Your dream coin?

[azda 973]

Does he print money for a living? Some amazing coins he has, need a tissue to hand when looking at them

[Rob 3,001]

He's been doing it a long time, and unlike most people hasn't aimed to turn things round quickly for a profit. He's a collector first and foremost, with good taste.

[azda 973]

I'd very much doubt he'd sell any of that. I read on his facebook page some American offered a silly amount for his Queen mary coin, turned it down obviously

[Rob 3,001]

What would you do with the money if you sold all your coins? Put it in the bank and lose a guaranteed 1 or 2% a year?

There are several people on here who say they have never sold a coin from their collection. It's the tracking down, acquiring and completing goals that drives collectors. Although money is a concern for all bar a handful of people, most seem to buy with a view to building a collection and as a consequence do not insist on everything costing 99p which can then be sold for a fiver. i.e. there is a fair amount of leeway in the price they will pay, and any profits are secondary.

[damian1986 142]

He mentions remortgaging his house to get a Sestersius on the petitioncrown website.

[MACKSILKY. 6]

Rob i agree 100% on your last comment.

[azda 973]

He mentions remortgaging his house to get a Sestersius on the petitioncrown website.

He also did the same for the Henry VIII testoon I believe. I wonder if he adopts children. I'd nominate myself. I understand what you're saying Rob, but as you also say, not everyone has an endless Pot of Cash and even buying a high grade common hammered coin these days costs money and so its really down to staying focused on what you want from your collection and saving the cash whilst waiting.

[Peckris 579]

What would you do with the money if you sold all your coins? Put it in the bank and lose a guaranteed 1 or 2% a year?

There are several people on here who say they have never sold a coin from their collection. It's the tracking down, acquiring and completing goals that drives collectors. Although money is a concern for all bar a handful of people, most seem to buy with a view to building a collection and as a consequence do not insist on everything costing 99p which can then be sold for a fiver. i.e. there is a fair amount of leeway in the price they will pay, and any profits are secondary.

Upgraded coins are always sold or exchanged. What's the point in keeping them? (Unless there's a story behind them, like my first 1926ME penny and 1949 3d, found in change when I was a schoolkid!)

[Michael-Roo 777]

What would you do with the money if you sold all your coins? Put it in the bank and lose a guaranteed 1 or 2% a year?

There are several people on here who say they have never sold a coin from their collection. It's the tracking down, acquiring and completing goals that drives collectors. Although money is a concern for all bar a handful of people, most seem to buy with a view to building a collection and as a consequence do not insist on everything costing 99p which can then be sold for a fiver. i.e. there is a fair amount of leeway in the price they will pay, and any profits are secondary.

Upgraded coins are always sold or exchanged. What's the point in keeping them? (Unless there's a story behind them, like my first 1926ME penny and 1949 3d, found in change when I was a schoolkid!)

Chris and I have discussed this before. I too have a 1949 3d saved from pocket money in the 1960s. I wouldn't part with that. Same goes for our bun washers. The coins we all dreamt of finding in change back then would have been the 1933 1d, ED VIII 3d, 1952 2/6, 1954 1d. Sadly, this never happened , so I guess, for nostalgia's sake, I'd still choose these today.

[Rob 3,001]

The key is to buy things that you don't want to upgrade.

[Peckris 579]

The key is to buy things that you don't want to upgrade.

And the key to THAT is to have a lunatically high disposable income!!

[Paulus 1,942]

The key is to buy things that you don't want to upgrade.

And the key to THAT is to have a lunatically high disposable income!!

Also, to add to the point that Richard (I think it was) made recently, our standards change over time ... some coins I considered keepers that I would have never wanted to upgrade when I acquired them have been superseded as my expectations and experience have increased ... I would imagine many relatively new collectors go through the same evolution / learning curve?

[Rob 3,001]

The key is to buy things that you don't want to upgrade.

And the key to THAT is to have a lunatically high disposable income!!

Or buy selectively, like Marvin.

For me it depends on whether a coin is for research or the collection. For the collection, I don't want to go through the hassle of disposal, so will accumulate as many images of the target coin as I can get and then decide on a list of acceptable pieces. After that it is a case of waiting patiently.

On the other hand, if I want to do a bit of research, then as many examples as can be obtained is the ideal situation which inevitably means a compromise on grade. Colin G must be in the same boat with his farthings, or Chingford with his coppers. After all, none of us have unlimited funds on tap 24/7.

[damian1986 142]

The key is to buy things that you don't want to upgrade.

And the key to THAT is to have a lunatically high disposable income!!

Also, to add to the point that Richard (I think it was) made recently, our standards change over time ... some coins I considered keepers that I would have never wanted to upgrade when I acquired them have been superseded as my expectations and experience have increased ... I would imagine many relatively new collectors go through the same evolution / learning curve?

