Museum of money of Feodosia
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         >> MONEY OF THE ESPERANTIST WORLD-GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATION
MONEY OF THE ESPERANTIST WORLD-GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATION.
Esperanto is the most widely spoken constructed international auxiliary language. It was developed in the late 1870s and early 1880s by ophthalmologist Dr. Ludovic Lazarus Zamenhof, a Polish Ashkenazi Jew from the West of the Russian Empire (now Poland).
After some ten years of development, which Zamenhof spent translating literature into the language as well as writing original prose and verse, the first Esperanto grammar was published in Warsaw in July 1887. The number of speakers grew rapidly over the next few decades, at first primarily in the Russian empire and Eastern Europe, then in Western Europe and the Americas, China, and Japan. In the early years speakers of Esperanto kept in contact primarily through correspondence and periodicals, but in 1905 the first world congress of Esperanto speakers was held in Boulogne-sur-Mer, France. Since then world congresses have been held in different countries every year, save for during the two World Wars, and have been attended by up to 6000 people (typically 2000 – 3000).
Although no country has adopted the language officially, it has enjoyed continuous usage by a community estimated at between 100 000 and 2 million speakers. By some estimates, there are about a thousand native speakers.
Today, Esperanto is employed in world travel, correspondence, cultural exchange, conventions, literature, language instruction, television (Internacia Televido) and radio broadcasting. Some state education systems offer elective courses in Esperanto[citation needed], and there is evidence that learning Esperanto is a useful preparation for later language learning.
Esperanto has no official status in any country, but is an elective part of the curriculum in several state educational systems. The Universala Ligo (Universal League) was an Esperantist world-government organization based in the Netherlands that promoted Esperanto as the universal language, and the Stelo (Star) as a universal currency unit. The motto Unu Mondo, Unu Lingvo, Unu Mono that appears on the 1959 1stelo coin means One World, One Language, One Currency. The Stelo had its origins in the aftermath of World War 2 when 1 Stelo coupons were issued in the Netherlands. These coins remained in use for quite a long time, certainly for more than 30 years, until the Ligo declined in popularity and importance.

en.wikipedia.org

Museum of Money of Feodosia express gratitude to numismatist Igor Drul’ (Ukraine, city of Lutsk) for giving these coins.
You can see on illustration the rare book from the FMD fund library by V. Svistunov "Elements of Esperanto". Textbook for groups and self-training with works, colloquial skills and pictures. 2nd Edition. Printed and bound in the Moscow, USSR, 1928. Drawing: 15 000.

Click to enlarge!	Denomination: 1 Stelo Year: 1959 Material: Bronze Description: Obverse: UNIVERSALA LIGO. The denomination in the center of the 5-beams star. On the left of star there is an image of little fish, on the right – rod of Mercury. Reverse: Around the coin circumference there is the inscription: UNU MONDO – UNU LINGVO – UNU MONO (ONE WORLD, ONE LANGUAGE, ONE CURRENCY). Diameter – 19.9 mm. Weight – 31.1 g. Edge: plain. Mintage: 10 000. The coin issued by The Universal League based in Rotterdam. Country or town: The Netherlands
Click to enlarge!	Denomination: 5 Stelo Year: 1959 Material: Brass Description: Obverse: UNIVERSALA LIGO. The denomination in the center of the 5-beams star. On the left of star there is an image of little fish, on the right – rod of Mercury. Reverse: Image of the terrestrial globe. The inscription: LA MONDO ESTAS UNU LANDO – LA HOMARO UNU POPOLO (THE WORLD IS ONE COUNTRY, THE MANKIND IS ONE PEOPLE). Diameter – 23 mm. Weight – 4.97 g. Edge: incised. Mintage: 10 000. The coin issued by The Universal League based in Rotterdam. Country or town: The Netherlands
Click to enlarge!	Denomination: 10 Stelo Year: 1959 Material: Copper-Nickel Description: Obverse: UNIVERSALA LIGO. The denomination in the center of the 5-beams star. On the left of star there is an image of little fish, on the right – rod of Mercury. Reverse: The portrait of L. L. Zamenhof. The inscription: D-ro L.L.ZAMENHOF KREINTO DE ESPERANTO. 1859 – 1917. Diameter – 27.8 mm. Weight – 8.79 g. Edge: plain. Mintage: 1 000. The coin issued by The Universal League based in Rotterdam. Country or town: The Netherlands

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