Turkey

Turkey 10 Lira 1970 VG
Front: President Atatürk
Back: Maiden's Tower

Maiden's Tower was first built by the ancient Athenian general Alcibiades in 408 BC to control the movements of the Persian ships in the Bosphorus strait. Back then the tower was located between the ancient cities of Byzantion and Chrysopolis. There are many legends about the construction of the tower and its location. According to the most popular Turkish legend, a sultan had a much beloved daughter. One day, an oracle prophesied that she would be killed by a venomous snake on her 18th birthday. The sultan, in an effort to thwart his daughter's early demise by placing her away from land so as to keep her away from any snakes, had the tower built in the middle of the Bosphorus to protect his daughter until her 18th birthday. The princess was placed in the tower, where she was frequently visited only by her father.

On the 18th birthday of the princess, the sultan brought her a basket of exotic sumptuous fruits as a birthday gift, delighted that he was able to prevent the prophecy. Upon reaching into the basket, however, an asp that had been hiding among the fruit bit the young princess and she died in her father's arms, just as the oracle had predicted. Hence the name Maiden's Tower. Read more
Information Obtained From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Turkey

Turkey 20 Lira 1970 VG
Front: President Atatürk
Back: Monument

Turkey-1980s series

Turkey 1000 Lira 1986 VG
Front: Pesident Atatürk 1st President of Turkey
Back: Istanbul; Fatih Sultan Mehmet

In 1927, during the opening of the State Art and Sculpture Museum

Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (indeterminate - 1881–10 November 1938) was a Turkish army officer, revolutionary statesman, and founder of the Republic of Turkey as well as its first President.

Mustafa Kemal became known as an extremely capable military officer during World War I. Following the defeat of the Ottoman Empire, Mustafa Kemal led the Turkish national movement in what would become known as the Turkish War of Independence. Having established a provisional government in Ankara, he defeated the forces sent by the Allies. His successful military campaigns led to the liberation of the country and to the establishment of the Republic of Turkey. During his presidency, Atatürk embarked upon a program of political, economic, and cultural reforms. An admirer of the Age of Enlightenment, Atatürk sought to transform the former Ottoman Empire into a modern, democratic and secular nation-state. The principles of Atatürk's reforms, which modern Turkey was established on, are referred to as Kemalism.

Born as Mustafa, his second name Kemal (meaning Perfection or Maturity) was given to him by his mathematics teacher in recognition of his academic excellence.[2] In his early years, his mother encouraged Mustafa to attend a religious school, something he did reluctantly and only briefly. Later, he attended the Şemsi Efendi school at the direction of his father. His parents wanted him to have education in a trade, but without consulting them he took an entrance exam for a military junior high school in Salonika in 1893. In 1896, he enrolled into a military high school in the Ottoman city of Manastır (modern Bitola, Republic of Macedonia). In 1899, he enrolled at the War College in Istanbul and graduated in 1902. He later graduated from the War Academy on 11 January 1905.

The original print of the first Quran in Turkish language ordered by Atatürk.

Mehmet II "the Conqueror", in Ottoman Turkish, or, in modern Turkish, Fatih Sultan Mehmet) (March 30, 1432, Edirne – May 3, 1481, Hünkârcayırı, near Gebze) was Sultan of the Ottoman Empire (Rûm until the conquest) for a short time from 1444 to September 1446, and later from February 1451 to 1481. At the age of 23, he conquered Constantinople, bringing an end to the Byzantine Empire. He had several wives: Valide Sultan Amina Gul-Bahar, a Greek Orthodox woman of noble birth from the village of Douvera, Trabzon, who died in 1492, the mother of Bayezid II, and Gevher Sultana; Gulshah Hatun; Sitti Mukrime Hatun; Hatun Cicek; Helene Hatun, who died in 1481, daughter of Demetrios II Palaiologos, the Despot of Morea; briefly Anna Hatun, the daughter of the Emperor of Trebizond; and Hatun Alexias, a Byzantine princess. Another son of his was Djem Zizim, who died in 1495.
Information and Image Obtained From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sweden

Sweden 5 Kronor 1978 VG
Front: King Gustav Vasa (1523-1560);
Back: Stylised crowing wood-grouse and a spruce

Gustav I portraited in 1542 by Jakob Bincks
Gustav I, born Gustav Eriksson (Colloquial 15th century Upplandic, Gösta Jerksson) and later known as Gustav Vasa (12 May 1496 – 29 September 1560), was King of Sweden from 1523 until his death. He was the first monarch of the House of Vasa, an influential noble family which came to be the royal house of Sweden for much of the 16th and 17th centuries. Gustav I was elected regent in 1521 after leading a rebellion against Christian II of Denmark, the leader of the Kalmar Union who controlled most of Sweden at the time.

