TomGoodheart

Nice one! And for added interest, a bit unusual, in that this coin is a mule of the obverse of Group F (Briot's (sixth) bust, North 2246) with the reverse of Group E which features smaller neater cross ends. That probably makes it a fairly early issue in the timeframe for privy mark triangle coins (July 1639 - July 1641).

"The photos do not do this coin any justice in our opinion." Odd. I have the same problem. Partly because if a coin looked as good as I wish it looked in the photos I wouldn't be selling it in the first place!

Interesting. My understanding is that the original designs were sculpted on a larger scale (in clay?) and then mechanically scaled down using something like a pantograph. However I've never heard of an electrotype being made of the larger design. As for the 1kg coin, I was amused that David Nuthall said the coins would leave a lasting legacy. 'It is one item I can see being left in people's wills to future generations for perhaps centuries to come,' Really? Because I know my immediate inclination would be to take the thing down to my local Tescos to see how much chaos I could cause when I try to pay for a packet of biscuits with one!! Given the bemusement I met when I used a Queen's 80th £5 coin it should be good for a few laughs! Aren't I wicked?

There. I corrected it for you Dave.

Very cool Chris! An interesting item in itself, but with the additional bits giving the background and provenance, all the more so. I'm never sure how one values such paranumismatica but for me the financial side of such a thing would be irrelevant anyway. I'm kinda surprised the Mint itself doesn't hang on to more of these types of things (or maybe they do) to pop in a museum or something. But I suppose they have their hands full considering how to manufacture a one kilo coin for all those who've been demanding one for years.

Well to my untrained eye this looks like a replica though I could be wrong. Anyone with strong views want to tell me if I'm wrong (or the seller he's got a dud 'coin' for sale)? STUNNING CHARLES II FARTHING 1674

Welcome Rose! We've had some problems with spammers and bots and I think Chris (owner) has tightened things up. But at least you got in eventually!

Tom How obvious are these copies (pewter?) or actual silver.I've come accross a copy Liz 3d...the picture was blurred but the portrait looked good. I was refunded..the lady had found it her late husbands belongings. That depends on how they are photographed and made. The attached groat looks rather like it's cast. The shilling? You tell me. (It's a fake by the way). Replica coins are made from lead free pewter and will be under weight. But the only way to really tell I suspect, is to have the coin in your hand. And if it's a modern counterfeit made from silver and designed to fool collectors, I suspect even that may not be enough. And as a point of interest, most of these are sold as 'inherited from a relative' or as detector finds. That way the seller can feign ignorance should the coin turn out to be less than genuine. Which I admit maligns a few honest but uninformed sellers unfortunately. The most worrying thng is that these things are being resold later on by buyers who bought as genuine. In many cases they may be quite unsuspecting but the more times something is sold as the real deal the more likely it is to be accepted as such I suspect.

Sadly coins this recent even if in really briliant condition are not worth much at all. Pennies, not pounds. As to the undated 20ps, you can now buy copies of them off ebay Undated 20p which can't but have a negative effect on the value of any still around I'm afraid.

Or these? Which is the point really. They are nice copies. Or at least when photographed carefully. Nice enough to fool me at least. Very worrying ...

And this one?

I think I can guess who you mean. Sad when a perfectly simple transaction becomes an issue. And did you try messaging Chris P about the gold? Might be worth a try.

Welcome syorks! You'll find many helpful and knowledgable folk here to sort out your old coin collection! As to the gold, as Gary says, most modern RM issues seem to be more investment than numismatics. Of course, I'm a bit biased as I prefer stuff with a few hundred years wear and tear to it! But I'm afraid I view coins produced in precious metals rather than for circulation, whatever their quality, to be little different from Krugerrands; a means of having a chunk of gold or silver as a hedge to inflation. Personally? I'd sell the gold and reinvest the money in the tokens (or whatever else takes your interest!) Because in the long term I know I'd get more enjoyment from a collection of pieces I've researched and tracked down over time, whether they are only worth a few quid or thousands than something that has to stay encapsulated and out of reach to keep it shiny! As for where to sell, that I'm less sure as it's out of my area. You could try messaging Chris (Perkins) the owner of Predecimal and see how much over bullion he'd pay?

