Man With the Widest Mouth in the World

Meet Francisco Domingo Joaquim from Angola. He was given the title of the 'World's Widest Mouth' by Guinness World Records. No wonder, his mouth is 17cm (6.69 in) wide and can fit in a Coca-Cola can sideways. It’s just crazy.

Sultan Kosen - The World's Tallest Man at 8'1"

Turkish Sultan Kosen has been officially recognized as the world's tallest man by Guinness World Records, after measuring in at 8ft 1in (2.47 meter).

Kosen, 26, also holds the record for the largest hands (10.8in) and biggest feet (14.3in).

As a child, the world's tallest man was diagnosed with a pituitary tumor that caused his body to grow uncontrollably, leaving him with difficulty walking, not to mention fitting in.

Although the previous record holder, Ukrainian Leonid Stadnyk, reportedly measured 8 feet 5.5 inches (2.57 meters), Guinness said he was stripped of his title when he declined to let anyone confirm his height.

World's first $150 paper money- Hong Kong new banknotes

Standard Chartered yesterday announce worlds first ever HK$150 banknotes, printed by Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) to celebrate its 150-year presence in the city, are likely to spark a frenzy from collectors and speculators. The commemorative banknotes will be legal tender in Hong Kong but no one in his right mind would try to buy anything with them. One coin dealer predicts that anyone who gets his hands on a set of 35 uncut Hong Kong $150 dollar notes will be able to rake in HK$100,000 for them - and their value will continue to soar. Standard Chartered began operations in Hong Kong in 1859, six years after it was founded, and is the oldest of the three note-issuing banks in the city. The other two are HSBC Holdings Plc and the Bank of China Ltd.

The front of the banknote, designed by Austrian graphic designer Henry Steiner, who has designed banknotes for Standard Chartered since 1975, features a satellite image of Victoria Harbour with the lender's corporate blue and green as the main color tones. The back features eight Hong Kong people from different generations looking at the city's evolution. The banknotes will be offered in three different packages. These are single HK$150 notes at HK$280, "four- in-one uncut" notes at HK$1,888 per set, and "35-in-one uncut" notes at HK$18,888 per set.

"By design, we want the banknote to be unique and the only one of its kind. We want it to represent the spirit of the city," the bank's Hong Kong chief executive Benjamin Hung Pi-cheng said yesterday."By design, we want the banknote to be unique and the only one of its kind. We want it to represent the spirit of the city," the bank's Hong Kong chief executive Benjamin Hung Pi-cheng said yesterday.

Coin expert Chan Wing-fai, from Gold Field Coins and Stamps Company in Lam Tin, believes the uncut notes will be sold out at lightning pace. He predicts the four-in-ones may end up selling for up to HK$10,000 and the 35-in-ones at up to HK$100,000. His company has already received orders for the notes, and 90 percent of clients so far are from the mainland, with some from Canada and the United States. He has been able to sell the four-in- ones at around HK$4,000 and the 35-in- ones at HK$40,000. Chan believes the singles can sell for up to HK$350.

Standard Chartered has also selected 100 notes with special lucky serial numbers for public bidding and another 10,000 pieces for which the public can pick a serial number of their choice. Some notes bearing what are considered lucky serial numbers, such as 888888, are to be auctioned in October with a minimum bid of 3,000 Hong Kong dollars per note. Money from the sale of the notes is to go to local charities in what Standard Chartered has described as a "creative tribute" to the people of Hong Kong.

World's First Antarctic Coin

Do you know what is the World's First Antarctic Coin? The British Antarctic Territory made history in 2008 when it became the first territory in the Antarctic to issue a coin under its own authority. Appropriately, the world’s first Antarctic coin celebrates the Centenary of Britain registering its first claim to the Antarctic by declaring sovereignty over what is now the British Antarctic Territory. This coin minted by Pobjoy Mint, Struck in Uncirculated Cupro Nickel, Proof Sterling Silver and Proof Fine 999.9 Gold. This is a legal tender coin of the British Antarctic Territory.

The coin depicts the official Coat of Arms of the Territory which includes a Lion representing the United Kingdom, an Emperor Penguin representing the Antarctic, and the RRS Discovery Ship used by Robert Falcon Scott and Ernest Shackleton. Interestingly the Lion stands on the grass whilst the Penguin stands on ice.

