TomGoodheart

OOps - getting too old to remember sucjh details! (Don't worry Geordie - in time you'll be like me and you'll be able to make mistakes without needing to edit first )

Looks like Ruyman has disappeared! Shame.

Matthew Alfred Brigg (d 1937) but I know nothing more about him other than at least one of his coins went into John Brooker's collection of Chas I coins from the Glendinings sale of 23 May 1939. But that may just be a coincidence. It appears that lots of Victorians and Edwardians were not adverse to stamping their initials (or those of their company) onto coin of the realm! I'm not sure we can conclude it was a collector (would YOU stamp a coin Geordie!?)

Yeah, and one of those is the 'lassie from the Bank of Scotland'!!

AArgh!!! What's the point of getting a graded slab if you then try to sell it as undergraded!!! PCGS too - just goes to show, stick to slabbing the moderns, guys!

I'm so jealous! My Mrs doesn't mind that I collect coins. She just doesn't want me to talk about them or spend money on them! I think her problem is that, like most women, she needs a really good............................................................... hobby

I have to say I'm fascinated E D. Not so much for the rarity of this particular coin, but just that it makes me ask... how the hell do they know that? Are you telling me that some poor PCGS employee spends all their time rooting through every bag of coins released by the mint for that one perfect specimen? Or was this sent in by someone for grading, in which case I guess it is exceptional, given that I have noticed the new British 2ps all have the same flaw so none of them would presumably qualify. Anyhow... I do just love to see other people's collecting interests, although this sort of thing is about as far from my 'kind' of coin as you can get, so thanks for the link! As they say - variety is the spice of life!!

I believe it's an imitation 'Spade' guinea, produced in some numbers and used for card games etc

I don't think it's terribly different but some words are spelt / pronounced different from what is generally known as 'Spanish'. There's less difference between the two than say modern English and that of Shakespeare.

Babelfish doesn't offer translation to Catalan

¡Sí, y más fotografías en el sitio sea muy agradable!

I was just thinking the Rotographic books are general but a lot cheaper and seem better value than a Spink at NZ$ 75 or so!

Krause and Spink are fine as general books Aidan but eventually I think we all find we need more specialised stuff. If you're going to get into tokens and Cu/ bronze all the variations just aren't going to be detailed somewhere like Spink which is ok for the size but tries to cram a bit too much in!. Just an idea, but you could get both Collectors' Coins 2006, Collectors' Banknotes 2006 plus something like England's Striking History from here for around the price of Spink alone! You'd have a jolly good read and loads of info! For anything else I'm sure others here on the forum would be delighted to recommend books in their special areas of interest. By the way - I don't know how libraries are in NZ but here most will order in a specialised book if you need to refer to it at minimal cost...

Absolutely - Aidan I think your Christmas 'wish list' should definitely include a copy of Peck, Chris' Banknotes book and a digital camera or scanner!!!

Me too! I would never have made the connection if you hadn't brought the token to my attention!

I'm not sure if you know that, although token currency was declared illegal in 1817 (following the introduction of the new coin the previous year) those of Birmingham and Sheffield Workhouses were given an exemption for a short time (until 1820 and 1823 respectively). Effectively I think this makes these types the only ones officially recognised as legal tender, albeit for a short while. This is because Parliament realised that many people would suffer severe hardship were their small change to become worthless 'overnight'.

All I could find is on Chard's site, but no date of issue I'm afraid. Richard

Interesting link here Aidan. As far as I can make out, Professor Thomas Holloway was a millionaire philanthropist who made his fortune from patent medicines. In 1879 after staging a public debate concerning 'How best to spend a quarter of a million or more' he co-founded Royal Holloway College, University of London. The link being that his co-founder Elizabeth Jesser Reid previously founded Bedford College (University of London), my old alma mater. See wot an educashun you can get from coins??

Indeed, the one for sale in an old copy of Spink's Numismatic Circular weighs over 145g. That's the weight of five modern 'crowns' or two cartwheel twopence! Only six specimens struck the entry says and I can see why!! Just for information, the diameter is the same as the 3d so presumably it's like a 'piedfort' 3d!

Perhaps it's an early holey dollar

Very nice scottishmoney! Coins like this are certainly a problem. Somehow once the variety is recognised somewhere like Spink the price goes up but until then... Just for info, DNW had a seven arc coin some years ago but no picture and as far as I can see a different issue. I doubt an auction price that long ago is much use now! I've put a post on another forum I belong to - if anyone comes up with anything helpful I'll let you know!

It also depends on where you intend to sell this coin. You'll normally get different amounts from dealers than from an auction, than from ebay! If you tell us what the coin is, ideally with a picture of each side, I imagine there's enough experience on this forum to give you an indication of value. What you try to get for the coin is then up to you!

You have it exactly - The price of any coin depends on demand. It would be easier if we knew what your coin is. However the price in Spink of Extremely Rare coins is pretty subjective. They by nature only occasionally come up for sale. Hence the best guide Spink editors will have may be an auction 5, 10 or more years ago. At any point if there are two coins and two collectors the price will be very different from if there are 20 collectors. You also have to remember that there has been a shift in coin collecting over the last few years. Great collectors of the past often bought many similar coins and would pay over the odds for one which was slightly different from the norm. Nowadays more people are collecting by 'type' ie they collect only coins that have significant differences in style or design. That's why there is always a strong market for Geo III 'Northumberland' shillings, Charles I Newark seige coins, Wreath crowns etc. I have two coins of which I only know of one other example apart from mine. They are therefore likely to be quite rare. However I doubt that anyone apart from a specialist collector like myself would pay over the general Spink value for them because the differences from the majority of coins isn't very noticable. Finally the general rule is that people will pay much more for a common coin in uncommon condition than a well circulated coin, however rare it is.

Just in case anyone has missed it http://www.baldwin.sh/welcometobaldwin.htm is selling a number of rarities in their forthcoming sales including coins from the Gregory collection (including a rather scarce 1693 Farthing (Peck 593) - Lot 508 Auction 47 Part 2) this unique pattern Charles I Triple Unite (Auction 48 Lot 5025) and one of the Edward VIII thruppences examined by Peck (Auction 48 Lot 5041) for anyone that doesn't yet have one!

Very odd! I know the current bidder and am surprised he'd be interested. I know it's a few quid in Spink even in F, but even so. Perhaps he's switched to collecting date runs...