AnimalCoin.com - Hand Painted Coins
  • Home
  • SHOP
  • BLOG
  • About
  • Signup
SHOP NOW

Happy Holidays & Adorable Kittens

12/24/2022

3 Comments

 
Since I am a hopeless animal lover, it doesn't surprise anyone that I have fostered bottle-fed baby kittens for almost 10 years. In case you missed it, I would like to share my slideshow of many of the foster kittens I have been a mom to.  They have come to me from my local Humane Society as young as 1 day old, and they grow up to 8 weeks old with me when they are old enough to be adopted .  It is the best volunteer job ever, and it is wonderful to see them grow up healthy and ready to go to their own families.
Hope this brings you a smile and a little happiness for the Holidays.
​Hugs, Ann
3 Comments

New: King Penguin from Falkland Islands

12/17/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
New in my online shop - King Penguin from Falkland Islands

I painted just one of these coins a few years back, and have been purchasing a few bare coins here and there to offer them again. It has taken a while, but I have accumulated 3 of them to paint and just listed them in my online shop.

Before I started painting coins, I collected them for over 15 years, and belonged to our local coin club.  In fact, when I figured out how to paint them, most of my coin collection became the coins I painted. For me, the best part of collecting coins was the the fun of purchasing them.  Searching for something I didn't already own, and finding a reasonable price.  So obviously now I search for coins to paint, and I continue to really enjoy the "hunt."

This coin features a King Penguin, a large "flightless bird" that that scientists still don't know why they lost their ability to fly. They are the 2nd largest penguin with an adult height of about 36 inches, and have a life span of 26 years in the wild. They live in several antarctic areas, including the Falkland Islands where this coin is from.

Fun fact:  King Penguins walk slowly and do not hop.
0 Comments

Why Cats Are Greatly Loved in Turkey

12/9/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
My Favorite category is "Cats"

I am drawn to Cat designs when I paint coins. Of course I love all the animals and nature themes, but I have fostered bottle-fed baby kittens for almost a decade. I guess that makes me a little obsessed!

This 2015 coin is part of a Fauna series of coins from Turkey. Each year they come out with 2 new coin designs, each one featuring a different animal. The love of cats in Turkey dates back to the people who settled the city of Istanbul, the Ottomans. The mighty Ottomans worshipped cats based on their cleanliness and their ability to hunt. As a result of their long history with cats, felines have become an essential part of Turkish culture and the city of Istanbul.

Another interesting feature is that the coin is "bi-metal" with the center made of brass WITH a goldtone color, while the outside ring is a silver color. The color change isn't too evident on the painted side of the coin, but the other side it is very obvious and attractive. ​
0 Comments

My Most Popular Item - Turtle coin from Colombia

12/2/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
At the current time, this coin is the most popular that I paint.  That can always change, but this coin deserves the attention!

The coin features a loggerhead turtle which is highly migratory. They return annually to their place of birth on the Colombian beaches for nesting and laying their eggs.  Unfortunately, these turtles are also critically  endangered.  This coin is both a beautiful design and is intended to help with awareness of the issues.
 
It is interesting that the wavy lines which represent the ocean waves on the coin, are there as a security device to prevent counterfeiting.  There is also very small text between the waves saying "aqua" which means "water.."  On the other side of the coin, you will find very small text that says "cuidar el agua" which translates to "take care of the water."  Pretty cool design and nice environmental message for all of us.
0 Comments

Coin Jewelry. Something Special from Belarus

11/11/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
​A beautiful coin from Belarus

I started the journey into coin jewelry by first discovering the fun of collecting coins from around the world. Often I would find something special, it was a fun treasure hunt.

This coin from Belarus celebrates a tradition of Europe, Candlemas. Some celebrate with a festival of lights (candles) 
It is celebrated on February 2nd, at the darkest time of winter. 
For others it is either a Christian or Jewish tradition. 

Regardless, this coin is a beautiful design and rather rare. Belarus only issued 3,000 of these coins in total, and I have made 3 of them into coin Jewelry. 
0 Comments

Coin Jewelry: Cook Islands - Hawksbill Sea Turtle

11/4/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
7 Interesting Facts about the Hawksbill Sea Turtle:
  • Considered most beautiful turtle by many. Color of shell ranges from amber, orange, red, yellow, black and brown. Colors are darker in cooler water.
  • They can hold their breath up to 3 hours.  They usually come up every 15-30 minutes, but can go longer if needed in rough seas.
  • Existed for over 100 million years, with little change
  • They help keep ocean reefs healthy by feeding primarily on sponges.
  • They are one of the smaller sea turtles, only 24 to 45 inches long and weighing 100-150 pounds. Live 90 to 100 years.
  • They are named after their pointed beak that looks similar to a bird of prey.
  • They live in the coastal waters of more than 108 countries, but are critically endangered worldwide.
If you were wondering where the Cook Islands are, it is in the South Pacific, half way between Hawaii and New Zealand.
0 Comments

October 28th, 2022

10/28/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
I always say there is a story to go with every coin.  This one I love.  When I worked at my local Humane Society, I went to a conference for Animal Shelters.  One of the speakers indicated that if we could teach every cat to reach out and touch people, they would all get adopted.  Problem solved!

