Generic Lad

Depends on which coin. I've got a decent amount of low grade stuff that it isn't going to harm them if I touch them, in fact, I've got a low grade holed 1758 sixpence in my pocket right now (in a plastic flip) that I use as a conversation piece and use it for coin flips. Not going to damage it since I got it for about 3 pounds 10 pence off of eBay as a test of PayPal's currency conversion system and how well Royal Mail delivers to the US (quite quickly actually! And it was during the Christmas season). Then there are coins that I don't handle at all, my EF/AU 1821 Farthing I haven't touched and its still in the dealer's 2x2 coin flip, though I'm seriously debating sending it in to a TPGer despite my distaste of slabbed coins. For most of my semi-collectable coins I either have them in paper envelopes (hammered mostly) or in cardboard 2x2s with inert plastic so you can see both sides. For my US coins only worth scrap I have them in plastic tubes, and have a shoebox full of low-grade common wheat pennies (40s/50s) and tubes for my earlier wheats and Indian Heads.

So, why are the Peck books selling for quite a bit of money? Who owns the copyright to it? Surely they'd want to re-release it, after all, if someone is willing to spend ~$200 for a 40 year old book they'd be willing to spend $75 on a brand new reprinting of it!

I was looking at engraved coins and found this one on eBay too 1877 Potty Half Dollar!

Snowed over the weekend here (Missouri, USA), most of it is melting though its creating some nasty fog today.

OMG. Straight from a nightmare! Wow, I thought I'd never find a coin as ugly as the Susan B. Anthony dollar, I guess I was wrong!

Personally I've had good experiences with Forum Ancient coins (stylized as Forvm) And they seem to have some uncleaned coins here Forum Ancient Coins of course they are US based so if you live in the UK or Europe you'd be better off finding a more local dealer. But honestly I'm not sure if I'd even buy uncleaned Roman coins. After all, you'd be getting most likely nothing but late roman bronzes, dug coins are an absolute pain to properly clean I'd just buy some mid-grade cheap Roman bronzes, they'd be about the same price and you get to see the coin and pick out one that fits what you like.

I've got a few love tokens myself, my favorite has to be on a Seated Liberty Quarter (I think it is 1853) which is fairly ornate. I've got a few more that are on half-dimes (paid a quarter for one and I think $10 for the other). I've always wanted to get some on British coins but don't have any in my collection yet. I view them more or less as interesting curiosities (and chunks of silver) rather than serious numismatic coins. I'd rather have a well engraved common date coin than a rarer date that with mediocre engraving. Over here you usually find them engraved on small denomination silver, I don't think I've seen any on any coin bigger than a quarter, the dime and half-dime seem to be the most popular based on the numbers I've seen at coin shops.

Well, no delivery to the US, I guess that means I will miss out on the fun of owning a numismatic treasure...

I think they ought to be ok for US coinage, but their knowledge of world coins has many gaps with the id frequently incorrectly attributed. It stands to reason that if they can't identify something properly, how the hell can they say what grade the effectively unknown coin is? Grading accurately is based on a knowledge of what something looks like in a state of perfect preservation and varying states of wear. Yes, most third party graders are terrible when it comes to non-US coins. And I have a problem with the prevailing attitude towards slabbing and grading by TPGC (and then having to certify the TPGers) in the US which is one of the reasons why I switched my focus away from US coins. But it still remains that in US numismatics if you are to get high quality coins, they are going to be graded and most dealers sell their high-end coins in slabs (and if you ever want to sell your coins at auction, they usually need to be slabbed too) and the technical grade I've found to be pretty consistent when it comes to TPGers although subjective things like eye appeal certainly differs (there are many coins where I've found a high AU grade to be much more attractive to the eye than a coin designated as lower mint state). I wouldn't trust NGC or PCGS with world coins unless I had a very high end example that was being sold to bidders in the US where it is customary to have everything slabbed before auction. I /certainly/ wouldn't trust them with ancient coins. I have one slabbed (NGC) ancient coin I bought for far too much a while back before I really researched ancient coins and realized how affordable they were. It was a double-denarius of Gordian III that they graded it as XF with I believe 3/5 for surface 4/5 for strike with a disclaimer about corrosion and old collection inking on the reverse. I'm ashamed to admit I ended up paying $100 for it thinking WOW! What a high end ancient coin! When in reality I can pick up coins that are much better (same denomination and time frame) for under $40 from a dealer online. If that coin was a modern coin, there is no way the coin would have even received a certification, aside from a "genuine" guarantee and certainly not a grade. But alas, I didn't know much better back then (should have though!), now I know to disregard any ancient coin that is slabbed But when the topic is high end US coins, for better or for worse slabs and third party grading is king.

Since I don't live in the UK I can't really help you find sellers, but when it comes to buying from US sellers, the high quality coins (MS-64+) are usually slabbed and graded (NGC/PCGS are the two most reputable graders in the US) and (despite the fact I don't really like slabs) if you buy them you can usually get high resolution photos of the coin if you put the certification number in PCGS/NGC's websites. Their grading is fairly consistent and so it wouldn't be too bad if you were buying high-end coins to import them from the US except for high shipping/import fees. Aside from Standing Liberty quarters (which are high even in XF), most can be found for fairly cheap in mint state if you are looking for a type set (rather than a full date/mintmark run). If you stick with the 2 big names and understand their grading policies and check the certification numbers online, you should have no problem with not knowing what you get. Beware of self-slabbers though.

