Europe
Coins and notes from European countries, spanning pre-decimal national currencies through to modern issues.
European coins and banknotes
Europe offers one of the most rewarding regional collections available, largely because of what happened to its currencies. Many countries retired long-standing national coinages when the euro was adopted, which turned those earlier issues into closed, finite series — you know exactly where they begin and end.
Before that, each nation had its own denominations, portrait traditions and engraving styles, so a European collection shows considerable variety within a single region.
Ways to collect
- Pre-euro national coinage — complete series with a definite end.
- By country — depth in one nation's issues.
- By theme — monarchs, architecture or wildlife across borders.
- Silver issues — older European coinage in precious metal.