New to collecting - my story so far

[UPINSMOKE]

That looks rather a nice coin, with a very nice tone. I think the dealers pictures are all down to the camera and some good lighting setup. As for the grade I would say that its AUNC rather than UNC but I would be happy to have that in my collection 😎. Well done 👍

Edited March 14, 2021 by UPINSMOKE

[Sword]

1 hour ago, JacktheLad said:

Thank you all for your suggestions chaps!

 I've gone and got the 1936 and the 1902, thanks for suggesting those @Peckris 2 - might as well treat myself

I've also bid on the 1887 @UPINSMOKE, good find

@Sword Here's my old head shilling - apparently (again according to dealer) UNC, but let's see what you gents think

(I should add that the dealer's photographs look much nicer than mine - bit of camera trickery or just a better camera...who knows 🤷‍♂️)

Nice coin and a keeper! 

The dealer's grading is more accurate this time.

Edited March 14, 2021 by Sword

[Peckris 2]

1 hour ago, JacktheLad said:

Thank you all for your suggestions chaps!

 I've gone and got the 1936 and the 1902, thanks for suggesting those @Peckris 2 - might as well treat myself

I've also bid on the 1887 @UPINSMOKE, good find

@Sword Here's my old head shilling - apparently (again according to dealer) UNC, but let's see what you gents think

(I should add that the dealer's photographs look much nicer than mine - bit of camera trickery or just a better camera...who knows 🤷‍♂️)

Nice one(s)! Yes, that's a very nice 1893. If I'd known you were aiming that high I'd have spent more time looking out items for you, though the 1902 and 1936 were perfectly good coins, and competitively priced in my opinion.

[copper123]

That shilling is a good one - I would be happy with that one reverse is abt unc and obverse looks slightly worse .

The trouble with the OH  obverse is they always look slightly worn even if they haven't been ,Victoria's hair is usually the giveaway.

Tone is great and something to be loved

Edited March 15, 2021 by copper123

[blakeyboy]

Welcome to our world!

One point I would make, if it hasn't been made above, is that occasionally you will have a coin that is way more 'pleasing'

than it's actual grade would suggest.  Keep it, even if you get a very high grade as a replacement.

Make sure you get pleasure from this...not just a kick out of finishing date runs etc.

 

After all, some coins are genuinely miniature works of art.

[blakeyboy]

I have a maybe ill-informed question, brought about by that lovely 1893 shilling....

I noticed for the first time Ireland, Scotland, and England represented with both heraldic symbols and plant symbol.

Why no Wales?

[Peckris 2]

2 hours ago, blakeyboy said:

I have a maybe ill-informed question, brought about by that lovely 1893 shilling....

I noticed for the first time Ireland, Scotland, and England represented with both heraldic symbols and plant symbol.

Why no Wales?

There never has been Wales on the British heraldry. It probably has something to do with the fact that England took over Wales many centuries ago, i.e. long before Scotland and Ireland?

However in modern times, the £1 coins have addressed that issue.

[Sword]

Wales was once a Principality but has been a country since 1542. Surprisingly, many still think of Wales as a Principality today. 

[Peckris 2]

13 hours ago, Sword said:

Wales was once a Principality but has been a country since 1542. Surprisingly, many still think of Wales as a Principality today. 

In 1746, Wales was legally redefined as part of England in the Wales and Berwick Act. That was repealed in 1967 since when Wales has legally been a separate country.

[JacktheLad]

The lack of any Welsh representation on British heraldry is due to the fact that it was a Princedom when it was conquered and not a Kingdom (unlike Scotland and Ireland)

The UK dropped the ball on not including Wales in its heraldry; dragons and leeks (leeks less so) make for some pretty cool heraldic imagery imo

[Stuntman]

Hello Jack and welcome.

Nice choice regarding collecting shillings.  They were my favourite denomination when I had a schoolboy-style collection about 40 years ago, and the first place I resumed when I rekindled my interest back in 2014.

I too have a type set of shillings, of variable grade and quality, going back to Charles II.  I don't have one of absolutely every type (you will need patience and deep pockets if, for example, you want to have things like the Welsh Copper Company shillings of the 1720s) but I have at least one circulating shilling of each monarch, and usually each different bust of each monarch (certainly since George II).  This type set contains 40 coins in total and stretches from 1676 to 1959 (Scottish).

Some of these coins are GEF or better but most of them are significantly lower grade - they range from NF (a 1905 shilling) upwards but I would buy almost all of them again and have no strong desire to upgrade them.

Since rekindling my interest I have bought a little bit of everything, from the quarter farthing to the crown.  Half crowns and florins are probably my favourite denominations but my first love was the shilling.  These days I'm not buying predecimal, my coin collecting bug has taken me in a different direction - but I still get the predecimal collection out from time to time, admire them, remember where they came from, and enjoy being their custodian.  

Enjoy your journey!

[Peckris 2]

3 hours ago, JacktheLad said:

The lack of any Welsh representation on British heraldry is due to the fact that it was a Princedom when it was conquered and not a Kingdom (unlike Scotland and Ireland)

The UK dropped the ball on not including Wales in its heraldry; dragons and leeks (leeks less so) make for some pretty cool heraldic imagery imo

Yeah, they definitely missed a trick.

[Rob]

On 3/12/2021 at 6:23 PM, JacktheLad said:

Thank you very much; I've noted these down

I posted my 1916 shilling the other day; @Rob mentioned that it looks like it had been cleaned: what gives off that impression?

I do have an 1887 shilling in my collection; I bought it from a dealer who described it as VF: as I'm trying my hand at grading myself, I'd have said maybe gF or nVF as her hairline and the lace around the queen's head are quite flat, as is her cheek. The garter star and that little medallion on her shoulder have also lost a lot of detail. What do you reckon? Is there anything obvious I've missed?

Thanks in advance

The 1916 reverse surface doesn't look particularly natural to me. It may the coin has been over-dipped. It obviously has wear, so you would expect to see a little more toning rather than the uniformly flat surfaces.

The 1887 is nowhere near VF. Somebody should be shot.