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kieran

new to coins

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hello all, 

I am only 17 but very very interested in coins and bullion. I have little knowledge on coins all i have is collection of coins given to me by a family member, I do not know if i have coins of any value. If i post some pictures on here please tell me anything about the coins i have, if they are worthless or worth something. Also if you have any advice about how i go about starting a real coin collection please let me know.

thank you 

kieran 

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Welcome Kieran.

No coin is worthless if you enjoy owning it and can learn something from it. 

As a starting point, your coins pre-1947 have real silver and are worth bullion unless in high grade. Pre-1920 are full silver and worth double that, as bullion.

Collect in as high a grade as you can afford, so don't (yet) embark on date runs .. some of us don't at all, ever.

Your first thing should be to 'gen' up on the subject. The two best and cheapest things for this would be two of the books in the advert top : CCGB 2018 which is a wealth of information and a price guide too; and 'Grading British Coins'. Get both those and you won't look back.

And don't be afraid to ask here - we only cook and eat newbies in odd numbered years. ;)

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37 minutes ago, Peckris said:

Welcome Kieran.

No coin is worthless if you enjoy owning it and can learn something from it. 

As a starting point, your coins pre-1947 have real silver and are worth bullion unless in high grade. Pre-1920 are full silver and worth double that, as bullion.

Collect in as high a grade as you can afford, so don't (yet) embark on date runs .. some of us don't at all, ever.

Your first thing should be to 'gen' up on the subject. The two best and cheapest things for this would be two of the books in the advert top : CCGB 2018 which is a wealth of information and a price guide too; and 'Grading British Coins'. Get both those and you won't look back.

And don't be afraid to ask here - we only cook and eat newbies in odd numbered years. ;)

Totally agree. My first £200 spent were on books. Without the knowledge you would be walking into a minefield . Plus they contain great pictures and what to look for . Always ask here if you have any questions or are unsure of something. There are probably some of the most knowledgeable in the coin world on this forum (excluding me of course) :)

 

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18 hours ago, Peckris said:

 

18 hours ago, Peckris said:

Welcome Kieran.

No coin is worthless if you enjoy owning it and can learn something from it. 

As a starting point, your coins pre-1947 have real silver and are worth bullion unless in high grade. Pre-1920 are full silver and worth double that, as bullion.

Collect in as high a grade as you can afford, so don't (yet) embark on date runs .. some of us don't at all, ever.

Your first thing should be to 'gen' up on the subject. The two best and cheapest things for this would be two of the books in the advert top : CCGB 2018 which is a wealth of information and a price guide too; and 'Grading British Coins'. Get both those and you won't look back.

And don't be afraid to ask here - we only cook and eat newbies in odd numbered years. ;)

Thank you,

I really appreciate that no coin is worthless and will start having that attitude. do you recommend that i invest in bullion coins then and not worry to much about the dates for while? where is a good place to purchase coins?  

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18 hours ago, zookeeperz said:

Totally agree. My first £200 spent were on books. Without the knowledge you would be walking into a minefield . Plus they contain great pictures and what to look for . Always ask here if you have any questions or are unsure of something. There are probably some of the most knowledgeable in the coin world on this forum (excluding me of course) :)

 

i have always been interested in coins and history buy only now that i have started working is buying coins and truly getting into it a realistic goal 

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57 minutes ago, kieran said:

Thank you,

I really appreciate that no coin is worthless and will start having that attitude. do you recommend that i invest in bullion coins then and not worry to much about the dates for while? where is a good place to purchase coins?  

Personally I find bullion coinage boring! Much of it is modern and it's only worth is the metal content. For me coin collecting is about history, so I like coins with age and a story to tell, from anywhere in the world.

For me the focus has always been British coins, and the simplest goal there is for type sets for each monarch as far back as you can afford. If British coinage does not float your boat, then maybe World "Crown" size coins, being silver, comes closer to your bullion desire too. Just beware that in this area there are a lot of fakes on Ebay and elsewhere, so you really do need to do your research first - or find a dealer you can trust.

As well as the books suggested, I would get either some albums (WH Smiths do a reasonable selection) or trays (from Numis or Lindner online) and sort what you have into them. This may focus your mind on what/how you want to collect.

Get along to some coin fairs too - looking at a good dealers display may get your target clarified.

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5 minutes ago, Paddy said:

Personally I find bullion coinage boring! Much of it is modern and it's only worth is the metal content. For me coin collecting is about history, so I like coins with age and a story to tell, from anywhere in the world.

For me the focus has always been British coins, and the simplest goal there is for type sets for each monarch as far back as you can afford. If British coinage does not float your boat, then maybe World "Crown" size coins, being silver, comes closer to your bullion desire too. Just beware that in this area there are a lot of fakes on Ebay and elsewhere, so you really do need to do your research first - or find a dealer you can trust.

As well as the books suggested, I would get either some albums (WH Smiths do a reasonable selection) or trays (from Numis or Lindner online) and sort what you have into them. This may focus your mind on what/how you want to collect.