I have on occasions seen proof coins that for whatever reason have been used as change. They can be distinguished from the regular coins because areas are 'frosted' (ie non-reflective). On the Darwin coins the Queen's head is frosted, as is the field (bit behind the portrait of Darwin and the ape) on the reverse side. Proof coin on eBay But I imagine what you have is the regular coin which is only 'rare' because somebody has put taken huge numbers out of circulation to put them on ebay! A good start for your son's collection though. I (and probably quite a few others here) started our hobby by picking out nice coins from our change.

As a 'companion' to Rob's survey of our literature keeping habits, it occured to me I am a sad git that spends all day on the internet use the internet for most of my research. And I wondered how others compare!

I admit to not having a great deal. But then I only collect a narrow range of coins. And that, and my lack of literature is largely down to cost. Also that until fairly recently I wasn't as bothered about provenance. I subscribed to Spink's Numismatic Circular for a couple of years but no longer do. I receive catalogues from a few dealers. In terms of books I have Brooker of course (SCBI 33) which I refer to frequently. Old copies of Spink (2002 and the updated 2006) in case I forget the numbers which are more widely recognised. Then I have copies of the relevant sections of North and more importantly copies of Michael Sharp' article on Tower shillings. Lockett for June 74, a copy of the relevant bits of the Numismatic Circular for the Shuttlewood sale and recently a copy of the catalogue for the sale of Roy Osborne's collection more or less complete my selection. I have, but rarely refer to, copies of Besley's Coins and Medals of the English Civil War and Boon's Cardiganshire Silver & the Aberystwyth Mint. And finally a few old Seaby's and two books on coin collecting for fun. What I also have, which is more useful to me, is information about Charles I shillings that I've seen (or hunted out) for sale with date and price. That is to a large extent my yardstick. It allows me to check whether I've seen something before, compare legends, condition, dies and is updated with past details from auction rooms and the like as well as information from coin collecting contacts whenever possible. I like the internet. It's searchable. As are pdf files. Books and catalogues, less so. Which is not to say I wouldn't rather a book over a pdf any day when I'm reading for pleasure. And you can't pop a finger between pdf pages to mark your place while you flip back and forward comparing notes. So for some things books are preferred. But for current sale and availability data, the internet is brilliant. I just wish more dealers would use it! If old auction catalogues were cheap then I would happily buy up any I thought useful. But while not expensive, they aren't dirt cheap either. My last coin cost £18. Last catalogue £8. Would I rather have two catalogues or a coin? (An extreme example I know but ...) And often catalogues are not easy to obtain. I had a coin I was interested in selling and wanted a catalogue to show provenance and make the item more interesting, but was unable to track it down despite spending quite some time on it. And generally I'd rather be looking for coins than catalogues, simple as.

Commonwealth shilling my *rse! Why anyone would bid over £100 on a listing which only has a pic of one side of the coin from a seller with no feedback whatsoever without checking whether they couldn't buy exactly the same item from those nice folk at Westair Reproductions Ltd for a fraction of the price, I shall never know. I guess the moral is that if you're asking to be ripped off, sooner or later someone will kindly oblige.

This is the second time I have looked at a coin on ebay and thought .. 'looks OK. Maybe if it's cheap' only to subsequently feel a slight warning vibe, poddle off to look in my pics of fakes and go 'Ooops!' Bloody cast copies are getting to be a real pain.

From the photos I'm certain it's a cast replica I'm afraid. The details on a hammered coin, whether crisp or worn, have a certain look to them and this is too 'smooth' (not a technical term!) Plus the general 'graininess' makes it look cast. But the weight is the decider. Much too light for silver. Sorry to disappoint.