Gustav was an enigmatic person who has been referred to as both a liberator of the country and as a tyrannical ruler, which has made him the subject of many books. When he came to power in 1523, he was largely unknown, and he became the ruler of a still divided country without a central government. Though not as famous as most of his continental contemporaries, he became the first truly autocratic native Swedish sovereign and was a skilled propagandist and bureaucrat who laid the foundations for a more efficient centralized government. During his reign Protestantism was introduced in the country.

In traditional Swedish history he has been labelled the founder of modern Sweden, and the "father of the nation". Gustav liked to compare himself to Moses, whom he believed to have also liberated his people and established a state. As a person, Gustav was known for ruthless methods and a bad temperament, but he also loved music, and had a certain sly wit. In the late 1550s, Gustav's health declined. When his grave was opened in 1945, an examination of his corpse revealed that he had suffered chronic infections of a leg and in his jaw.

He gave a so-called "last speech" in 1560 to the chancellors, his children and other noblemen, whereby he encouraged them to remain united. On 29 September 1560, Gustav died and was buried (together with two of his wives) in the Cathedral of Uppsala.


The tomb of Gustav Vasa in Uppsala domkyrka

Information and Image Obtained From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Romania

Romania 100 Lei 1966 VG
Front: Nicolae Balcescu (1819-1852)
Back: The Athenaeum in Bucharest

Nicolae Bălcescu was a Romanian Wallachian soldier, historian, journalist, and leader of the 1848 Wallachian Revolution. He was a passionate student of history. At the age of 19, he joined the Wallachian Army, and, in 1840, took part, alongside Eftimie Murgu and Cezar Bolliac, in Mitică Filipescu's conspiracy against Prince Alexandru II Ghica. The plot was uncovered, and Bălcescu was imprisoned in Mărgineni Monastery, where he remained for the following two years. The rough imprisonment conditions left irreversible marks on Bălcescu's health. While in Paris (1846), he became leader of the Romantic nationalists and liberal-radical group. His final years saw an intense publishing activity, including his study, written in French, Question economique des Principautes Danubiennes, as well as a collaboration with Adam Mickiewicz on La Tribune des Peuples. Stricken by tuberculosis, impoverished, and constantly moving between various locations in France and the Italian Peninsula, he died in Palermo (in the Two Sicilies) at 33 years of age. Bălcescu never married, though he and his lover Alexandra Florescu had a son, Bonifaciu Florescu (1848-1899), who became a professor of French language and literature.



The Romanian Athenaeum is a concert hall in the center of Bucharest, Romania and a landmark of the Romanian capital city. Opened in 1888, the ornate, domed, circular building is the city's main concert hall and home of the "George Enescu" Philharmonic and of the George Enescu annual international music festival. In 1865, cultural and scientific personalities such as Constantin Esarcu, V. A. Ureche, and Nicolae Creţulescu founded the Romanian Atheneum Cultural Society. To serve its purposes, the Romanian Athenaeum, a building dedicated to art and science, would be erected in Bucharest. The building was designed by the French architect Albert Galleron, built on a property that had belonged to the Văcărescu family and inaugurated in 1888, although work continued until 1897. A portion of the construction funds was raised by public subscription in a 28-year long effort, of which the slogan is still remembered today: "Spend one leu for the Ateneu!"

Russian Empire

Russian Empire 1 Rublle Bill 1898 VG
Arms with Russian eagle.

Mexico, Quetzalcoatl (Teotihuacan) pyramid listed under UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Mexico 20 Pesos 1977, 1976 VG
Front: José María Morelos y Pavón(30/09/1765-22/12/1815)
Back: Quetzalcoatl (Teotihuacan)
The city and the archaeological site was located in what is now the San Juan Teotihuacán municipality in the State of México, Mexico, approximately 40 kilometres (25 mi) northeast of Mexico City. The site covers a total surface area of 83 km² and was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987, and is one of the most visited archaeological sites in Mexico. Teotihuacan is an enormous archaeological site in the Basin of Mexico, containing some of the largest pyramidal structures built in the pre-Columbian Americas. Apart from the pyramidal structures, the archaeological site of Teotihuacan is also known for its large residential complexes, the so-called "avenue of the dead", and its colorful well-preserved murals.

José María Teclo Morelos y Pavón was a Mexican Roman Catholic priest and revolutionary rebel leader who led the Mexican War of Independence movement, assuming its leadership after the execution of Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla in 1811. He was later captured by the Spanish colonial authorities and executed for treason in 1815. Morelos was born into a poor family in the city of Valladolid, since renamed "Morelia" in his honor, in a house that is today a museum dedicated to his legacy. He was a mestizo of mixed Amerindian, and Spanish ancestry. His father was Manuel Morelos, a carpenter originally from Zindurio, a predominantly indigenous village a few kilometers west of Valladolid. His mother was Juana María Guadalupe Pérez Pavón, originally from San Juan Bautista de Apaseo, also near Valladolid. Valladolid was the seat of a bishop and of the government of the colonial Intendency of Michoacán. It was known as the "Garden of the Viceroyalty of New Spain" because of its prosperity.
Information and Image Obtained From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Total Countries!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Have collected banknotes from 111 countries