Get along to some coin fairs too - looking at a good dealers display may get your target clarified.

i just read your half crown post and found your collection very inspiring. Being new to the coin game i only have 6 half crown my earliest being 1920 so not too good however i consider it a start in the right direction. I am really interested in going to a coin fair and just getting as much advice as i can really. What fairs are coming up and where? 

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Depends on where you are. There are monthly fairs at Wakefield on the last Sunday of each month at the Cedar Court Hotel off jcn 39 of the M1 and the Midland fair at the Motor Cycle Museum on the second Sunday of each month. Both open at 9:30. York fair, at the Racecourse is on the 3rd Friday and Saturday of January and July. 

London fairs, or anything down south I will leave to the locals.

Edited by Rob

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I don't get to coin fairs much myself anymore, but I am sure someone else will chip in. I found this website listed quite a few: https://www.antiques-atlas.com/dbevents/

 

 

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welcome, it sounds bizarre to tell you to do this.... but go onto the chinese website call aliexpress and do a search for british coins they are all counterfeit some to a high standard and look at them very closely.  In fact I buy them on purpose to have a reference set they are a few dollars each most.   Contemporary counterfeits are a different matter and are a part of coin history and also enjoyable to collect.  They have become very sly in the last year and have started minting 1902 crows with the edge made of silver they cost £40-50 but [people will try to flog the rubbish on ebay and I think this is one of the main starting points for any new collector....KNOW THE FULL EXTENT OF THE FAKES.  there are just some coins I won't collect anymore and sadly these rubbish things are entering the system through those with little knowledge ....fakes are bane of a collectors life.  I had intended to make a website showing all the fakes but dont get the time...there are victorian half crowns the crowns the George the III crowns and half crowns and the shillings along with a whole spectrum of other coins and as a novice it is hard to tell.  always be very aware of a coin with incredible rainbow toning its likely to be painted on.  just be careful and buy yourself some cheap scales and if you get any silver or copper find the accurate weight and weigh your coins, they usually get this bit wrong, although you have to still be very careful.  

I have only been collecting three years and have discovered some wonderful things and coins helped me recover a lot from treatments as they help focus the mind.  Enjoy it 

Larry

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Welcome, kieran.  I'd say the most important thing is to enjoy looking after the coins you have.  You have a nice starting point with your assortment of coins.  Which are your favourites, and why?  For example, is it to do with their, age, size, design or condition?  This might give you a clue about where  to start collecting next.

I would also recommend thinking of the hobby in terms of 'acquiring' rather than 'investing'.  In that way, you can treat it as saving up for something you want to have, rather than buying it with a view to selling it later on.  Of course, you might want to sell some coins either soon or in the future but I think that buying things with a view to resale would perhaps limit your horizons stop you from buying things because you like them!

I will slightly disagree with Paddy in the sense that I think that some of the modern bullion coins are quite interesting and rather beautiful - such as the Queen's Beasts and the recent Britannia with the Oriental border.  I also like one or two of the Lunar series coins, and if you look towards world bullion coins as well, I think the US Buffalo, Mexican Libertad and Niue Turtle are rather nice too.  The silver coins are reasonably affordable, the gold ones less so!

Above all, have fun!

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4 minutes ago, Stuntman said:

Welcome, kieran.  I'd say the most important thing is to enjoy looking after the coins you have.  You have a nice starting point with your assortment of coins.  Which are your favourites, and why?  For example, is it to do with their, age, size, design or condition?  This might give you a clue about where  to start collecting next.

I would also recommend thinking of the hobby in terms of 'acquiring' rather than 'investing'.  In that way, you can treat it as saving up for something you want to have, rather than buying it with a view to selling it later on.  Of course, you might want to sell some coins either soon or in the future but I think that buying things with a view to resale would perhaps limit your horizons stop you from buying things because you like them!

I will slightly disagree with Paddy in the sense that I think that some of the modern bullion coins are quite interesting and rather beautiful - such as the Queen's Beasts and the recent Britannia with the Oriental border.  I also like one or two of the Lunar series coins, and if you look towards world bullion coins as well, I think the US Buffalo, Mexican Libertad and Niue Turtle are rather nice too.  The silver coins are reasonably affordable, the gold ones less so!

Above all, have fun!

out of what i have now i really like my half crowns, i think the design is beautiful. I have been looking recently at the silver Britannia coin i agree with paddy in the they dont have the history of many other coins however the design alone i feel is something worth buying. i also like the idea of having a coin in mint condition for no real reason other than it is displayed well and has certification. so for now i feel bullion may be where i start only because my little knowledge on old coins could cost me a lot of money on something that could be a fake or not even worth what i paid. however having coins with a real history behind them is what i really want. 