From the pic it looks like an Elizabeth I crown or half-crown (the diameter will tell - about 4cm across for the crown, 3cm for the half-crown) However if most of your Aunt's coins are Chruchill crowns and the like it's not so likely she'd have a £600-£1200 coin in there. If it is genuine I'd expect something like a sales slip or piece of paper with details of where the coin is from. There are replicas out there made of lead free pewter. Most examples found are likely to be these unless the collector is serious about their hobby in which case the family are likely to be aware of it. Such replicas will be quite light. If your Aunt's collection has a modern half crown you can compare the weight of this coin with it and the Churchill crown. If it's too light, likely it's a replica. Finally most replicas have a shiny look to them. If still in doubt a proper coin dealer is likely to be able to tell the difference at a glance.

Hi Dagz. Welcome! I hope you have fun here and learn something. Oh, and as a little warning ... I suspect almost ALL of us here started collecting coins from change! Before you know it you start to swap coins with others and then you might even feel the desire to spend money to get money! It gets addictive I'm afraid! But fun!

Yes, people seem to forget that there's not a direct relationship between 'rare' and 'desirable'. There are rare coins that are not much in demand. And there are commoner coins which have enough notoriety to always find a buyer. The internet has good and bad aspects in that it's possible to inspect coins from a dozen dealers' trays in an hour whereas before you'd have had to spend weeks booking appointments and travelling, even if you knew who to approach. But it also distorts our perception of things I think making anyone a potential 'coin dealer'. It also can make it difficult to distinguish between the experts and those who just seem to know their stuff. Or in the case of ebay, who know nothing.

I only wish I got a penny each time someone lists one of those rare Charles Darwin £2 coins on ebay ... Have you noticed how when most (?) ebayers find something they can't identify they immediately pick the rarest coins in Spink for it to be? The number of times I've had to .. advise .. someone that their coin is not what they claim. And on a number of occasions, despite the fact that there is no illustration in Spink for them to compare theirs to and despite my experience they are unwilling to believe me. Ah, well. Wishful thinking in action I guess. An example I keep in mind when considering rarity is the 'Northumberland' (1763) shilling. Now, these are not rare, in that there are still hundreds out there. But how often do you see one on ebay? Very seldom (though I have heard rumours there's a batch .. recently discovered .. in China!). But generally, if you see half a dozen examples of a coin over a year or two I'd suggest they are just not that rare. Of course, as Peter and Rob say, you have to do your homework. The coin I posted recently in 'aquisition of the week' is new to me. But I have since discovered after talking to a few contacts that there are a few more out there. At least three others anyway. But if nobody is looking for them they tend to stay under the radar. Then they become accepted as something different and most likely as more people keep their eyes open more will come to light. I suspect in time my coin will be considered a curiosity. Scarce perhaps. But rare ... well, I can hope but I'm not holding my breath on that one because it's really not that likely!

There's some details of the main 'rarity scales' here on Wiki. Rarity Factor But as everyone says, there's a subjectivity to rarity, particularly in relation to price. Some coins, there's only one or two known. But they aren't that popular or perhaps well known and so don't command a particularly high price. Whereas others are common enough (several hundred around at least) but they go for daft prices. As for mintage, well you can find out how many coins were produced for many issues. Even late hammered. But that doesn't guarantee how many now exist because we don't know how many survived the recoinages of 1696 and 1816. And when something is extremely rare, a hoard or similar find can double the number of known examples overnight! Rare to me is something I've never seen before. Oh, and as a diversion (but sort of related) with late hammered my guestimate is that if there was one single die for a coin you are unlikely to find many more than a dozen examples. Two dies, 24. Anything where less than 10 examples are known is rare to my mind. Less than 20, very scarce. Less than 30, scarce. None to precise I accept, but this is simply a personal rule of thumb I use (as part of my deliberations) when considering whether to part with the hard earned pennies!

I have collection of peas. Frozen and dry! I exchange for precious metals? Gold or silver? And if Garry is for real, please accept my apologies. It's just we quite often get people on here whose intentions are perhaps less than honest offering to sell or buy valuble items and have grown a little bit .. suspicious I'm afraid.