Collecting decimal coins given in my change

[Guest Beth]

Hello

I collect coins given in my change. I started in 1997. I haven't read anything about collecting coins as I only do it for my grandchildren to give to them when I have departed...

What I would like to know is would these coins be worth any value as a collection in, say, 25 to 30 years time?

Is it worth my while collecting them? If not then perhaps I should start spending them!!!

I read the terms and conditions on here so I do know that no-one can give valuations, but I would welcome a general piece of advice on this query, please.

Cheers,

Beth

[Colin G. 147]

Beth,

You have the makings of a coin collector, thats how most of us start

Predicting what will be collectable in the future is very difficult, but many modern coins are produced in such massive quantities, this makes their potential to increase in value limited. Take for example the good old churchill crowns they are worth a pittance. That being said there are still some coins that will inevitably increase with value over time and some modern coins have already started (early commemorative £2 coins for example).

There is no harm in putting collections together and whilst if they don't increase more than inflation rates you theoretically aren't making any money, there is always the chance that they should generally hold their own, and you never know you may happen to hold on to the right coin.

More importantly, I remember circulation coins left to me by my grandfather (churchill crown being one of them, and in my eyes it will always be priceless now he is gone) but it also help get me collecting.

So in summary go for it

[Peckris 579]

Hello

I collect coins given in my change. I started in 1997. I haven't read anything about collecting coins as I only do it for my grandchildren to give to them when I have departed...

What I would like to know is would these coins be worth any value as a collection in, say, 25 to 30 years time?

Is it worth my while collecting them? If not then perhaps I should start spending them!!!

I read the terms and conditions on here so I do know that no-one can give valuations, but I would welcome a general piece of advice on this query, please.

Cheers,

Beth

People such as yourself Beth, often collect what are called "commemoratives" - for example the proof sets and specimen sets produced annually by the Royal Mint. At the moment, such sets would struggle to fetch their issue price when sold later, but over 25 - 30 years, who knows? They are attractively packaged, but are in no sense rare, though they could give interest to grandchildren in time.

Certainly, coins from your change are cheaper to put aside, since they only cost their face value. If you're going to do that, make sure you put aside Bright Uncirculated (new, full lustre) coins, as they are more likely to be worth something in due course than more worn / circulated examples. And the higher the denomination (£2 £1 50p) the more likely they are to go up in value over time.

Do bear in mind that there was a massive recoinage between 1967 and 1971, and most coins from that period are still worth very little. However, it wouldn't hurt to study trends : for example, our present Queen can't go on forever, so her coins will become gradually more collectable when she's gone. And when Charles comes around, EVERYONE will put aside coins from his first year, but then it will tail off, so collecting from his second year onwards will be more fruitful (that has historically been true, e.g. coins of 1954, 1938/39, 1912/13, 1903/04, are worth quite a lot more than coins from the first year of a reign).

Good luck with the endeavour!

[RobJ 0]

Hi Beth,

Welcome to the forum.

Colin has given you some very sound advice. But I would like to add to that if I may.

If you do collect coins from your change always try to find the best condition ones that you can. So for example, if you pop to the Post Office or Bank and you are handed a nice shiney new coin you would probably be better off holding on to that, than say one from 10 years earlier that has been well worn and used. Because as Colin mentions modern coins are produced in such vast numbers that I would imagine such coins to be more desirable to possible future collectors.

That is not to say that you should spend all of your older coins now, as some of those in the future may become quite scarce.

It is so hard to say if any modern coins will hold their value in the future. Who knows, in 25 to 30 years time we may have had one or possibly even two new Monarchs by then, so Elizabeth II coins may appreciate and become desirable.

As Colin also mentions, try to keep an eye out for the Commemorative issues. The Royal Mint has produced Commemorative £2 and 50p coins for some years now and some of them are quite scarce even today, so perhaps that is something you may wish to consider.

Lasty, if you would like to look into this further, apart from asking questions on the forum, you may wish to consider purchasing a book on the subject.

There is one dealing with collecting coins from your change and it may help you. It is aptly called 'Check Your Change' and it has a wealth of information on Decimal coins. It is quite cheap and can be found quite easily.

As a new collector myself who collects Commemorative £2 and 50p's, I have recently purchased the book and I can highly recommend it.

I hope that helps you

P.S. Sorry for such a long post. lol

[RobJ 0]

I've just realised that I have just reiterated most of what Peckris has just said. He must have posted his reply as I was typing.mine out to you. I'm sorry if it seems repetative.

If only I could type faster. lol

[Peckris 579]

I've just realised that I have just reiterated most of what Peckris has just said. He must have posted his reply as I was typing.mine out to you. I'm sorry if it seems repetative.

If only I could type faster. lol

I realised that when I saw the timestamps! It's also where my abbreviations software comes in really handy. I wouldn't be without it now.

[RobJ 0]

I realised that when I saw the timestamps! It's also where my abbreviations software comes in really handy. I wouldn't be without it now.

Thanks Peckris.

Abbreviation software sounds very handy indeed!

Hopefully all of our collective information can assist Beth.

[Peter 615]

There is one dealing with collecting coins from your change and it may help you. It is aptly called 'Check Your Change' and it has a wealth of information on Decimal coins. It is quite cheap and can be found quite easily.

As a new collector myself who collects Commemorative £2 and 50p's, I have recently purchased the book and I can highly recommend it.

Chris Perkins the site owner publish book under the Rotographic banner.It can be purchased from this site,Ebay and Amazon and it is £6.30 I belive amust for modern coin collectors

[1949threepence 3,366]

Hi Beth ~ in addition to the excellent information advice given above, you might also be interested in looking at my thread on collecting £2 coins ~ here

[davidrj 194]

Hi Beth ~ in addition to the excellent information advice given above, you might also be interested in looking at my thread on collecting £2 coins ~ here

Just got a 2010 2p in change today, anyone else spotted this year's coins yet, they normally seem to be released for the Xmas tradind

[scott 129]

had the penny and 5- for a while.

look out for a 2008 £2 with no dot at the bottom of the obverse

[£400 for a Penny ? 0]

Hello Beth,

And welcome along.

