THE TWELVE COIN COLLECTING DAYS OF CHRISTMAS

I thought I would celebrate Christmas this year by trying to find twelve coins to illustrate the famous song. What would you have chosen? This is not perfect and as we say in Britain you sometimes have to compromise. Happy Christmas to collectors everywhere.

On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me A partridge in a pear tree

1993 Gibraltar 1p coin One Penny Pence BARBARY PARTRIDGE

The Barbary partridge (Alectoris barbara), on a Gibraltar 1 penny.

By Source, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=12428501

On the second day of Christmas, my true love gave to me Two turtle doves and a partridge in a pear tree

The silver Five "Pence" Obverse: A dove flying with an olive branch in its beak. Reverse: IIIII between two lines above and below with inscription GRIQUA (above) TOWN (below and upside down). Average diameter: 20.96 mm. Average thickness: 0.66 mm. Average mass: 2.37 gram. Edge: Reeded obliquely

This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.

On the third day of Christmas, my true love gave to me three French hens

Ok not a French hen. This is an Irish hen on a penny designed by Percy Metcalf.

By RMUCD - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=44900382

On the fourth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me Four calling birds, three French hens, two turtle doves And a partridge in a pear tree

The Raven Penny is a coin of the Viking Olaf Guthfrithson who was the king of Dublin between 934-941.

Calling birds is actually colly birds or blackbirds. A raven was the closest I could get.

On the fifth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me

Celtic Ring Money
Before coinage was introduced to Britain in the Late Iron Age, people had to conduct transactions by bartering their products, goods and/or services. This process of payment and exchange may have been facilitated by gold “ring money”

Five golden rings, four calling birds, three French hens Two turtle doves and a partridge in a pear tree

On the sixth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me Six geese a-layin', five golden rings, four calling birds

1967
The centennial dollar
Alex Colville created a special set of coin designs to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Canadian Confederation; the 1-dollar coin features a Canada goose. After 1967, circulation 1-dollar coins were made of nickel until 1987, when the 'loonie' was introduced.

Three French hens, two turtle doves and a partridge in a pear tree

On the seventh day of Christmas, my true love gave to me Seven swans a-swimmin', six geese a-layin', five golden rings

The swan is a symbol of Buckinghamshire so I choose a local token.

The Collection of British Tokens formed by John Roberts-Lewis BUCKINGHAMSHIRE, High Wycombe, James Gomme, Shilling, 1811, swan chained, rev. view of the Town Hall, edge grained, 3.72g/12h (D 1). About extremely fine, toned £80-100

Image used by kind permission of DNW

Four calling birds, three French hens, two turtle doves And a partridge in a pear tree

On the eighth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me Eight maids a-milkin', seven swans a-swimmin'

By Source, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=27603656

I could not find any maids a milking but here is a Guernsey cow they could milk.

Six geese a-layin', five golden rings, four calling birds, three French hens Two turtle doves and a partridge in a pear tree

On the ninth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me Nine lords a-leapin', eight maids a-milkin', seven swans a-swimmin'

Only one Lord, this is Lord Kitchener.

Six geese a-layin', five golden rings, four calling birds, three French hens Two turtle doves and a partridge in a pear tree

On the tenth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me Ten ladies dancin', nine lords a-leapin', eight maids a-milkin'

Ladies dancing was a bit of a challenge and here are some elephants dancing.

Seven swans a-swimmin', six geese a-layin', five golden rings Four calling birds, three French hens Two turtle doves and a partridge in a pear tree

On the eleventh day of Christmas, my true love gave to me Eleven pipers pipin', ten ladies dancin', nine lords a-leapin'

This was another challenge. I found this very rare coin featuring pan pipes.

Caesarea Panias (Trachonitis), Syria, AE15, time of Marcus Aurelius. 2.87 g. 169 AD.

Head of Pan right KAICAP PANIA DOC POB, syrinx (Pan pipes). SNG ANS 860; Meshorer Caesarea Pania, 2.

Used with permission of Classical Numismatic Group, Inc., Website
http://www.cngcoins.com

Eight maids a-milkin', seven swans a-swimmin' Six geese a-layin', five golden rings, four calling birds, three French hens Two turtle doves and a partridge in a pear tree

Twelve drummers drummin', eleven pipers pipin', ten ladies dancin'

Quarter Bicentennial reverse: drummer

By United States Mint - United States Mint, Public Domain,
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=687348

Nine lords a-leapin', eight maids milkin', seven swans a-swimmin' Six geese a-layin' five golden rings, four calling birds, three French hens Two turtle doves and a partridge in a pear tree

Happy Christmas

Note: I have tried to obtain permissions for all illustrations. Grateful thanks to all who gave permission.

	NBS (coinbooks.org) Web