coins will not be common in circulation for a while. Does it appear they will become a good numismatic investment?

The current 2025 cent situation reminds me of the 1950-D nickel, when everyone was buying up rolls in anticipation of the coin becoming a rarity. To this day, it can command a modest premium, but because of the contemporary hoarding (speculating), the coins never reached a status we could call “rarity.”

You may also like:

CoinClinic: Collecting by the Slab

CoinClinic: Gold and Silver, or Gold and Copper?

CoinClinic: Manufacturer Errors Have Modest Value