CoinClinic Answers Questions on Odd and Curious Money, Gold Eagles and Bimetal Coins

In its CoinClinic reader-question column published on January 17, 2026, Numismatic News answered questions on how to define "odd and curious money," on U.S. gold bullion coins, on coins without dates or denominations, and on the origin of the ringed bimetal coin. This article summarizes those answers.

Where the Gold for Bullion Coins Comes From

Asked whether the U.S. Mint uses gold from Fort Knox for bullion coins, the column pointed to the Gold Bullion Coin Act of 1985. The law requires the Secretary of the Treasury to purchase the gold used for Gold American Eagle coins. The gold must be mined from natural deposits in the United States or in a U.S. territory or possession, and it must have been purchased within one year after the month in which it was mined.

The Eagle Name and Denominations

The Gold American Eagle coinage was authorized by the same 1985 act. The term "eagle" was used for the circulation strike gold coin denominations issued through 1933, including the $10 Eagle. For that reason, the column said, the current Eagle coinage includes its metal composition and weight to avoid confusion with the earlier $10 Eagle gold coin.

Odd and Curious Money and Primitive Money

According to the column, odd and curious money and primitive money are the same thing, within reason. Almost anything used as barter falls into the odd and curious category, while primitive money is money used by societies that have yet to adopt coined money.

Examples of odd and curious money given include tobacco or cigarettes, tokens and Swedish plate money. Examples of primitive money include the Katanga cross, tiger tongues (cast metal bars, not the animal's tongue), bracelets, shells and animal pelts.

Counterfeits

Because many of these items are simple, the column said, many are not difficult to counterfeit. Manilas, the bronze or copper bracelets traded as money in Africa, were also produced in England for use in the slave trade. Germans made porcelain wild dog teeth as a substitute for the real teeth traded by the Mafula. Wampum was made both by American natives and by the settlers who traded with them.

Coins Without Dates or Denominations

Modern coins carry dates and denominations, but this was not always so. Christian-dated coins first appeared in the 13th century but did not proliferate until the 17th century. At one time a coin's face value was recognized, so a denomination was not necessary.

The column said any numismatic object without a denomination is treated as a medallion rather than a coin. In the column's view, the American Arts gold medallion series was never popular because it was called medallions and had no denomination, while each coin in the American Eagle bullion program has a nominal denomination and the series has been a success from its start.

The First Ringed Bimetal Coin

Bimetal coins and medals, with an inner plug of a different metal from the outer ring, have been made on occasion since the time of Roman Emperor Hadrian, who ruled between 117 and 138. There are late 17th-century English farthings with a copper plug and tin rim. The column credited the Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato (Italian State Mint) with introducing the ringed bimetal coin as it is known today in 1982.

Source: Numismatic News, "CoinClinic: Defining Odd and Curious Money" (January 17, 2026).