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Guest Beth

Collecting decimal coins given in my change

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We tend to look at l.s.d. with rose tinted spectacles. Frankly it was a bloody awful system to use and getting shot of it was arguably 100+ years late. So much school time was wasted teaching kids an unnecessarily complicated coinage structure as opposed to simply counting on their fingers which in effect is what we and virtually every other nation does now. It was only resiatance to change and official inertia which prevented its replacement in the 1850s. In purely monetary terms the related decision to re-introduce the halfcrown in 1874 really does take the biscuit.

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In purely monetary terms the related decision to re-introduce the halfcrown in 1874 really does take the biscuit.

Possibly due to public sentiment Derek - like the decision to 'save the tanner' and get rid of the double florin?

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Possibly due to public sentiment Derek - like the decision to 'save the tanner' and get rid of the double florin?

I think it was, but misguided in my view.

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Possibly due to public sentiment Derek - like the decision to 'save the tanner' and get rid of the double florin?

I think it was, but misguided in my view.

A controversial follow-up to this question - *assuming* (and it's a big assume right at the moment), the euro survives its present travails and perhaps in 10-20 years, sterling finally goes into oblivion and we end up in it - does anyone think people will look back (say in about 50-75 years' time) and think "why on earth did we still keep our separate currency from the other 400-450 million people just over the channel".....?

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A controversial follow-up to this question - *assuming* (and it's a big assume right at the moment), the euro survives its present travails and perhaps in 10-20 years, sterling finally goes into oblivion and we end up in it - does anyone think people will look back (say in about 50-75 years' time) and think "why on earth did we still keep our separate currency from the other 400-450 million people just over the channel".....?

I think that in 50-75 years time we will have seen a catastrophic failure of a sovereign nation, so a question such as the one you pose, probably will get lost in the wider scheme of things.

From an economists point of view, I thought the most fascinating act in the first round of the credit crunch a couple of years ago, was Russia's genuine offer to buy Iceland. It was rejected by the international community, but it does illustrate the way the future superpowers of the world are thinking.

Can you imagine the implications of the UK going bust and being bought by, say, India ? You would have to say that we are sitting ducks - we must be quite attractive in terms of potential savings/profit that a competent regime could bring just by running the country efficiently and effectively in a way which we are no longer able to do ourselves.

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A controversial follow-up to this question - *assuming* (and it's a big assume right at the moment), the euro survives its present travails and perhaps in 10-20 years, sterling finally goes into oblivion and we end up in it - does anyone think people will look back (say in about 50-75 years' time) and think "why on earth did we still keep our separate currency from the other 400-450 million people just over the channel".....?

I think that in 50-75 years time we will have seen a catastrophic failure of a sovereign nation, so a question such as the one you pose, probably will get lost in the wider scheme of things.

From an economists point of view, I thought the most fascinating act in the first round of the credit crunch a couple of years ago, was Russia's genuine offer to buy Iceland. It was rejected by the international community, but it does illustrate the way the future superpowers of the world are thinking.

Can you imagine the implications of the UK going bust and being bought by, say, India ? You would have to say that we are sitting ducks - we must be quite attractive in terms of potential savings/profit that a competent regime could bring just by running the country efficiently and effectively in a way which we are no longer able to do ourselves.

What a horrendous future shock scenario. I sincerely hope that never happens and that we never ever lose the pound.

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What a horrendous future shock scenario. I sincerely hope that never happens and that we never ever lose the pound.

Bah. The pound is a johnny-come-lately, only 200 years old. It's the 2,000 year old penny we should be fighting for!!

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buy a country? is ireland cheap?

i hate the euro for these reasons, so many currencies have been lost.

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buy a country? is ireland cheap?

i hate the euro for these reasons, so many currencies have been lost.

It's not really a case of is it cheap, but does it represent good value, i.e. if you were Bahrain (where incidentally the average wealth of a citizen is £11 million pounds :o ) and you were looking for an alternative investment, could you make money out of buying Ireland and would the people of Ireland be agreeable to becoming Bahrani. I would say no to the first point, because Ireland doesn't really make much, it's mostly about banking and all their banks are stuffed and anyway Bahrain has it's own banks. Secondly, the Irish don't like foreign powers messing about in their domestic politics. In time, when things get really bad, people will have to get their heads around this and it will be interesting to watch, almost 19th century politics in reverse.

It's not really any different to the Glazers buying Manchester Utd, only on a grander scale

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It's not really any different to the Glazers buying Manchester Utd, only on a grander scale

...or the old banking families buying the US in 1913. Google "Jekyll Island" for details...

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What a horrendous future shock scenario. I sincerely hope that never happens and that we never ever lose the pound.

Yes but imagine the revenge we could get when we are all working in Indian call centres :lol:

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Bah. The pound is a johnny-come-lately, only 200 years old. It's the 2,000 year old penny we should be fighting for!!