It turns out that many people melt when a cat reaches out to them, and adopt the cat that "chose them."  When I share the story, I often got confirmation from people that this had happened to them too.  The pose on this coin always makes me remember all this and brings a smile to my day.

If you aren't aware, Stroma is a small unoccupied island off the northern coast of Scotland. No humans have lived there for over 50 years. I have read that this series of cat coins are actually "fantasy" coins sold to help raise money for the feral cat population that still lives there.
0 Comments

Coin Jewelry. Tonga coin, Humpback Whale.

10/17/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
7 Fun Facts About Humpback Whales
  • Humpback whales grow up to 60 feet (18.3 m) long and 80,000 pounds (36.3 metric tons).
  • Humpback whales can live for 80 to 90 years.
  • Humpback whales have some of the longest migrations of any mammal with some populations swimming 5,000 miles (8,047 km) between breeding and feeding grounds. Populations that migrate between Alaska and Hawaii can complete the 3,000-mile (4,828 km) trip in just 36 days.
  • Humpback whales eat up to 3,000 pounds (1.4 metric tons) of food a day, including krill and small fish.
  • Male humpback whales create and sing songs that can be heard up to 20 miles away.
  • Humpback whales are active and can be seen breaching out of the water, slapping the surfacing with their fins and tails and twirling underwater.
  • Humpback whale tails can be as wide as 18 feet (5.5 m).(Thank you to Oceana.org for the fun facts)

0 Comments

Coin Jewelry - Coin from Tuvalu and features an Octopus

9/13/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
This is such a fun design for a coin, and I am so glad I was able to find some of these to paint!  Tuvalu isn't exactly a big source of coins, with less than 12,000 total population and out somewhere in the South Pacific between Hawaii and Australia.  
Just for the fun of it, here are 10 facts per the Smithsonian:
  1. The Octopus has been an inspiration for monsters throughout history, but they are whip smart and many experts suggest we get to know these fascinating creatures more.
  2. The Octopus is waaay old. The oldest known fossil found of one is from 296 million years ago.
  3. The Octopus has 3 hearts. Two hearts work to move blood beyond the gills.  The third heart keeps circulation going for the organs.
  4. The plural of octopus is octopuses.  The word comes from the Greek "oktopus" meaning "8 foot."
  5. Aristotle thought octopuses were dumb. But the big brained octopus can navigate through mazes, solve problems and remember solutions, as well as take things apart for fun.
  6. Octopus arms have a mind of their own. Two-thirds of an octopus' neurons reside in its arms, not its head. As a result, the arms can problem solve on their own.
  7. Octopus ink doesn't just hide the animal.  The ink also physically harms enemies by blinding their eyes, garbles their sense of smell and taste.
  8. Octopuses have blue blood.
  9. After mating, its game over for octopuses. Mating and parenthood are brief affairs for octopuses, who die shortly after. 
  10. Female Octopuses can lay up to 400,000 eggs, which they obsessively guard and tend to. After the eggs hatch, the female octopus' body fails and she dies.
0 Comments

Cyprus - Int'l Year of the Forest

5/30/2022

0 Comments

 
I love this coin from Cyprus, such a beautiful design and such a delight for me to paint it.  Please watch the video and enjoy!
You can find it to purchase in my Etsy Shop:  Click Here
0 Comments

Colombia coin - Sea Turtle Pendant

5/20/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
Picture
Picture
 
0 Comments

My Foster Kittens

3/1/2022

0 Comments

 
For close to a decade, I have been fostering underage kittens for my local Humane Society.  They can be as young as a day or two old, and then I foster them until they are old enough to be adopted at about 8 weeks old.
This is a slide show of many of my fosters, and I hope you enjoy seeing all these cuties!
​   -Ann
0 Comments

Did you know that elephants are excellent swimmers?

10/27/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
0 Comments

    AnimalCoin

    Coin Jewelry. Hand Painted Coins by Ann Nolen. Jewelry and functional art for people who love animals & nature.

    SHOP

    Archives

    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    May 2022
    March 2022
    October 2021

Shop AnimalCoin
AnimalCoin.com established 2009
Santa Rosa, California
Picture
  • Home
  • SHOP
  • BLOG
  • About
  • Signup