Yep, if you collect 20p varieties or post-decimal coins it might be worth looking into, but if you are hoping for it to be an investment... It won't be in our lifetimes. Coins that will increase in value are expensive now and will continue to be expensive. There are very few modern coins that will stand the test of time and really increase in value. Aside from people receiving errors and die varieties in their pocket change (1955 US doubled-die wheat penny, 1943 copper US cent) that immediately went for high prices and kept their momentum, no one in modern terms have managed to really buy low and sell high when it comes to coins, rather, you buy high and sell higher. People looking to make investments in modern coins often fail. The coins that will perform well tomorrow are already performing well today. Mintage only tells half the story, demand tells the other half. Look at the 1916-D Mercury dime, even in the US "almost good" and lower end "good" grades, the coin sells for well over $500. The coin has a mintage of 264,000 but due to its high demand, it sells more than coins with lower mintages. For example, the 1914 George V Maundy set has a mintage of only 982 sets, but it only has a book value of ~£155.00 in uncirculated because of lower demand for Maundy coins when compared to the US 1916-D dime.

Look in the local sellers' inventories if you want to buy non-US pieces. First of all the quality is likely to be better than on home turf and the quantities are also going to be greater. Very few items are found worldwide on auction sites, though the US is better served than most in this respect being the melting pot that it is. The lower grade material inevitably gravitates to ebay because most people don't have things that are worth considering for conventional auctions. At least in the US you are able to get mint state or thereabouts British coins with several sales coming up in the next week containing a good amount of qualtiy material. Greek and Roman are similarly widely traded, but beyond this you will need to look in the countries of origin. The US being geared towards slabbed coin sales means that only the higher grade pieces pass through the saleroom there. European countries have a reasonably diverse selection of material and you could do worse than explore this avenue. For most dealers, foreign coins tend to be a by-product of their own national currency which is what pays the bills. There are a few dealers in the US specialising in British material such as Allan Davisson in MN, but he tends to specialise in upmarket pieces which may be beyond your pocket. There are plenty of people on this site who would be able to offer British material if you were interested. Yes, I've been looking at several British sites, however I'm waiting for my current statement from my bank to make sure that there aren't any hidden fees with currency conversion, then I will buy higher grade pieces. The worst part is shipping, especially to fill my Bun Penny album, I'm going to completion at the moment for date and major varieties and less for uncirculated quality. The biggest issue with the auctions is the price which has kept me away. Unless I know I'm going to get a good deal, am buying a bullion piece or a piece I really, really want for my collection, I'm not going to spend more than $100 on a coin (at least at this time). However, once I graduate and start making some money, I'll move on to the nice auction pieces.

I've just settled to coins that I like. I'm sure that eventually I'll come up with something that I wish to pursue a complete set, but at the moment I'm just picking up examples of interesting coins at affordable prices. At the moment I've been trying to build up a good collection of bullion at face value (just yesterday I managed to pick up 25 40% silver Kennedy Half Dollars at 50 cents a piece, each with a melt value of ~$4 or so) but I can't say that I really collect American coins. If I can find a dealer that stocks them, I'd like to fill folder with bun (half)pennies or something but I haven't found a US dealer that keeps them in stock beyond a curiosity. I also want to get more into Greek and Roman issues and eventually buy a drachm similar to this one from Lucania: Though that is a distant goal and most likely will not be accomplished this year. I've also wanted to get better at reading medieval coins (I really need to get a better loupe!) I can make out what my Edward I penny says, but my Henry III penny is still mostly a mystery to me.

You mean, the hole isn't really there? If you look at it in the distance and squint really hard you don't see it

It looks a bit like it to me, but like others have said, it needs to be under higher magnification to be 100% sure.

Got an Edward I penny, Henry III Penny (long cross, both in Fine condition), Maria Theresa Thaler for Christmas. Used my Christmas money to get a 1996 25th Anniversary of Decimalization Silver Proof Set, picked up a Morgan dollar and a better condition Standing Liberty Quarter (still not even close to extra fine, I can't ever seem to find them in high grades..., at least the rim of the shield is 90% complete). Ended up paying $140 for all those together (along with a few handfuls of junk foreign coins). Also bought an awful condition 1758 Sixpence off of eBay for 3.80 Pounds with shipping. Less for the coin and more to try to become more familiar with currency conversion and international shipping so I can feel more comfortable buying better grade specimens from British dealers. Since my only camera is my cameraphone, I've only got seller's pics for the sixpence. To be honest, the coin looks much better in hand than the pics make it out to be. And overall, not a bad purchase, everything went smoothly, shipping wasn't too long (auction ended at Sunday my time, and was here on Saturday). I'm now debating whether to keep it, or to put it on a necklace or something and sell/give it away as a jewelry piece.

