Cottontail Coins

By Dan Lewis | Wed, 16 Apr 2008

Rabbits proliferate on a variety of world issues. Add a few specimens to your collection and watch them multiply.

I've often said that if you can think of a topic, it probably is represented on a non-circulating, legaltender (NCLT) coin. So, when I was trying to come up with a Spring theme for this month’s column, a variety of subjects came to mind. But the one that hopped to the top of my list was rabbits.

If bunnies are your thing, there’s no sense waiting until next Easter to start a collection. With the proliferation of NCLTs in the past couple decades, you’ll have plenty of options.

You might start with the Peter Rabbit crowns issued by Gibraltar, the British Virgin Islands and the Isle of Man. This beloved, bedtime-story bunny, created by British author and illustrator Beatrix Potter around the turn of the 20th century, first appeared on legaltender coinage minted by Gibraltar in 1993 and continued annually through 1999.

No Peter Rabbit coins were struck for the collecting public in 2000- 01, but in 2002-03, Gibraltar issued special crowns commemorating the 100th anniversary of Potter’s classic tale. The British Virgin Islands authorized $1, $2 and 50- cent coins in 2005, and the Isle of Man got into the act in 2007 with a crown denomination. A number of other countries - among them Malawi, Liberia, Somalia, China and Australia - have released legal-tender coins depicting rabbits, mostly in conjunction with series celebrating the 12-year Chinese lunar calendar. The latest Year of the Rabbit was celebrated in 1999. Several bunny coins were produced then and in 1987, and more of them likely will be struck in 2011. In 2000 Liberia and the Somali Republic issued “Millennium Editions” of 12 base-metal coins denominated $5 and 10 shillings, respectively. The latest rabbit coin - a colorful, crown-sized Malawi 5 kwacha - debuted in 2005.

The aforementioned coins are modestly priced, with many base-metal pieces available for less than $15, and all priced under $50. Given their affordability, your collection is sure to grow by leaps and bounds. Of course, if your taste and budget run toward the limited- edition, .999 fine gold Chinese 500-yuan coin minted in 1999 and weighing in at 155.5175 grams , you might have to break into your nest egg!