How I "Spend" My Time! Trivia Quiz

Answer: Africa

The Katanga cross is a large, scarce and unusual piece of primitive money. This archaic form of money was used in Zaire and the Democratic Republic of the Congo for hundreds of years. One cross would buy about 10 kg. (22 lbs.) of flour or five chickens. Molten brass or copper was poured into sand molds and allowed to harden.

This currency was usually not decorated, its value came from its size and weight. They were still in use in some parts of Africa, even as recently as the first part of the 20th century.

Answer: Confederate States of America

This depiction of slaves at work can be found on the back of the One Hundred Dollar bill of the Confederate States of America (1861-1865). It was not the only banknote to depict slaves at work and can be interpreted as a reflection of the culture of the southern secessionists of the time.

It is not uncommon for topics concerning the common man to be found on currency, especially on the reverse side of banknotes. The obverse (front) side of money usually depicts a famous person or a symbolic icon of the country. All money from the Confederate States of America is highly collectable, partially because it was minted for only a couple of years and the topics depicted on the bills, such as this image of slaves working in the field.

Answer: It was made without the approval of the U.S. Mint.

The high value of this coin relates to the fact that it was minted without the approval of the U.S. Mint. The decision had already been made to switch the design of the five-cent piece from a depiction of Lady Liberty to the profile of a Native American. The exact number of these coins minted is not known for sure, but only five ever managed to make their way into the public domain. If you find one of these coins in your pocket, be advised that it would probably fetch millions of dollars at auction even if it was not in mint condition.

Answer: It is made of porcelain.

In modern times it has become somewhat common to have coins that are more valuable for their metal content than they are for what the coins represents monetarily. The American penny is a good example. It cost almost one and one half a cent to mint a penny that is only worth one cent.

There have also been many times during war that all metal was needed for the war effort. It was at these times that some of the more unusual coins came into being, such as this porcelain German coin minted around World War I.

Some of these emergency coins are now worth more than their metal counterparts.

Answer: King George VI

This image depicts the obverse of a 1951 British farthing and depicts King George VI. Made of bronze, this coin was equal to 1/4 of a penny. Now this was at a time when a penny was actually worth something. This denomination was used from 1860 until 1956.

This particular design came into use in 1937 and is considered to be collectable. Its value varies, like most coins, depending on date of minting, and its condition.

Answer: It does not say "In God We Trust".

The name of this coin is derived from its designer, American sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens. The complicated design proved too difficult for the U.S. Mint to produce is commercial quantities. This resulted in a modification of the design which involved the removal of the term "In God We Trust".

The American Congress became extremely upset and attempted to halt production. Charles Barber, the Mint's chief engraver was responsible for the removal of this term and ordered the coin to be produced anyway.

This 20$ gold piece was minted between 1907-1933 and was primarily used for international trade. The term "In God We Trust" was added to late editions of the coin, but if you are able to come across one without the term it is worth millions of dollars.

Answer: Isle of Man

The Isle of Man has used the triskele as a symbol for their island for hundreds of years. This beautiful penny displays a young Queen Victoria on the obverse (front) and the triskele on the back (reverse). This coin is just one of the many examples where cultural icons have been used on coins. The Isle of Man is just one of many island territories that mint their own currencies. The low number produced during each minting, increases the probability that at some time in the future the coin itself will be worth more than the denomination it represents.

Answer: It was from Yugoslavia, which no longer exists.

This is a Yugoslavian 1000 dinar note, produced in 1981. Due to the collapse of the nation in 1980's, and the hyperinflation that was rampant at the time, this money was virtually worthless within a year of its printing. The economic situation even led to the production of a 500 billion dinar note! Today any money minted by Yugoslavia is considered collectable as resurrection of this country is highly unlikely.

Answer: False

This statement is incorrect as most error coins are highly sought after by collectors. There are different types of errors which include coins that were double stamped, coins that were stamped upside down, and coins which bear the same image on front and back.

This particular coin is 2008 American quarter which bears the term "In God We Rust" instead of "In God We Trust". Errors during minting are not common and are usually caught quickly, making error coins some of the rarest and most valuable, no matter where they are from, how old they are, or what their denomination is.

Answer: Yap

Rai stones are circular disks carved out of limestone with a large hole in the middle so that the stone can be transported. They were used on the Pacific island of Yap for centuries as a form of currency. The largest rai stone found weighed over four tons, and was ten ft. (3m) in diameter.

The value of a specific stone was dependent upon the size and craftsmanship that went into the carving of the stone as well as the history of the stone. Today western-style money has largely replaced rai stones as everyday currency, but these monetary objects are still exchanged between the local inhabitants during weddings, and other traditional rituals.