Donkey Kong (Series)

The Donkey Kong franchise has featured coin collectibles in several games.These coins are usually given as a reward for exploration and for completing bonus games.

Kong Tokens
Kong Tokens are the first coins to appear as special collectibles in the Donkey Kong series. Donkey Kong Land would mark their first and only appearance in the franchise. The coins themselves are quite large, with their sprites being nearly the same size as the Kongs themselves. They spin rapidly, showing the faces of both Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong on each side. Much like other coins that would appear later on in the series, Kong Tokens are scattered throughout every level, and can either be found out in the open or in hidden areas. Unlike future coins however, they are used for bonus challenges, rather than being given as an award. In them, a "Button Barrel" moves quickly from side to side, and Donkey Kong or Diddy Kong can jump on the corresponding button to release the Kong Tokens individually. They are awarded an extra life for each Kong Token that they collect in these minigames.The Kongs must repeatedly jump on the button until all of their Kong Tokens are released.

The number of Kong Tokens collected in the game are not saved like in future games. This means that if the player were to quit out of the game, the number of coins are reset back to zero.

Banana Coins
Banana Coins, also known as Banana Bunch Coins (or Banana Bunch Koins) are the first and most commonly available form of currency to be featured in the Donkey Kong franchise. First appearing in Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest, Banana Coins and their variants have been featured as valuable collectibles in many Donkey Kong games since.

Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest / Donkey Kong Land 2
Much like Kong Tokens in Donkey Kong Land, Banana Coins (referred to as Banana Bunch Coins) are scattered throughout every level of Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest and Donkey Kong Land 2. Diddy and Dixie Kong use the coins as currency to pay for services provided for by members of the Kong Family. Use of Funky Kong's Biplane Barrel at Funky's Flights II, obtaining advice from Cranky Kong at Monkey Museum, saving the game and receiving advice from Wrinkly Kong at Kong Kollege, and playing Swanky Kong's quizzes at Swanky's Bonus Bonanza can all be paid with the use of Banana Bunch Coins. The Kongs can carry up to 99 Banana Bunch Coins at a time. In the Game Boy Advance version of Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest, the Kongs can get into a rematch with a boss by paying ten Banana Bunch Coins to Swanky.

Trivia

 * Due to their rarity of Banana Coins (in comparison to the numerous, basic banana collectibles found throughout the games), it can be assumed that the coins hold more value than bananas.
 * This is likely because coins are a type of currency used to buy items. It can be assumed that they are also used by Donkey Kong to purchase coins.
 * Despite their rarity, they are less rare than the K-O-N-G Letters, implying that the K-O-N-G Letters are more valuable. Why the K-O-N-G Letters hold such a large amount of value is, presently, unknown.
 * To this day, it is unknown where, when or how the various coins found in Donkey Kong games are created. There have been no observable mints within the DK jungle.
 * It's very possible that the coins come from foreign lands.