I would support 1949 and suggest that if one wished to concentrate on any one particular area hoping that it might prove more fruitful than the others, then £2's would be my bet.

Apart from anything else, it's the most interesting for the simple reason that they don't come along all that often.

[RobJ 0]

Just got a 2010 2p in change today, anyone else spotted this year's coins yet, they normally seem to be released for the Xmas tradind

I have managed to obtain a 1p, 2p and 5p in my change so far.

I think that you are right David, I have also noticed that the new coins seem to appear at this time of year. Usually the 1p, 2p and 5p first and then the rest of the denomonations usually appear spread out over the following year.

[josie 8]

All the best

Precious history of £sd to decimalization.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decimal_Day

1/2400.

[Hello17 3]

Check your change will be useful (but i do no have it )

i started on decimal but i thought as they are so heavily minted they would not increase intill value until im dead

i decided to go predecimal as scrap ones (my nearest dealer scraps 750k coins a yer he said) can improve as i just said...

[1949threepence 3,366]

Hello Beth,

And welcome along.

I would support 1949 and suggest that if one wished to concentrate on any one particular area hoping that it might prove more fruitful than the others, then £2's would be my bet.

Apart from anything else, it's the most interesting for the simple reason that they don't come along all that often.

I wish I'd been around when £sd was circulating, but in the absence of that, £2 coins seem to be the route to go down, as the Royal Mint are regularly issuing business strike £2 coins, of less than a million. In future these will become sought after. Of that I'm sure.

Just got a 2010 2p in change today, anyone else spotted this year's coins yet, they normally seem to be released for the Xmas tradind

I have managed to obtain a 1p, 2p and 5p in my change so far.

I think that you are right David, I have also noticed that the new coins seem to appear at this time of year. Usually the 1p, 2p and 5p first and then the rest of the denomonations usually appear spread out over the following year.

I'd only seen the 1p & 2p's before today, but oddly enough, I did receive my first 2010 5p in change today

All the best

Precious history of £sd to decimalization.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decimal_Day

1/2400.

Thanks for that, Josie.

[RobJ 0]

I'd only seen the 1p & 2p's before today, but oddly enough, I did receive my first 2010 5p in change today

I've only managed to obtain my 2p and 5p from my change over the past week, so I'm thinking that they are very new. If I come across anymore I think that I willl hold on to a few nice choice examples just incase.

[RobJ 0]

I managed to obtain a 2010 20p in my change today. Still no sign of a 10p as of yet though.

[Boomstick 0]

I also got a new 20p today. Along with a quid from the Isle of Man!

[Marc 0]

I've been gently trying to get one of my 3 kids interested in my hobby. I'd like to pass my collection on to them with the knowledge they would add to it.

So today I asked to see my 15 year olds cup off loose change he keeps for sweets at the shop. I found 3 2010 5ps, 1 2010 1p. Big deal he says. I try to explain but don't want to push.

Then I showed him another coin I found in his change - a VF 1952 half penny!

I showed him and my daughter what they go for on ebay in the hopes it might spur some interest.

My 14 year old daughter asked if it was old. I said well, 1952 was when I was born. Gee, she said, it is old! (groan)

I guess who ever gave the coin misstook it for a 2p coin.

[argentumandcoins 70]

I've been gently trying to get one of my 3 kids interested in my hobby. I'd like to pass my collection on to them with the knowledge they would add to it.

So today I asked to see my 15 year olds cup off loose change he keeps for sweets at the shop. I found 3 2010 5ps, 1 2010 1p. Big deal he says. I try to explain but don't want to push.

Then I showed him another coin I found in his change - a VF 1952 half penny!

I showed him and my daughter what they go for on ebay in the hopes it might spur some interest.

My 14 year old daughter asked if it was old. I said well, 1952 was when I was born. Gee, she said, it is old! (groan)

I guess who ever gave the coin misstook it for a 2p coin.

Slightly off track, but.... my kid brother owns a couple of shops in Yorkshire after starting with a newsagents in Durham. He had an elderly lady working for him in his first shop, who has sadly just passed away but I'll keep it vague to spare her family any groans!!

She once took in payment.........a chocolate £1 coin in gold foil and no I am not making this up!

[Hello17 3]

I've been gently trying to get one of my 3 kids interested in my hobby. I'd like to pass my collection on to them with the knowledge they would add to it.

So today I asked to see my 15 year olds cup off loose change he keeps for sweets at the shop. I found 3 2010 5ps, 1 2010 1p. Big deal he says. I try to explain but don't want to push.

Then I showed him another coin I found in his change - a VF 1952 half penny!

I showed him and my daughter what they go for on ebay in the hopes it might spur some interest.

My 14 year old daughter asked if it was old. I said well, 1952 was when I was born. Gee, she said, it is old! (groan)

I guess who ever gave the coin misstook it for a 2p coin.

Hello, i see this is your first post, Marc.

their is a kid colecctor on this forum somewhere he is 13 but licks coins very much

[Red Riley 2]

their is a kid colecctor on this forum somewhere he is 13 but licks coins very much

Which makes him sick...

[Peckris 579]

Never lick coins - you don't know where they've been!!

[RobJ 0]

I thought that I had struck Gold today. quite literally! I found one of these in my change.

It ended up being a £1 coin from Gibraltar. I glanced at it quickly and had to do a double take as I thought that I had chanced upon a Sovereign. lol

We can all dream I suppose. lol