The British Antarctic Territory is a sector of Antarctica claimed by the United Kingdom. It is situated in Antarctica from the South Pole to 60°S latitude between longitudes 20°W and 80°W. The Territory was formed on 3rd March 1962, although the UK first claimed this portion of the Antarctic in 1908. The area now covered by the Territory includes three regions which, before 1962, were separate dependencies of the Falkland Islands: Graham Land, the South Orkney Islands, and the South Shetland Islands. The Territory overlaps with Antarctic claims by Argentina (Argentine Antarctica) and Chile (Antártica Chilena Province). The Territory is inhabited by the staff of research and support stations operated and maintained by the British Antarctic Survey and other organisations and stations of Argentina, Chile and other countries.

Several other nations began to stake claims to Antarctica, and in the 1950s, a treaty was negotiated to demilitarise the region, and retain Antarctica for peaceful research purposes. The treaty was passed in 1961. In response the UK hived off all its territory below the 60°S latitude into the British Antarctic Territory, established by Order-in-Council. France, Norway, New Zealand and Australia, who themselves have territorial claims on the continent, recognise the British Antarctic Territory, and vice versa. But neither Argentina nor Chile recognise British claims based on previous settlements in the area such as the Argentine Orcadas Base, founded in 1903.

World's First Quad Metal Coin

Do you know who produced World's First Quad Metal Coin? Pobjoy Mint in 2007 make a minting history with this stunning quad metal coin from British Virgin Islands. This quad metal coin are using four precious metals Proof Fine Silver, Palladium, Fine Gold and Platinum. This coin is still the only Quad metal coin with Palladium. Palladium is a rare and lustrous silvery-white metal that was discovered in 1803 by William Hyde Wollaston, who named it after the asteroid Pallas, which in turn, was named after the epithet of the Greek goddess Athena, acquired by her when she slew Pallas.

Palladium itself has been used as a precious metal in jewelry since 1939, as an alternative to platinum or white gold. This is due to its naturally white properties, giving it no need for rhodium plating. It is slightly whiter, much lighter and about 12% harder than platinum. Similar to gold, palladium can be beaten into a thin leaf form as thin as 100 nm (1/250,000 in). Like platinum, it will develop a hazy patina over time. Unlike platinum, however, palladium may discolor at high soldering temperatures, become brittle with repeated heating and cooling, and react with strong acids. Palladium is one of the three most popular metals used to make white gold alloys. (Nickel and silver can also be used.) Palladium-gold is a more expensive alloy than nickel-gold, but seldom causes allergic reactions (though certain cross-allergies with nickel may occur).

A must, not only for those collectors who are fans of groundbreaking and innovative minting, but also for those who love coins with an intriguing story. The value of the coin is a Royal, which is the English spelling of the Spanish Ryal. This historic Spanish coin used to be cut into four to break it down into smaller change. It’s from these Ryal quarters that the famous US Quarter got its name. It’s in honour of the Ryal and the Quarter that Pobjoy Mint has chosen to ‘quarter’ this new coin using four precious metals Proof Fine Silver, Palladium, Fine Gold and Platinum. This is not all though, the maritime theme is a tribute to sailors of days gone by who used to believe the earth was made up of four elements: fire, earth, water and air. This World's First Quad Metal Coin by Pobjoy mint also an expensive coin sold at £591.49 in their website.

The Spanish Empire claimed the islands by discovery in the early sixteenth century, but never settled them, and subsequent years saw the English, Dutch, French, Spanish and Danish all jostling for control of the region, which became a notorious haunt for pirates. There is no record of any native Amerindian population in the British Virgin Islands during this period, although the native population on nearby St. Croix was decimated. The Dutch established a permanent settlement on the island of Tortola by 1648. In 1672, the English captured Tortola from the Dutch, and the British annexation of Anegada and Virgin Gorda followed in 1680. Meanwhile, over the period 1672–1733, the Danish gained control of the nearby islands of St. Thomas, St. John and St. Croix.


In 1917, the United States purchased St. John, St. Thomas and St. Croix from Denmark for US$25 million, renaming them the United States Virgin Islands. The British Virgin Islands were administered variously as part of the British Leeward Islands or with St. Kitts and Nevis, with an Administrator representing the British Government on the Islands. Separate colony status was gained for the Islands in 1960 and the Islands became autonomous in 1967. Since the 1960s, the islands have diversified away from their traditionally agriculture-based economy towards tourism and financial services, becoming one of the wealthiest areas in the Caribbean.

