TomGoodheart

Sorry, must have missed this Chris. Un Decime is 10 Centimes, 1/10 French Franc. The legend on the back reads L'An 5. I haven't researched this but perhaps it's a revolutionary dating, since the link gives the date as 1796/97 which ties in with the National Constituent Assembly (1789-1791). Hope that gets you started! Richard

Yes. Despite complaining, if I find a new design in my change I always quite readily squirrel it away. Plus any counterfeit £1s and the usual Manx, Gibraltar etc coins you occasionally find. But as you say Geordie, it is an aside! Been a few years since I found a Chas I shilling in my change. (Oops, showing my age! )

Yes. Having just seen the new designs for the £5, £2, £1 and 50p coins I think we're well on the way to pseudocurrency already!! Not long before we will see different 20ps, etc every blooming year as well!?

Looks a wee bit like Falconer's work, doesn't it?

Yes! I can see the design is really the sword coming out of the stone now!

Ah! I'm still working on that one Geordie (though slowly!) I'm still assuming earlier than the 1300s but....!

Hmm... I'd say nVF would be fair for a regular coin, but for this issue which tends to be a bit naff and scarce in such condition I think I could be persuaded to go higher. Whether it's EF or not, I suspect Colin Cook wouldn't have turned up his nose at this one and it may well be as good as you'd get!

Yes. The crispness of the lettering and their being the right way round does support a trial strike. And very interesting it is too!

See this link for the legend: MONETA LODOVICI / REGIS HUNGARI So it's a Hungarian coin of Louis I 1342-1382 AD., Saracen's head / Double barred cross . Thanks for the challenge!

Leichstenstein apparently. Though what it is, other than possibly an impression of the obverse of a coin, I dunno! (I meant reverse obviously!)

Oh, and as for storage, I'd recommend a tray system at first with a variety of different sized holes, from crown size (around 45mm) down. (By the time you buy your first silver Pound coin you'll be looking at something fancier in terms of storage, so I'd say so don't worry these won't fit yet!) See Chris' main Predecimal bit for storage ideas. Remember hammered coins are rarely exactly round so don't bother with dozens of exact sized holes cos they won't all fit! Like this one that's practically square! You'll also need to record information about your purchases. Although it's a bit redundant with computer records etc I still like to use a circular paper 'ticket' with each coin as it's traditional and nice for any future purchaser as it's part of the history of the coin. While you can buy these, I have so few coins I just cut them out myself! Lingford Collection (1891-1950) (Blue Ink) and ex Thomas Bearman tickets from Antony Wilson's York Coins site.

Hi deelcee. Welcome! I think Rob has put in a lot of the info I was going to offer, particularly the Brooker book - I borrowed it from the local library before buying my own copy and I'd recommend this. Charles I coins are generally cheaper than James or Chas II because they were issued and circulated in larger numbers. I collect Chas I (Tower mint rather than 'provincial' issues) shillings and would be happy to answer any questions you might have about this area. The coins I have pictured in the gallery cost me from £30 to a few hundred. Your budget should therefore be quite adequate for this type of thing, although as Rob mentioned, (silver) crowns are pricier and gold more so. My only 'words of wisdom' are, firstly chose coins you like to collect and secondly, take your time! There is a great temptation (which I didn't resist!) to spend, spend, spend at first. So many coins!! After a while however you start to get an idea of the grade ('quality') of a coin. I certainly recommend buying better condition coins because I find you get more pleasure from them (plus the identifying qualities are all there!). I have several what I thought were scarce coins in low grade I paid over the odds for in a fit of enthusiasm to regret it later! The more different denominations of coins you collect the less the minor variations will matter (at least at first!). If you can resist the temptation to 'fill gaps' too early, a study of the main dealers websites willl give you an idea of what's available. Feel free to pm me and I'll send you a few recomendations of dealers I have bought from and have a reasonable selection if you like. And welcome again to the coin collecting fraternity!

AArgh! Elite! I remember playing until 3am one Christmas, then when I tried going to sleep at last I couldn't because all I could see was those bloody starfields burnt into my retinas! Happy days!

Unobtainable because he's got 'em all! (Just jealous Jeff!)

Smart!

Hi Jeff. Well, on the basis of the few examples I've seen, I for one would be quite happy to see more of your collection available for wider inspection. Details of previous owners and history would I am sure be interesting too! Give us all something to aim for!

For anyone that hasn't seen it here is the link to Jeff Cope's 'Petition Crown' website. Though it's a bit small, here's a pic of the edge engraving. When you consider it's on a coin the size of a £5 coin it's pretty impressive I think! I've reversed the colours for clarity - you can see the original on the site.

Yes, Happy New Year everyone!