I use eBay for most of my British stuff and buy from a wide range of sellers, some are good, some are bad, its all the luck of the draw, sometimes I open up the package to be pleasantly surprised other times I open it up to find a rim-dinged coin (can't fault it though, got the crown for slightly more than bullion pricing anyways). But for my ancient coins (and I think there are some British coins occasionally) I use Forum (Spelled Forvm on logos and the like) Ancient Coins and they've been pretty fair with me.

For me it started about 2 years ago, at first I was an investor, trying to get silver bars/rounds. Then I realized something, the US minted 90% silver coins for circulation, I started with the low premium ones then moved into getting older coins, Walking Liberty dollars, Mercury Dimes, and Standing Liberty quarters. As time went on I started becoming more comfortable with paying higher premiums over intrinsic value for the coins, but realized that US coins came with a big price tag as the dates went older even culls went for $$$. On the other hand, most European coins allowed you to get older coins for not much more over intrinsic value if you wanted lower grades and only a few bucks in decent grades. Because of this, I switched my focus away from US coins, since I like British history and since the coins are easily readable/findable. I've also gotten a few ancient coins, but don't really collect them as the ones I want are $$$$ and being a student I don't have that high of a budget. Lately though I've been trying to find older US coins in circulation (as the silver intrinsic value is about 22x face value) and found quite a few silver ones and plenty of older coppers which has helped me build my collection up some, although when silver gets higher I'll sell some off and get some collector coins.

Just wondering what you all think are the best executed portraits on coins (either real or fictional). For me it would have to be either the Gothic portrait of Victoria like on the Crown/Florin or Queen Jadwiga on the 1932-1933 Polish coins. What about your picks?

Honestly they look Arabic or Indian to me. I'm no expert in those areas though so I can't really help you date/attribute them.

Unless the coin is in a well known holder or you are buying it for less than scrap value. I managed to pick up a Britannia for less than melt because the guy took a low-resolution pic of it in the Littleton coin holder. Most people didn't know what it was so they didn't bid, however I had bought a few Britannias in those holders from my coin dealer (and not Littleton! Their prices are absurd!) and so I knew what to expect. But yes, for coppers, if they don't photograph both sides of the coin, there is usually a reason why!

Well, the 2 coins with Britannia and the lion are farthings (1823, 1822 by the looks of it), honestly beautiful coins, some of my favorites and seem to be in decent condition. The God Save the King is some sort of token, don't know anything more about it other than it isn't a Royal Mint coin. The one with the shield appears to be a half-crown dated 1820. The smaller bronze looks to be a fractional farthing, I think it is a half farthing, but I suppose it might be a third farthing? The other coin is called a "coronation crown" in the description but I don't really know anything about it, other than it can't be a crown in the traditional sense, its much too small! I don't have my Spinks book up here with me at this time, so I can't really help you with the value. But for only 31 pounds, I'd say you made out alright.

To be honest, I think that a world currency in this time is quite unlikely. If there is one thing that this Euro crisis should tell us it is to not trust your neighbors and that the only real stability is stability that you can control. Rather than looking at individual bonds and individual nations to see their risk factors, banks and funds managers blindly viewed all EU bonds as being top notch. Whoops. If anything, the stronger EU communities (Germany/France) should withdraw from the Euro because they are being dragged down from the broke nations (Ireland, Italy, Greece). The broke nations should withdraw from the Euro because they need the hyperinflationary option to get rid of the debt that they manage to rack up so easily (look at the 2 Drachmas that ended up in hyperinflation and the final drachma that ended up being also hit by rampant inflation). We used to have a world currency: gold and silver and honestly a "hard" money solution is the only way we can really have any sort of easily exchangeable currency for an extended period of time and it is unlikely that we will see a return to real money anytime soon (although there is a growing movement in the US towards a hard money standard). So until then, I don't think we really have to worry about a world bank because it is simple game theory: If you go along with the cartel and everyone else does, everyone wins. If you break the agreement, and everyone keeps it, you come out ahead. If you break it and everyone else breaks it, everyone comes out equal. If you keep it and someone else breaks it, you come out behind. Because of this, there is no incentive to keep the currency going, there is much more of an incentive to cheat and so any type of paper/fiat currency in a world bank would end up failing given enough time. Even a hard money world currency might fail, after all, a nation can decide to debase what it considers to be a "dollar", "yen" or "pound" and thus mess up contracts set in a set currency, or mints inferior coins or cheats on banknotes. Any world bank or world currency based on voluntary agreements between nations wouldn't last for long, there is nothing to keep it together.

Great condition! And a rotated die too!

PayPal is a pain, if eBay wasn't the easiest way to get my coins for my collection I certainly wouldn't use it. I saw a similar story online about a blog (Regretsy if anyone is curious, but beware strong language is everywhere) mistakenly used the "Donate" button to collect donations for a donations fund to provide toys for underprivileged kids. Instead PayPal requested the owner of the site to send lots of paperwork (while she was in Finland) from her (US based) banks because she is set up as a for profit company, only to e-mail her back and forced her to issue refunds to the thousands of people who had donated all the while they kept the fees! So now when she sets it back up for people to donate again (though she has to use the "Purchase It" button) PayPal gets yet /another/ cut of the fees.