Yes. Add to that some laziness and impatience for me.

Regarding the sale of coins, I hadn't, for example, given much time to the 8 Reales until you posted recently. That's now on the wants list. So a couple of "duplicates" (actually coins of loosely the same type as another coin I have) can go. And stuff that's never going to form the basis of a collection can go (if anyone wants to buy a Napoleon 1 Franc let me know ) as the potential costs of building a collection become clear (if anyone has a spare S1142 let me know ).

[Coinery 926]

What I'd really love, most of all, is to explore the hammered gold of elizabeth and buy a really nice pair of silver crowns!

[TomGoodheart 373]

The key is to buy things that you don't want to upgrade.

I think for me the problem is knowing what's available. Plus I don't have the budget to only buy top quality material, nor perhaps patience!

OK, I know where a number of what I'd consider to be 'star' coins are. Ones that could be considered to be amongst the better examples for the type. I guess I could just talk to the current owners and wait until they are prepared to do a deal.

But of course, there's limited enjoyment in only buying one coin every few years! So the majority of my purchases tend to be 'happy finds'. ie regular coins in better than average condition, most of which are not provenanced and which I'm lucky enough to spot in my searches.

The problem is that I am beginning to suspect that most collectors are currently in the same boat as me. I'm certainly holding on to the coins I like most and only aiming to dispose of the ones that no longer appeal. But of course, they often also fail to appeal to others, being coins I picked up early on before I knew better could be found.

Which perhaps explains why I'm passing over almost all the currently available material. It just doesn't 'do it' for me any more. Even the A2/3 in the upcoming London sale. A few years back I'd have bitten someone's hand off for an example. Now I look at it and go ".. meh .."

Just filling a gap no longer gives me the thrill it used to. Now I want a coin I will enjoy looking at too! And when the options are limited (such as the Cornwall halfcrown Rob recently posted) I'm beginning to think a gap is more acceptable than a coin in which I see more minuses than pluses.

Oh, and dream coin? Right now (tomorrow it might be something different!) I'd just like a decent D1/1 (S.2789, currency coin, not fine work) to go with my D1/2 Anyone?

.

[azda 973]

I think Paulus hit the nail on the head with "eveloution of a collector" we all start at humble beginnings of being a collector, whether we've stumbled into collecting or something was handed down or started/stopped amd recently started AGAIN as a child And now into adulthood. Habits change, coin preferences change and appeal of certain coinage changes as well as disposable income.

Many things are factored in when buying Coins and it will inevitably change through the passing of time with the above factors. I doubt 75% here are 100% happy with what we have but the searching is a most satisfying part when you find something that you know might not be rivaled.

[Rob 3,001]

Based on Tom's respose, I think I detect a preference for the relative beauty of red felt.

[TomGoodheart 373]

Based on Tom's respose, I think I detect a preference for the relative beauty of red felt.

Not exactly, Rob. I'm still adding coins to hide the felt!

Just now, rather than aiming for one of each type/ variety in any condition, I have more duplicates with equivalent - albeit different - good features.

Yes, the long-term aim is still to complete the collection from A1/1 to H3/2, with all privy marks and all coins with sufficient 'eye appeal' to give me that sense of satisfaction! But I now accept that it may never be finished!

.

[Rob 3,001]

Gothic crown, proof Gold. Only 1 exists; it sold for £11,000 in 1988. That means, what, £50,000 now? £100,000?

Yes, it would probably break some records, anyone have a pic of it?

I knew I had a picture of it somewhere. Enjoy.

[Paulus 1,942]

Gothic crown, proof Gold. Only 1 exists; it sold for £11,000 in 1988. That means, what, £50,000 now? £100,000?

Yes, it would probably break some records, anyone have a pic of it?

I knew I had a picture of it somewhere. Enjoy.

Good grief.

[loose54 21]

Wow, that is superb. It almost doesn't look real to me, kinda looks like one of the modern fantasy crowns floating about! I think I have just found a new dream coin ...

[azda 973]

Yup, thats a drooler

[Paulus 1,942]

Gothic crown, proof Gold. Only 1 exists; it sold for £11,000 in 1988. That means, what, £50,000 now? £100,000?

I find it strange, proof gold, Gothic crown, only 1 exists ... and one of the most admired coin designs ever ... you'd think it would be worth an absolute mega fortune, sky's the limit!

But somehow, perhaps it would be worth even more if < 20 were made, 6 or so were known and then an unknown 7th came on the market What do people think? Or is there simply a limit to what any collector will pay for a coin not minted for circulation?

Was only 1 ever minted in the first place? Did some get melted down? (!!!!!!!!!!)

Edited November 26, 2014 by Paulus

[Rob 3,001]

There is a pair of them in existence. One in the BM and the other doing the rounds.