Sorry about the delay replying. I've been occupied somehow!! The dealers I mentioned were just those I have bought from and found trustworthy and reliable josie. I think that a guarantee from CGS is no more (or hopefully less) useful than one from one of the aforementioned dealers. All will no doubt buy back a coin for what you paid, minus expenses. But I think if I told say Chris 'I bought such and such a coin from Roddy Richardson' that would give him an idea about the coin (and price!). CGS has still to establish any reputation so there's a risk that you can only get back close to what you paid from them. It reminds me of the old days when I used to dabble on the stock market. There was also an 'unlisted securities market'. The shares there could perform remarkably well. But selling them again could be nigh impossible! Happy New Year all!! And good luck with the collecting!

From the editorial of Coin News: Any collector who buys a CGS encapsulated coin will know he has exactly what is described, no ifs, no buts, the coin will be what CGS says it is – if it isn’t he will get full market value for it from them. Now many will say that dealers offer that service anyway, that if you buy a coin from a reputable dealer and it isn’t what they say it is then they will give you your money back. Well yes, up to a point, but one of the biggest issues in recent years has been that of grading – what one dealer says is EF another might only grade as VF+ or even VF and that can mean a vast difference in the price and no real come back as it’s a very subjective issue with the original dealer arguing vehemently that the coin he sold was exactly what he said it was whilst the other argues just as hard that it isn’t – such arguments are not uncommon and the issue of grading is often one that sees heated exchanges in the trade!. CGS are endeavouring to make it less subjective and are prepared to put their money where their magnifying glass is by guaranteeing their grading, backed up with cold hard cash should they prove to be wrong. Yes. But will Mark Rasmussen, Antony Wilson, Stephen Mitchell, Lloyd Roberts, Michael Gouby, Chris Perkins, Andy Bruce or Mike Vosper (to name but a few) agree that CGS' EF is EF or not? That remains to be seen. And what pray is CGS 'full market value' and who decides this? (Not convinced yet, I'm afraid...)

My father had lots of Victorian pennies in his 'collection'. However these were picked up in change since such coins continued to circulate as acceptable currency until the 1970s. They are consequently well worn. Sadly well worn coins are mostly valueless. So unless your coin is roughly in the same condition as a 1998 or newer penny in a handful of change it is unlikely to be worth much. A picture will allow us to establish grade (condition) and therefore value. But don't get your hopes up yet. I have silver coins from the 1600's. Some cost me as little as £15 so age does not necessarily mean value!

Nothing I can see I'm afraid. I have one of these 1994 'coins', along with the regular three legged issue along with Guernsey and Gibraltar issues I've picked up in change. As with all of these, they aren't legal tender in England, which is presumably why Spink's Coins of Scotland Ireland and The Islands does not list them at all. But they do circulate just because they are similar in appearance and people aren't that bothered. My favourite change 'oddity' is a Swaziland 1 Lilangeni I was passed in change. Same size and colour as £1!

Yeah. I got a safety deposit box at the bank specifically to store my coins. But since I have accumulated them I like being able to look at them frequently. Sometimes a pic just isn't good enough. Besides it costs a few quid for access each time I want the bank to let me see my stuff. So now the bank just has my Dad's medals and some small pieces of jewellery. And my home insurance policy covers the rest. I had to provide valuations (which I got from the local BANS Numismatic Society for free) but the cost was OK. In fact after changing insurers I saved £100! As for a walk-in safe - I'd just like to be able to get into my garage!

Just to clarify, my coin wasn't one of the slabbed ones. Just a coin that passed through one of London Coin's auctions a couple of years back. They may have tightened up since then. I've dealt with Alex Anderson. He sells on ebay and seems to have an eye for the interesting, though I tend to feel he's paid over the odds sometimes. Since I only look at hammered I don't know what his taste in milled is like. As Rob says, making a business sounds like it might be a struggle and as for Utah.... funny but I always thought there were one or two British coin collectors this side of the pond too. Rather suggests nobody in the UK was keen to get involved doesn't it?

I think the bottom line is that in the US people consider the professional grading and slabbing of coins to be useful. They think it offers them a degree of protection and so there is a market for such things. There is therefore a reason for buyers to leave the coin in the slab, particularly if they plan to resell it in the US in the future. In the UK such a market doesn't exist, at least amongst numismatists. While it may interest investors (although I suspect any sensible investor will research the market and see that there are many unslabbed but 'investment worthy' coins around) it remains to be seen if anyone else will be prepared to part with their money for such a produce. Particularly since, by implication (since grading and slabbing has a cost to the slabbers), there will need to be a premium over the cost of an equivalent 'raw' coin. I suspect that buyers will continue to use their own judgement as to whether the asking price is good or not. And for the most part I suspect buyers will liberate their coins from the slab. Whether this operation can both create and maintain a market for slabbed coins remains to be seen. But I think the 'premium' may put many people off, especially if they aren't bothered about the slab in the first place!