I was just doing my homework reading up about the English Civil Wars and reading about how after Charles 1 was executed the Rump Parliament made up a new seal with Parliament on it, not the monarch. It made me wonder what happened to everything else with Charles 1s face on it, and then it made me think about how logistically difficult it would have been to destroy all such royal memorabilia, and then I realised that this problem has probably been faced multiple times throughout history and I should just ask you guys. :D Clarification: I don't just want to know about what happened in Charles 1s case, any examples of relics of a ruler having to be destroyed after they has been despatched would be cool.
In terms of coinage, the coins would still circulate if the weights are still maintained. During the Commonwealth, all silver and gold coins were issued under the same weights. However, in situations such as the issuance of gun money during the Williamite War, silver and gold were hoarded, although they were not scrapped.
Even after independence, some countries continue to use previous coinage but with different images. Egyptian qirsh coinage after independence were the same weight and size as Ottoman kurush, so previous coinage was not demonetized.
Many 5 and 10 centimes coins after the Franco-Prussian war were defaced, mocking the head of Napoleon III. The Ceres series issued after the war also maintained the same dimensions.
Hopefully this answers your question.
In Roman times, if a figure was publicly disposed of, Damnatio Memoriae or "condemnation of memory" was declared by the Senate. Their statues were removed and the inscriptions on these statues or other things bearing their name were scratched out. I believe they would also repress coins to cover their name/face. One of the more notable Romans to have Damnatio Memoriae declared was Nero.
Furthermore, if the coins were taken back to be resealed, what effect did it have on the general population and the economy as a whole?
Also, OP, are you taking AP Modern European History?
After the Iranian Revolution, paper Iranian real bills were overprinted on with ornate designs to cover over the Shah and still use the money until new bills with Khomeini were designed and printed.
In Peasants into Frenchmen by Eugen Weber, Weber makes notr that as late at the late 1600's, some Roman, and other silver coinage was still in circulation, because as others have noted the weight remained the same. This was of course prior to the Nationalization of France and when many people in France didn't speak French. Who minted the coin mattered very little to these people, because they didn't see themselves as French, they usually identified with common locality or as a Christian.
Edit: Spelling