Chris Perkins

Yes 'Bright' and 'Shiny' are certainly part of the Lustre experience! Lustre is what the coin has on it when it's freshly struck. So a brand new 'Shiny' coin that you get in your change has lustre on it. Over time, through handling, wear and being exposed to the elements the lustre gets lost and the coin will look brown (if it's copper or bronze) or just dull if it's a silver coloured coin. When the original lustre has gone, that's it, you can never get it back! Even by polishing the coin (NEVER DO THAT) the original lustre can never be brought back and the shine resulting from polishing will be a different colour, have a different look and the coin will be worth less than if it was brown! Coin collectors and dealers can always tell the difference between original lustre and a polished coin and in most cases will not be very interested in a polished example. So a coin with full unblemished lustre is a coin with it's original lustre as in left the mint and therefore, if it's an old coin much more in demand than a dull example. Usually the grade BU (Brilliant Uncirculated) indicates a coin with full original lustre. Although UNC (Uncirculated)coins usually have most of their lustre intact and even EF (Extremely Fine) coins sometimes have traces remaining. Hope that helps CP Predecimal.com

Yes there are plenty of coin collectors phrases to describe different parts of the coin, and most of them are in my Numismatic dictionary, here: http://www.predecimal.com/dictionary.htm Just to start you off: The grooved edge is called a milled edge although it's quite possible the 'American' name is different because American coin collectors annoyingly use different terms! (Yes thought so, just looked in a book, it's called 'Grained' in American!) The reason the USA Quarters have different colours shown on the edge is beacause they are made from a copper core plated in nickel. The British 2 pence from 1992 - 1998 was acually copper plated steel but the edge was also copper plated so you couldn't see the metal underneath (and to stop the steel rusting). I don't know of any other contries that leave the core visible. Personally I think it looks cheap! For those of you that are not aware, the British Threepence coin was made of Brass from 1937 - 1967 and did indeed have 12 sides. In fact there are also varieties with sharp corners or rounded corners but the basic 12 sided shape is called a Dodecagon but I expect it's different in American!! Chris Perkins www.predecimal.com

Coins with arabic (or non Western of any kind) writing on sometimes prove very difficult to identify, let alone date and grade. You assume it's hebrew, possibly israeli. It could also be from Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Iran, even India, Pakistan, Egypt, Ethiopia or any number of countries that write in what to a Western eye looks just like squiggles! Things have got easier though, it seems many countries at least have dates in Christian format. As far as i'm aware there could not possibly be a website in existance covering every possible middle eastern country's mint marks from the last 200 years or more. if you register as a Forum member you will have the ability to upload a picture of the coin. With a little help from a couple of books I have I may be able to identify it for you. Thanks Brownowl

Who finds British Edward VII coins the hardest coins to grade from the last 200 years of British coins?

Yes, no problem. A special Grading Forum will be created in your honour! Chris

Why are some coins considered valuable?...... Why is Gold valuable?.... Simple...Demand. There is no real logical explantion. Gold is pretty and makes nice jewellery, but so does silver, or even stainless steel, so why is gold so expensive? Perhaps because since time began people have always been obsessed with gold. If the demand for a coin is high, the value will be high. Coin demand is usually created by a mixture of condition, rarity and 'wantability' (or obsession!). If the coin is pig ugly and comes from the Kingdom of Bhutan, (although they make very wonderful coins there) a country that no one has heard of, even if only 1000 were made, chances are demand will be low and the 1000 coins will be worth relatively little. If the coin is a 1934 British Wreath Crown the demand will be very high! Around 1000 were made, but it's a beautiful large coin, part of an important series and from a very imporant coin issuing country (I like to think so, i'm sure you all agree!). Lots of British coin collectors have lots of spare money to spend on coins, so the people that want it exist, therefore a demand exists and therefore that coin is valuable. I wrote a little about this subject in the 'what makes a coin valuable' section of www.coinvaluation.com Chris Perkins www.predecimal.com

Dear Brownowl, Firstly, thankyou very much indeed for your comments on the site. I'm pleased the site is providing what it was always meant to provide. It's all about encouraging new collectors, not just selling coins! Your comments do wonders for the old ego too! I see you have been very busy in the Forum too and that really has done me a favour as it adds to the content of the site (without me having to think of more ideas!) and puts accross different subjects and views. Hopefully more people can reply to them and the word spreads etc. I will address your other comments in the other forum areas and hope very much that you become a regular 'face' in here! We can at least talk to each other in these early stages. Chris Perkins www.predecimal.com

Hello there, thanks for using the Forum. 1893 Crowns had either LVI or LVII on them. Which by the way is the Regnal year (how many years Victoria had reigned for when it was struck). It was the 1897 Crowns that had LXI on them but there isn't much difference in the current catalogue values whether it's 1893 or 97...Around GBP15.00 in Fine condition, GBP35.00 in VF condition and considerably more in higher grades. have a look around the site for grading information, I currently don't have any similar coins for sale. Chris www.predecimal.com

Gary, If you register, you can upload a picture of the coin if you have one? Chris www.predecimal.com

Hello EVII, Well done you deserve a medal for being my first member!!! What do you collect? Where are you?

If you're looking through this forum you probably are aware of predecimal.com and have probably had a look around. As the 'owner' of this forum and predecimal.com I'd love to hear all your ideas and comments on the site and future development. Thanks, Chris Perkins

Let me know about any ideas you have for new forums!