As a penny collector, I find it difficult to counter that argument ;)

Yes but imagine the revenge we could get when we are all working in Indian call centres :lol:

Another horrendous thought ~ although I kind of see what you are getting at, Colin.

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i started collecting in the 60's doing exactly the same thing, looking for variations in the coins in my pocket, the best one i ever found was a worn cartwheel penny which i still have to this day for purely asthetic reasons. i still check my change for different coins and the most unusual i have found is a lillanngeni from swaziland which is the same size, colour and weight as a pound coin.......

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the most unusual i have found is a lillanngeni from swaziland which is the same size, colour and weight as a pound coin.......

I might be wrong, but I believe the Royal Mint makes those under contract. With all the fuss over counterfeit £1's it emerged that since the Swazi coin is exactly the same as the £1 and there are (or were) approx 13 to the pound, they were finding their way back over here for use in vending machines.

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add to that falkland, st helena, gibralter, isle of man they have all turned up in my change, and a kenyan 5 shilling which is the same shape and size as the old 50p.

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i found a UAE 1 dirham.. same size and weight as a 10p

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i think the best time i have ever had change checking was in australia in 2004, it was amazing the amount of commemorative 50 cents and dollars that turned up not to mention a couple of 20 cent pieces most notably the don bradman coin. no matter how sophistocated your collection becomes, change checking never leaves you.............

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no matter how sophistocated your collection becomes, change checking never leaves you.............

I totally agree with you Cartwheel.

I originally started to collect coins in the 1980's after seeing the first Commemorative £2 coin, and have continued to check my change ever since. :)

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I managed to obtain 2 2010 £1 Coins in my change yesterday.

So it is only the 50p that I have yet to find.

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I think i'll just buy the BU set.

I can't bear collecting the post-1998 issues from change (particularly the 10p & 50p) because the finish the mint use on the coins becomes scratched and scuffed so quickly, they just don't have nice clean unmarked fields. None of the coins pulled from circulation within their first few days / week could truly be designated UNC anymore (never had that problem with the Maklouf and earlier obverses).

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I think i'll just buy the BU set.

I can't bear collecting the post-1998 issues from change (particularly the 10p & 50p) because the finish the mint use on the coins becomes scratched and scuffed so quickly, they just don't have nice clean unmarked fields. None of the coins pulled from circulation within their first few days / week could truly be designated UNC anymore (never had that problem with the Maklouf and earlier obverses).

It's odd really as I have managed to obtain coins from around 10 years ago which are practically UNC, but then I have also seen coins that are a year or two old that look as if they were minted in the 1940's lol

I do not always collect or keep all of the coins that I obtain from my change, only usually the very best examples, but as I receive a BU set each year as a Christmas Present, I have no real need for them. I just find it a fun thing to do. :)

Edited by RobJ

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It's odd really as I have managed to obtain coins from around 10 years ago which are practically UNC, but then I have also seen coins that are a year or two old that look as if they were minted in the 1940's lol

Check the patina on the 1998+ issues it is different to the earlier issues. I hadn't noticed until someone pointed out that was the reason for the complete difference in field wear between the two types. The later coins seem to have their shine almost painted on in a thin layer which is soon impaired. I wonder if they polish the hubs for the dies more on these issues to give them a shiner and more easily destroyed field?

It's really annoying, excellent for the mint though because if you want a true BU you've got to buy the set cos you ain't gonna get one in circulation, unless you recieve it straight out of the mint bag it went into.

It doesn't seem to affect the copper issues though!

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Check the patina on the 1998+ issues it is different to the earlier issues. I hadn't noticed until someone pointed out that was the reason for the complete difference in field wear between the two types. The later coins seem to have their shine almost painted on in a thin layer which is soon impaired. I wonder if they polish the hubs for the dies more on these issues to give them a shiner and more easily destroyed field?

It's really annoying, excellent for the mint though because if you want a true BU you've got to buy the set cos you ain't gonna get one in circulation, unless you recieve it straight out of the mint bag it went into.

It doesn't seem to affect the copper issues though!

That is not something that I have noticed if I am honest with you. I only usually keep the very best condition ones that I can find and put them aside. The rest I simply do not bother with. lol

I think that you are right, if you want to own a true BU specimin then you would have to purchase it from the Royal Mint and pay extra for the privilege.

Edited by RobJ

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Checking my spare change can I found a few 2010 1ps (oddly enough, over half of them had cuds on!) a Gibraltar 20p and a Guernsey 20p and 1981 pound coin AND a 70s half penny...

I could start another collection with the stuff I find in there!

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Checking my spare change can I found a few 2010 1ps (oddly enough, over half of them had cuds on!) a Gibraltar 20p and a Guernsey 20p and 1981 pound coin AND a 70s half penny...

I could start another collection with the stuff I find in there!

Some people do precisely that Sion. ;):)

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