United Kingdom, 5 pence, 1989

Here’s today’s first coin.

United Kingdom, 5 pence, 1989 (KM #937)

For most Britons, this is the youngest large-size five pence coin they’ll ever see, since the denomination was greatly reduced in size starting in 1990. (I say “most” since there was a trace amount of large-size fives struck in 1990, but they were only made for Mint sets.) Technically no longer legal tender in the UK, but possibly worth 7 cents USD if you can get some one to honor its exchange rate.

And of course, 1989 was the beginning of the end for communist rule in Europe, the year the wall came down and the Iron Curtain was torn away.

Mintage is 101,406,000
Metal Copper-nickel
Weight 5.65 g
Diameter 23.59 mm
Thickness 1.78 mm
Engravers Raphael David Maklouf (obverse)
Christopher Ironside (reverse)
Shape Round
Orientation Medal alignment
Demonetized 12-31-1990

Colombia, 10 pesos, 1989

This one was been stained brown, probably by prolonged exposure to the outdoors. US nickels turn this color when they spend time underground, literally, until harvested by metal detectorists.

Colombia, 10 pesos, 1989 (KM #281.1)

This coin was minted from 1989 through 1994 (when the denomination was retired), but exact mintages are unreported. And to illustrate how far the Colombian peso has fallen, 10 pesos is only worth 0.52 cents USD.

Metal Copper-nickel-zinc
Weight 3.3 g
Diameter 18.75 mm
Shape Round