Mexico

Mexico 500 Pesos 1984 VG
Front: Francisco Ignacio Madero González (30/10/1873 - 22/02/1913)
Back: Aztec Calendar Sun Stone

Francisco Ignacio Madero González was a politician, writer and revolutionary who served as President of Mexico from 1911 to 1913. As a respectable upper-class politician he supplied a center around which opposition to the dictatorship of Porfirio Díaz could coalesce. However, once Díaz was deposed, the Mexican Revolution quickly spun out of Madero's control. He was deposed and executed by the Porfirista military and his aides that he neglected to replace with revolutionary supporters. His assassination was followed by the most violent period of the revolution (1913-1917) until the Constitution of 1917 and revolutionary president Venustiano Carranza achieved some degree of stability.

Mexica Sun Stone
The Aztec calendar stone, Mexica sun stone, or Stone of the Sun (Spanish: Piedra del Sol), is a large monolithic sculpture that was excavated in the Zócalo, Mexico City's main square, on December 17, 1790.
Measuring about 3.6 metres (12 ft) in diameter, 1.22 metres (4 ft) in thickness and weighing 24 tonnes,[2] the original basalt version is presently on display at the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City's Chapultepec Park. It is often informally considered to be one of the national symbols of Mexico. This basalt sculpture is a representation of the Aztec calendar.
Information and Image Obtained From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Mexico

Mexico 1000 Pesos 1984 VG
Front: Scholar, poet, nun and writer Juana de Asbaje
Back: Plaza de Santo Domingo in Mexico City


Sor Juana was born (November 12, 1651. Some biographers record her birth year as [1648,] – April 17, 1695).
She was known as Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, and also by her full name: Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz de Asbaje (or Asuaje) y Ramírez de Santillana.
Sor Juana was a self-taught Novohispana scholar, nun, poet, and a writer of the Baroque school. Though she lived in a colonial era when Mexico was part of the Spanish empire, she is considered a Mexican writer, and a precursor to later Mexican literature.
Interesting to read: The Imperfect Sex: Why Is Sor Juana Not a Saint?
by Jorge Majfud

Facade of the Church of Santo Domingo.
Santo Domingo in Mexico City refers to the Church of Santo Domingo and its Plaza, also called Santo Domingo. Both are located three blocks north of the Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral following Republica de Brasil Street with Belisario Dominguez Street separating the two. Officially known as the Señor de la Expiración Chapel,[2] the church is located on the north side of Belisario Dominguez and faces the plaza. It is all that is left from the first monastery to be established in New Spain.
Information and Image Obtained From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Laos

Front Design: King Savang Vatthana born on 13-11-1907 for King Sisavang Vong and Queen Kham-Oun I. At the age of 10 he study in France. On 7-8-1930 he married to Queen Khamphoui and had six children....was the 13th King of Laos, reigned 1959-1975. In August 1959, he became Regent of Laos , and assumed the throne on November 1., Temple
Back Design: Canoe competition. This festival Boun Xuang Heua ( Boats racing ) normally held during from October- November.

Laos

Lao People's Democratic Republic Banknotes
Laos 1 Kip 1980 UNC
Front: Scene of the Lao military unit formed up of various ethnic groups in Laos.
Back: Scene of the school children in the classroom

Laos

Laos 5 Kip 1980 UNC
Front: Scene of the government shop.
Back: Scene of the elephants are used extensively in rural industry especially for logging.

Laos

Laos 10 Kip 1980 UNC
Front: Scene of the wood logging factory
Back: Scene of the nurse with mother and child

Laos

Laos 20 Kip 1980 UNC
Front: Scene of Lao troops with a tank and a speed boat patrolling the Mekong river's bank which is the frontier of Laos and Thailand
Back: Scene of the textile mill in Laos

Laos

Laos 50 Kip 1980 UNC
Front: Scene of the farmers traditionally ploughing the rice field and transplanting the rice seedlings in the watered paddies.
Back: View of Nam Ngum Dam, the hydro-electic power-station located about 80 Km north of Vientiane the capital of Laos.

Laos

Laos 100 Kip 1980 UNC
Front: Scene of the traditional rice harvest contrasted with the scene of mechanized harvest using machines to cut the rice plants and to sift the rice.
Back: View of a bridge and a soldier guarding a factory

Laos

Laos 500 Kip 1988 UNC
Front: Variety of scenes of the mechanized agriculture activities in Laos representing a hydro-electric irrigation Dam, organized co-operative farming using ploughing tractors to cultivate the terraced field.
Back: Scenes of the coffee harvest in Boliven Plateau in southern Laos

Laos

Laos 1000 Kip 2003 UNC
Front: Portrait of Lao women in traditional costumes the first woman represent from Lao Soung (Mountaintops), second from LaoLoum (Lowlands) and third from Lao Theung (Hills). and Pha That Luang
Back: Scenes of the animal husbandry contain numerous head of cattle grazing.