This is an ongoing work (one of those never-ending projects) consisting of a compilation of all known names used for coins from the ancient times to the present. Where possible, a description of coins of that name is given, as well as the most likely origin of the name, including translations. In many cases, links are made to pages which will show various examples of that denomination. Obviously, the images not all-inclusive but hopefully will give the user an idea of what some of the coin denominations looked like and how coins of the same name differ from country to country and through time.

Ecu - An Old French coin with a shield as its central device.  Gold coin worth 3 livres from the 14th century until the introduction of the louis d'or in 1640.  A silver, crown-sized coin issued in 1642 at 3 livres but later varied between 5, 6 and 8 livres.  Silver piece worth 5 francs after the franc was first issued in 1795.  Also, a 20-franc silver piece minted from 1929 to 1938.  So called because it bore on its one face 3 fleurs-de-lis, like a heraldic shield.  Also chaise.

{From Middle French ecu, escu shield, from Old French escu shield from Latin scutum shield.}

[Avignon, France, French States, German States, Monaco, Morocco]

Ecu au Porcepic de Bretagne - A gold coin of France struck under Louis XII (1498-1515).  The obverse has crowned arms flanked by two ermines, a porcupine below, and the reverse has an ornate cross.

[France]

Ecu au Porcepic du Dauphine - A gold coin of France struck under Louis XII (1498-1515).  The arms of France and the Dauphine flanked by two porcupines is on the obverse.  The reverse has a cross.

[France]

Ecu au Soleil de Bretagne - A gold coin of France struck under Charles VIII (1483-1498).  The obverse has crowned arms flanked by two ermines with the sun above.  The reverse has an ornate cross.

[France]

Ecu au Soleil de Provence - A gold coin of France struck under Louis XII (1498-1515).  The obverse has crowned arms with a small radiate sun above, the reverse has the cross of Jerusalem.

[France]

Ecu au Soleil du Dauphine - A gold coin of France struck under Charles VIII (1483-1498).  The obverse has the arms of the Dauphine, the reverse features a floriated cross.

[France]

Ecu Briquette - A gold coin of France struck under Charles VII (1422-1461).  It had a crowned shield flanked by two lis or crowns on the obverse and a floriated cross with a briquette in each angle on the reverse.

[France]

Ecu Delphinil - A gold coin of France struck under Louis XI (1461-1483).  The obverse features the quartered arms of the Dauphine, and the reverse has an ornate cross.

[France]

Ecu d'or - [Liege, France, French States]

Ecu d'or ala Croisette - A gold coin of France struck under Francis I (1515-1547).  The obverse has crowned, arms and the reverse has a plain cross.

[France]

Ecu d'or ala Petite Croix - A gold coin of France struck under Francis I (1515-1547).  The reverse has crowned arms with a small cross above.  The reverse has two F's and two lis in the angles of a cross - a small cross above.

[France]

Ecu d'or au Porcepic -  A gold coin of France struck under Louis XII (1498-1515).  The obverse has crowned arms flanked by two porcupines.  The reverse has a cross with porcupines in two of the angles.

[France]

Ecu d'or au Salamanders - A gold coin of France struck under Francis I (1515-1547).  The obverse has crowned arms flanked by two salamanders.  On the reverse, there are two F's and two salamanders in the angles of a cross.

[France]

Ecu d'or au Soleil - A gold coin of France, struck by Louis XI (1461-1483) to Francis I (1515-1547).  It had the crowned arms of France on the obverse with a small radiated sun above.  The reverse had a floriated cross.

[France]

Ecu d'or aux Croissants - A gold coin of France, struck under Henry II (1547-1559).  The obverse has crowned arms flanked by two crescents.  The obverse has two H's and two crescents in the angles of a cross.

[France]

Ecu d'or de Bretagne - A gold coin of France struck under Francis I (1515-1547).  The obverse has crowned arms flanked by two ermines.  The obverse has two F's and two ermines in the angles of a cross.

[France]

Ecu d'or du Dauphine ala Croisette - A gold coin of France struck under Francis I (1515-1547).  The obverse has the cronwed arms of France and the Dauphine.  The reverse has two F's and two lis in the angles of a cross.

[France]

Ecu d'or du Dauphine ala Petite Croix - A gold coin of France struck under Francis I (1515-1547).  The obverse has the arms of France and the Dauphine, and the reverse has a plain cross.

