TomGoodheart

LOL One of the famed Saint-Gaudens gold double eagles is on display in London's Goldsmiths' Hall on 3/4 March. So if you are down there why not take a look and tell us all if it's worth the fuss! BBc video Sadly it doesn't link up with the dates for the London Coin Fair (now, that would have been a good idea!) so .. Goldsmiths' Company

It's a family coat of arms. The blazon is party per pale azure and gules a griffin en passant (shield in blue on the left and red on the right with a griffin walking on it) and the crest a sea horse naiant ( a sea horse lying down). But which family ... I haven't managed to discover I'm afraid. Maybe the above might help..

As far as I know the idea is to preserve the cultural history of a country. Essentially it applies to international trade, and primarily was aimed at looted material dug illegally and then shipped abroad for profit. I believe it does apply (assuming we're one of the signatories, which is likely) to British coins, but we aren't seemingly as interested in pursuing it as say the Greeks or Bulgarians, their antiquities. Since our coins are British then I doubt there would be the concern unless we sold them somewhere like the US in which case the American authorities might question it. But at the moment the focus seems to be on Mediterranean /Middle Eastern . more exotic locations than western Europe. We also have the added advantage of the Portable Antiquities Scheme. While not perfect it is in effect a recognition by the archeaological community of the interests of the numismatic and detectorists. While no doubt artefacts might be taken illegally or without reporting here, it's less likely. And so I think our authorities have less pressure on them (and less interest) in pursuing a few dug coins. Obviously it's a good idea to keep records (including asking sellers where coins are from). But hopefully, in true British fashion, common sense will prevail and nobody will be claiming our coins only to stick them in a box for them never to be seen again. There is I think some benefit from having coins in the hands of collectors in that they are studied, preserved and stored by someone else. I doubt there are the resources or interest for 'the Government' to do it and if they will otherwise just sit in storage there's an argument it's better for them to be in proivate hands, no?

£105 last year. £200 now, for what I think is a ruined coin.

If you don't need the money, then I'd say no. Something might re-interest you later on and if it does, you'll find it more expensive to replace what you had. We've all had/seen coins and regretted not buying them earlier at a cheaper price! I seem to remember you've a few older pieces, not just modern stuff, so you might find in a few years you want to expand one particular aspect of your collection so will have a head start. And if not .. well you might get a better price later on. As for US coins .. well, it might be worth rethinking ebay. Yes, it has some risks, but there's a better range of stuff there than most dealers plus you have the international sellers. And .. I hate to be boring but .. if you're interested in US coins maybe a copy of the 'Red Book'would be useful? About £10 on Amazon or ebay.

Not a laugh, just a salutary lesson. Cleaning is not generally advisable! Here's the coin when it was listed in Feb last year: And here as it is, nice and shiny [sic] today. Sadly, not an improvement imho.

Any chance of a photo (of both sides please)? You can post small pics (150 kb) directly from your computer as an attachment to a post, or link to a flikr/ photobucket type photo hosting site. That would help people assess the grade; which is the main aspect that will decide the price. And the diameter, just to confirm that it is a halfpenny! Oh, and don't clean it! At least until someone tells you it's not worth worrying about! A rinse under a tap is ok, but try not to rub the dirt off, it will make lots of scratches that spoils the surface.

Waiting for a coin to arrive Dave? I'm still waiting for mine to be posted!

mcsearch Christie's (Spink) If that's any help ... (there's a fair degree of variation depending on condition but £400+?)

In case it helps, I checked online for a bullion price and today's for a full sov was £260 from one buyer. x4 sovs = £1040 I get the impression online is best for prices. Jewellers offer 10% or more under melt .. and those 'Sell Your Gold' stalls least of all. Avoid them! Whether any of the coins have collector value beyond their bullion, maybe others can advise.

They don't seem cheap. Problem is either they are from change that someone has collected or from the mint. The mint ones people will want back what they paid and £70 is too much. To be honest, if I wanted a set (I did start collecting from change like many other people but got tired of it!) I'd wait. Unless you particularly want them now, surely after the Olympics they will be going for closer to £30-£40 which I think is a fair price? Packaged sets on ebay have sold from £40 + postage so if you're keen I'd aim for around that. Alternatively I wonder if picking up 6 coins here, 8 coins there might be a cheaper way to get a set? OK, you won't have the presentation pack, but they can be bought on ebay too. Or how about the single packed coins ?. See if the seller will combine postage and bid 99p. You could get them all for £30 + post maybe? A bit of work, but cheaper than a RM set anyway!

I know! And there are dozens of the things now, so not even rare! ..Oh, wait, or was that the G3/2s?

Henry VIII as Adolph Hitler anyone? I mean, it's not as if his portraits are very flattering at the best of times, but ... really! He doesn't need that!

