Bringing "coins" when visiting foreign lands.

From the Midwest...

Jefferson City is the capital of Missouri – a rare state that borders eight other states, making it convenient for tourists to drive to neighboring states. The state's 25-cent coin commemorates the 200th anniversary of the discovery of Orleans (later renamed Missouri to avoid confusion), and the Gateway Arch, a 630-foot-tall conical stainless steel arch, is located in St. Louis.

When visiting the Iowa State Capitol building in Des Moines, the image of a girl embracing her full breasts beneath the images of "generals" at the American Revolution Memorial, and the image honoring Governor William Boyd Allison placed beneath a statue of a goddess casually covering her breasts, with equally casually dressed fairies surrounding her.

Upon closer examination, it becomes clear that the locals call Iowa "the beautiful land," comparing the river that unites Iowa to the milk from Mother Earth nourishing this fertile land.

The inscription “Effigy Mounds” on the state’s 25-cent coin I photographed, issued in 2017, commemorates the Effigy Mounds National Monument, located primarily in Allamakee County, Iowa – a site preserving over 200 prehistoric mounds built by Native Americans. Many of the mounds are shaped like animals, including bears and birds. They were constructed mostly in the first millennium by peoples of the Woodland culture.

Standing next to the Nebraska State Capitol building in Lincoln, the capital city, my guide explained in more detail about "Chimney Rock," which is depicted on the state's 25-cent coin.

A national historic site, Chimney Rock is a naturally formed massif of geological rock in Morrill County, western Nebraska. A slender, conical peak rising 325 feet high is composed of layers of volcanic ash and clay dating from 34 million to 23 million years ago.

In the early 19th century, visitors referred to it by various names including Chimley Rock, Chimney Tower, and Elk Peak, but Chimney Rock became the most commonly used name in the 1840s.

For pioneering travelers leading the "Great Migration" along the Oregon, California, and Mormon Trail, Chimney Rock was one of the most famous and recognizable landmarks to know they were...on the right path.

Today, it remains a visible landmark for modern travelers along Highway 26 and Nebraska Highway 92.

Go to the remaining surrounding area

On your way to Denver, the capital of Colorado, you'll get to enjoy views of the Rocky Mountains (sometimes also known as the Rocky Mountains), a vast mountain range in the American Northwest. The range stretches over 4,800 km from the northernmost point of British Columbia (Canada) to New Mexico (USA). The highest peak is Mount Elbert in Colorado, reaching 4,401 meters above sea level.

This is a popular destination for ski enthusiasts from all over the country and the world, who come to enjoy themselves with the snow-covered mountains all year round.

Visitors will also have the exciting experience of driving slowly for nearly 11 miles through the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge (Commerce City) to see thousands of moles, deer, rabbits, and other animals scurrying along the roadside. And be careful of the herds of bison that are strolling leisurely, seemingly oblivious to traffic!

In Wyoming, people jokingly say that the state has more cattle than people. Driving along the interstate highway, you'll see endless green plains on either side. Farms, agricultural processing plants, warehouses, fuel depots, and towering wind turbines dot the landscape.

Perhaps that's why the state's symbol is also a pair of cowboy boots with a fedora hat and a rope. In Cheyenne, the capital and largest city in Wyoming, located in the southeastern corner of the state, there is a bullfighting festival called the "Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo," held annually for nearly a century, attracting tens of thousands of visitors.

In the Cheyenne depot in the city center, you'll find oversized boots, as big as a person, in a variety of colors and often gilded with gold leaf.

I visited Arkansas again, affectionately known as the "Natural State," because it has many forests and the state's treasury allocates a significant amount of funds to nature conservation.

Furthermore, Arkansas is one of the few states in North America that is rich in diamonds and the only place where tourists can "hunt" for them. So, don't be too surprised when you occasionally hear news reports about tourists finding 5-7 carat diamonds in Arkansas National Parks.

The importance of diamonds in Arkansas's history has been recognized on the state flag and on valuable commemorative items. Therefore, it's no surprise that the image of a diamond appears on the state's 25-cent coin.

In the art museum in Salt Lake City, Utah, there is a huge photograph of the world-famous Delicate Arch. This natural rock arch is also depicted on the state's 25-cent coin.

Arches National Park, or the National Park of the Arches, is located near the city of Moab and preserves over 2,000 natural sandstone arches along with a variety of unique geological formations and resources. You'll probably need a really good camera and plenty of memory card space to capture all the beauty of this rock garden!

Each coin now holds a treasure trove of state history for me, a history I was previously unaware of. The more I learn, the more I appreciate the significance of each coin.

In the coming days, I plan to bring Vietnamese Dong banknotes to the landmarks depicted on the national currency, such as the Temple of Literature, Nha Rong Wharf, Nghinh Luong Pavilion, Uncle Ho's birthplace in Lang Sen village, and the Japanese Bridge in Hoi An, to take commemorative photos. Learning history through banknotes is also an interesting experience.

And who knows, maybe "Tour banknotes" will become the new trend among backpackers in the future?

Vinh Phan