Worlds first pyramid shape coin-Isle of Man 2009

Do you know which coin is the Worlds first pyramid shape coin? Mosts of us have seen a round coin. The Australian 50 cent coin, for example, has twelve flat sides. A twist on it is wavy edges, found in the two dollar and the twenty cent coins of Hong Kong and the 10 cent coins of Bahamas. Some other coins, like the British Fifty pence coin, have an odd number of sides, with the edges rounded off. This way the coin has a constant diameter, recognisable by vending machines whichever direction it is inserted. What about a triangle shape coin, complete with a sand from the famous Tutankhamun Tomb?

This worlds first pyramid shape coin containing sand mintage by Pobjoy Mint Ltd. A minting company based in Kingswood park, Southern England. The Company has been deeply involved in the development and manufacture of coins, medals and tokens for the past 100 years. The Pobjoy family have been associated with fine metalwork since the Middle Ages. The Company was recently granted permission to use the family Coat of Arms in which the Medieval Popinjay is the central motif. The Popinjay was a painted wooden parrot used in archery contests in the 14th century and the name Pobjoy is derived from this. The Latin motto 'OCULO CERTO' means 'with an unerring eye' and applies equally to the ancestor's prowess as a marksman, as to the Company's reputation for the high quality and precision of its products.

In 2008, to commemorate the the return of Tutankhamun exhibition in London, for the first time since 1972, the Isle of Man issued a stunning series of new commemorative coins – including the world’s first Pyramid coins that are triangular in imitation of the ancient pyramids. Each coin depicts a priceless artifact from the tomb, including Tutankhamun’s legendary Death Mask and Throne. Due to the difficulty of striking coins in such unusual shapes, they are being issued in strictly limited numbers.

This year in 2nd march 2009, Pobjoy mint once again release another triangle shape coin. Isle of Man 2009 Tutankhamun Sand Triangle Coin released at this date to commemorate 70th Anniversary of the Death of Howard Carter. Howard Carter is the man who discovered the Tutankhamun's intact tomb in 1922, for which Tutankhamun's burial mask remains the popular face. The coin is in a stunning pyramid shape. It shows a design from the wall of Tutankhamun’s tomb, with Tutankhamun himself in the centre. The sun disc at the top contains ancient sand that was collected from the entrance of Tutankhamun’s tomb. Due to the coin’s unusual shape and the small amount of sand that was collected, the edition limits are exceptionally small. Each coin is presented in a specially commissioned, beautifully crafted Pyramid presentation case.

Tutankhamun (alternately spelled with Tutenkh-, -amen, -amon), was an Egyptian Pharaoh of the Eighteenth dynasty (ruled 1333 BC – 1324 BC in the conventional chronology), during the period of Egyptian history known as the New Kingdom. His original name, Tutankhaten, means "Living Image of Aten", while Tutankhamun means "Living Image of Amun". Often the name Tutankhamun was written Amen-tut-ankh, meaning "living image of Amun", due to scribal custom which most often placed the divine name at the beginning of the phrase in order to honor the divine being. He is possibly also the Nibhurrereya of the Amarna letters. He was likely the eighteenth dynasty king 'Rathotis', who according to Manetho, an ancient historian, had reigned for nine years — a figure which conforms with Flavius Josephus' version of Manetho's Epitome.

World's First Space Blogger

Now the craze of blogging has gone beyond the orbit of our planet, with the world’s very first space blogger, astronaut Maksim Suraev who is currently posting his day to day activities from space.

One of the interesting topics that, has made its way through space blogging is the cuisine being served to the cosmonauts. In a recent shipment of canned food from earth, which is the staple diet of the astronauts, the guys in space received two cans one stating, “Chicken with eggs” and the other depicted, “Omelet with chicken”. This created a sort of a confusion among the astronauts and further shed lights on the language barrier between the U.S and Russian space agencies, even after a long standing cooperation between the two.

The astronauts spend about two to three hours daily on exercises so as to stay in shape and maintain complete mobility in their limbs as floating in the zero gravity environment for a few minutes can relax the muscles considerably. Apart from the daily exercises, the astronauts also involve themselves in recreational activities such as writing diaries, poems and harvesting vital small crops such as lettuce and wheat.