[France]

Ecu Neuf - A gold coin of France struck under Charles VII (1422-1461).  It had a crowned shield flanked by two lis or crowns on the obverse and a floriated cross with a crown in each angle on the reverse.

[France]

Ecu Pistolet - [Swiss Cantons]

Edder-gold Ducat - A gold coin of Hesse struck from Chales (1670-1730) to Frederick (1730-1751).

[German States]

Egenhoso - A gold coin of Portugal struck from 1562 to 1565 under Sebastian (1557-1578).  It had on the obverse the arms of Portugal, and the reverse had a long cross.

[Portugal]

Ekpwele - Variant form of ekuele.

Ekuele - Also ekpwele.  A paper money, brass coin and monetary unit of Equatorial Guinea, equal to 100 centimes.  It replaced the peseta in 1973.

Emalangeni - Plural of lilangeni.

Englegroschen - A German silver coin bearing an angel.  Variant name of schreckenberger

{From German engle angel + groschen groschen.}

[German States]

Englepfennig - Angel pfennig.

Enrique - A gold coin of Spain issued by Henry IV (1454-1474) of Castile and Leon which derives its name from that monarch.  It was valued at twenty-five sueldos in Barcelona and at twenty-eight in Valencia.  It was struck to replace the dobla de la banda of John II.  The obverse shows the king seated on a throne facing forward and the reverse has the arms of Castile and Leon.

[Spain]

Ernst August d'Or - A 19th century Hanoverian gold coin worth 10 thalers.

[German States-Hanover]

Escalin - [Artois, French States, Reckheim]

Escaline - Six-sol piece of Austrian Netherlands 18th century.  Frenchified Dutch schelling of 6 stuivers.

{Obsolete from French escalin from Dutch schelling, German schilling shilling.}

[Austrian Netherlands]

Escu - Variant form of ecu.

Escudo - A gold coin bearing as a device a shield or escutheon.  They were issued by Edward (1433-1438) at 14 carats fine and called escudos de oro.  Later Alfonso V (1438-1481) raised the fineness to 18 carats with a weight of 92 grains.  They were struck in Lisbon.  The half escudo also was issued.  A later Spanish gold piece worth two pieces-of-eight or Spanish dollars.  Also a Spanish silver coin of crown or dollar size.  An old Portuguese gold coin similar to the Spanish one.  Since 1911, it has been the basic monetary unit of Portugal and her territories.

{From Spanish and Portuguese escudo shield from Latin scutum shield.}

[Angola, Argentina,Balearic Islands, Bolivia, Catalonia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Guinea-Bissau, India-Portuguese, Indonesia, Maderia, Mexico, Mozambique, Peru, Portugal, Spain, St. Thomas and Prince, Timor, Valencia]

Espadim - A multiple denomination of Portugal, as at various time it was struck in different metals.  Alfonso V (1438-1481) issued it as a silver or billion coin while John II (1481-1495) struck it in gold with a value of 2 justo.  At another period it was a copper coin valued at 4 reis.  The coin derives its name from the principal device, which was a hand grasping an upright sword.  It also was issued in its half unit.

{From Portuguese espadim sword}

[Portugal]

Esphera - A gold coin of Goa struck under the Portuguese by Manuel I (1495-1521).  It had the letters MEA under a crown on the obverse and a globe on the reverse.

[Portuguese India-Goa]

Esrefî - An old Ottoman gold coin. (serif?)

Estelin - Coin in France worth 1/160 marc.

[France]

Etschkreuzer - The original kreuzer, first struck about 1270 in the South Tyrolian district of Adige (Etsch).  The etschkreuzer, identified by its reverse which showed a long cross rotated 45E and overlaid on a short one, began its existence as a small groschen weighing 1.5 grams, being 21 millimeters in diameter, and worth 20 Veronese denarii.  Because of its excellent silver content it became popular throughout South Germany, but immediately thereafter, it began to depreciate.  While the name kreuzer continued to be used as the name of a coin until 1892, the etschkreuzer itself disappeared at about the end of the 15th century, by which time it had shrunk to 19 millimeters and to 0.8 gram.

{From Etsch Adige, the city where the coin was first minted + kreuzer kreuzer.}

[Holy Roman Empire, German States]

Excelente - A Spanish coin worth 375 maravedís or 11 reales.

[Spain]

Eyrir - An aluminum-bronze coin of Iceland valued at 1/100 krona.

{From Old Icelandic from Old Norse ounce, usually of silver, 1/8 of a mark, unit of money.  c. Swedish öre from Latin aureus golden.}

[Iceland]