 

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51 minutes ago, DrLarry said:

welcome, it sounds bizarre to tell you to do this.... but go onto the chinese website call aliexpress and do a search for british coins they are all counterfeit some to a high standard and look at them very closely.  In fact I buy them on purpose to have a reference set they are a few dollars each most.   Contemporary counterfeits are a different matter and are a part of coin history and also enjoyable to collect.  They have become very sly in the last year and have started minting 1902 crows with the edge made of silver they cost £40-50 but [people will try to flog the rubbish on ebay and I think this is one of the main starting points for any new collector....KNOW THE FULL EXTENT OF THE FAKES.  there are just some coins I won't collect anymore and sadly these rubbish things are entering the system through those with little knowledge ....fakes are bane of a collectors life.  I had intended to make a website showing all the fakes but dont get the time...there are victorian half crowns the crowns the George the III crowns and half crowns and the shillings along with a whole spectrum of other coins and as a novice it is hard to tell.  always be very aware of a coin with incredible rainbow toning its likely to be painted on.  just be careful and buy yourself some cheap scales and if you get any silver or copper find the accurate weight and weigh your coins, they usually get this bit wrong, although you have to still be very careful.  

I have only been collecting three years and have discovered some wonderful things and coins helped me recover a lot from treatments as they help focus the mind.  Enjoy it 

Larry

I think that is a very good idea at helping me decide between a real and a fake. im going to do a lot more research on the weights of coins and testing for real ones. what is the correct weights for half crows just so i can check mine? 

 

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1 hour ago, Rob said:

Depends on where you are. There are monthly fairs at Wakefield on the last Sunday of each month at the Cedar Court Hotel off jcn 39 of the M1 and the Midland fair at the Motor Cycle Museum on the second Sunday of each month. Both open at 9:30. York fair, at the Racecourse is on the 3rd Friday and Saturday of January and July. 

London fairs, or anything down south I will leave to the locals.

sadly i am london way :( ill have a google 

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hi K depends on the date for the half crowns when I want coin specifics for a date I usually look it up individually silver coinage was changed a couple of time in the 20thC for silver and the Cu Ni ones also. they are only a few pounds and weighing things actually help understand a lot and I am sure you will do it more as you collect

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the other thing I would suggest is to download an app called cozymagnifyer + to your phone and it will allow you to see things in magnificent detail and you can also put the images in reversed light which allows you to see lots of details on the older coins.  it allows for magnification and clarity and for the silly price of £1.85 is worth every penny.  I use it with my microscope to take really nice images. 

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2 hours ago, kieran said:

out of what i have now i really like my half crowns

This is a promising start. Coins are little works of art and, if you find a particular denomination attractive or impressive, you will derive great pleasure in finding out more about it/them. Read about them as people have said, and the fascination will develop. I think you will get greater pleasure from collecting rather than investing and people's love for their particular subject just sings out from contributions on this forum. Half crowns have some of the most beautiful artistic designs seen on British coins.

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17 hours ago, kieran said:

do you recommend that i invest in bullion coins then and not worry to much about the dates for while? where is a good place to purchase coins?  

No no! I only mentioned 'bullion' because even worn silver coins have an intrinsic metal value. I didn't mean to suggest you collect them.

The best place to buy is from reputable dealers (there's a few in this forum) or - as mentioned - from coin fairs once you know more about the subject. If you're in London, there's something called The Cumberland Fair? Or used to be - Cumberland being the hotel it was held in. Avoid Coincraft like the plague - they have great knowledge and enthusiasm, but their prices are aimed at the average American tourist who knows nothing about coins but wants a little bit of history.

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19 hours ago, DrLarry said:

the other thing I would suggest is to download an app called cozymagnifyer + to your phone and it will allow you to see things in magnificent detail and you can also put the images in reversed light which allows you to see lots of details on the older coins.  it allows for magnification and clarity and for the silly price of £1.85 is worth every penny.  I use it with my microscope to take really nice images. 

its downloading as i am typing this :) thank you for your advice its really helped 

 

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18 hours ago, secret santa said:

This is a promising start. Coins are little works of art and, if you find a particular denomination attractive or impressive, you will derive great pleasure in finding out more about it/them. Read about them as people have said, and the fascination will develop. I think you will get greater pleasure from collecting rather than investing and people's love for their particular subject just sings out from contributions on this forum. Half crowns have some of the most beautiful artistic designs seen on British coins.

i am finding the more and more i search half crowns and read about them the more i am fascinated by 

 

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6 hours ago, Peckris said:

No no! I only mentioned 'bullion' because even worn silver coins have an intrinsic metal value. I didn't mean to suggest you collect them.

The best place to buy is from reputable dealers (there's a few in this forum) or - as mentioned - from coin fairs once you know more about the subject. If you're in London, there's something called The Cumberland Fair? Or used to be - Cumberland being the hotel it was held in. Avoid Coincraft like the plague - they have great knowledge and enthusiasm, but their prices are aimed at the average American tourist who knows nothing about coins but wants a little bit of history.

ill have to find out more about cumberland then. thank you for your advice on coincraft. at them moment i really like the half crowns and silver Britannias are catching my eye a little.  

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The fair moved from the Cumberland Hotel to the Holiday Inn at Bloomsbury a good few years ago now. Someone will know the dates the fairs are on.

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