I suppose it's not surprising that our mood effects how we feel about things. T'other day I was reviewing a recent purchase and caught myself looking at a few of the coins in my trays and feeling quite pleased about my little collection. Whereas today I'm at home with a stinking cold and thought I'd do a quick comparison of the collection with a list of coins I recently printed out to make sure I hadn't missed any or listed ones I've sold. I started wondering if I should just sell half the things. They either weren't very well stuck, or had been clipped or struck on odd shaped flans, or just the toning somehow wasn't particularly pleasing. I thought if I could get back what I paid for them I could start again with higher standards and get a collection in which every coin gave me a pleasant glow. Of course, that's pretty impractical. Some of the coins I paid rather over the odds for in my enthusiasm and naivete. Others I have little choice as they are so rare another example is unlikely to come up for sale. And of course, prices have risen and so even if I got my money back the liklihood I could buy a better coin now is rather hopeful! Tomorrow I dare say I shall feel better. It's no doubt the cold that's given me the critical perspective. But if anyone wants 16 Charles I shillings, just let me know! Low milage, one careful owner! Shall we start offers at a couple of grand?

The thing is ... a large determiner as to whether I consider the price of a coin to be reasonable relies on what I've seen before. If a coin is pretty much like other examples, I'm not going to pay as much as for one that looks better than average. If I've never seen as good an example before or, (as with my last purchase) if I know that better examples while available, go for at least double to 10x what I'm paying and I'm prepared to compromise for the price ... I can only assume the buyers simply don't know what an UNC specimen looks like. But surely, for modern coins like this, it's not too difficult to do a web search for photos - even to check auction prices for the various grades? It sort of feels that if you are going to buy something on the basis of a seller's description, without apparently doing any homework, then it's buyer beware really...

How about this one: Lloyd florin ? It's a bit cheaper ... plus you could probably ask for larger photos and he's a reputable dealer if you're unhappy.

I would think coin collectors would have quite good memories, given all the information about varieties, prices and so forth that we have to keep in mind. Yes, that might slightly impact on remembering my wife's birthday and name, but I'm sure you'd all agree, that's a small price to pay... And, on a side note, I'm sure poor Rosy / Helena has been asked to do this by someone at King's, so perhaps we should cut her some slack.

Is it this one you had in mind Coinery? George II half crown thread

I'd happily use something simple and free! But I hated learning about databases and SQL and have no desire to revisit even Excel if it requires much work! Currently I have two Excel sheets, one arranged in Spink reference number order (ie it's a stock list of my collection and concludes with a total 'value' of what I've spent) and the other in order of the date I aquired the coins and is primarily to show how much I have left to spend on coins! Neither has photos, but does name where I bought the coin, when and how much for. The coins have a ticket each with basic details (type, weight, date of purchase and from whom and price) and then I keep any paperwork such as receipts or printouts of the ebay listing as physical evidence of my purchases. Finally I occasionally print a record of all my coins as thumbnail photos. I only have 68 coins in total, so it's not so difficult. If I had hundreds then clearly it would be a different matter! Ideally it would be nice to have somewhere that holds everything, but it's frankly a bit daunting to have to start all over and I'm lazy!

Would you like me to delete those duplicate posts for you Mr ski?

*poke*

I think that the most useful description is exactly as you describe: "small edge knock, otherwise UNC". Okay, so it would still be considered to be a UNC coin then, albeit with an edge knock I'd say so. UNC strictly just means it's not been used as a coin. But we know that with modern stuff, it drops off conveyor belts and bounces around bags before it ever reaches a bank. Only specimens and proof coins would be expected to be free from any risk of marking because you're paying for them to be treated differently. That said, some people (on ebay) might assume that UNC equates to 'perfect' so pointing out anything like an EK would be sensible insurance against complaints later on.

I have to say, I've never (deliberately!) dropped a coin to hear it ring. (Remembers the time he dropped a coin at a dealers to much embarassment). Is it a reliable test? I'd have thought with hammered coins, the thickness of the flan, minor cracks, whether it's ever been exposed to heat, such as in a fire and the age of the coin (as I understand the crystalline structure of silver changes gradually with time) would all effect how it 'rings'. I just rely on weight and the appearance of the coin to guide me. Obviously a very good cast or a modern restrike in silver would likely fool me, but I'd hope 'in the hand' I'd pick out most copies. I guess without a proper test of my skills though, I could be wrong ...

Transferred from the other thread .. And here it is .. very clearly a copy and wouldn't fool most people. It has a slick feel, weighs over 6g, has give away splits on the edges showing it was cast. And is stamped with an R. No way it equates to Paulus' coin, nor could it be 'manipulated' to look much like a genuine shilling.

Ideally you want to avoid rubbing the coin because then any dirt that's on it is likely to scratch the surface. Assuming it's pretty dirty/in poor condition, warm water won't do much harm. Soak for a while and see if that loosens the dirt a bit. You'll probably have to use something to shift it but start with a soft brush like a paintbrush rather than scrubbing at it. If that has little effect than many people have found soaking in olive oil can help. It can take quite a while (weeks rather than hours) but the oil will loosen dirt and the very slight acidity helps a bit. There are more complicated techniques like ultrasonic cleaners or electrolysis, but nothing that will leave a coin as it was when it was first lost I'm afraid. But if it's just a date and identifying what kind of coin it is, the above should do. Or, if you identify the metal (silver or brass/copper), the size (diameter) and any lettering you can make out, (and ideally post a photo) it might be that someone here can tell you what it's likely to be .. particularly if it's British. Good luck!