British Coin Type set.

[Coins Of the UK and US]

Hi everyone.

I have decided that I will change my collection and I will now collect type sets instead of date runs.

I have tried to look for a good type set album or list for UK coins but I have been unsuccessful.

If anyone could please provide me with a British coin type set list or any recommendations for good albums. That would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance, all the best, F Drummond.

[Peckris 2]

Surely they must exist? I do remember the Sandhill cases from the 60s, which held each denomination for a particular year. However, if you picked up a few of these cheap for 60s dates (you will want a 1965 which will hold from Crown down to halfpenny, and a 1966 to get the standard halfcrown down to halfpenny), you could adapt them to hold denominations for each monarch from 1816. 

Otherwise you might  have to bite the bullet eventually and get a cabinet, or if that proves too expensive, you could go for Lindner trays instead.

[Coins Of the UK and US]

Thanks Peckris 2

[copper123]

Type sets are easy till you hit wreath crowns and 1902 crowns 

[wlewisiii]

I got a really nice 1902 Crown thanks to an estate sale but the prices of Wreath Crowns made me decide I liked shillings better 🤣

 

[Sword]

21 minutes ago, wlewisiii said:

I got a really nice 1902 Crown thanks to an estate sale but the prices of Wreath Crowns made me decide I liked shillings better 🤣

 

Certain crowns like the 1927 proof wreath, 1902, and 1887 in particular have very standard prices and are relative safe purchases. My very first purchase was an 1887, followed by a 1927 proof, followed by an 1818 about 15 years ago. 

[wlewisiii]

1 minute ago, Sword said:

Certain crowns like the 1927 proof wreath, 1902, and 1887 in particular have very standard prices and are relative safe purchases. My very first purchase was an 1887, followed by a 1927 proof, followed by an 1818 about 15 years ago. 

Truth. My favorite remains my 1818. Got it cheap due to rim damage (possibly jewelry at some point) but AU+ details. Lovely coin. 

[Sword]

1 hour ago, copper123 said:

Type sets are easy till you hit wreath crowns and 1902 crowns 

Then it gets really difficult with the gothic (pricey rather than rare), William IV, high grade George IV, high grade Young Head. That's why I started other denominations.

[Sword]

2 minutes ago, wlewisiii said:

Truth. My favorite remains my 1818. Got it cheap due to rim damage (possibly jewelry at some point) but AU+ details. Lovely coin. 

Those George III crowns were struck with a great deal of care (graduated striking and delivered to banks wrapped in soft paper.) The engraving is truly superb.

[Coins Of the UK and US]

Thanks for the help everyone. This is great. Apologies for the delay in response.

[copper123]

14 hours ago, Sword said:

Then it gets really difficult with the gothic (pricey rather than rare), William IV, high grade George IV, high grade Young Head. That's why I started other denominations.

Were gothic crowns ever currency ?

Thought they were patterns.

[wlewisiii]

Yes. 1847 non gothic was the last circulation Crown till 1887. The circulation ones were not exactly common but the Gothic ones were just patterns. 

https://en.numista.com/23740 describes the Gothic Crowns 

 

[Sword]

It is a moot point whether the undecimo gothic crown is a pattern. Firstly 8000 were produced which is high for a pattern. In addition, it also gained legal tender status unlike non-adopted patterns. Hence, some did circulate as currency. 

If I have to take a position, I would call it a limited issue rather than a pattern. 

Wreath crowns are not generally considered patterns either.

 

[Rob]

The Gothic crowns probably had limited circulation due to the fact that they were vastly outnumbered by the large issues of 1844 & 1845 crowns. The mint has always produced coins based on demand from the banks for circulating currency. There could be two reasons for the gothic crown. First it was a commemorative piece celebrating the tenth year of Victoria's reign, but also the question of decimal currency had raised its head again since the beginning of the decade. This could also have been a test the public opinion for the new design issue, which as it happened to be popular, was then adopted with the pattern florins further refining the choice of design. I refuse to believe the monetary committee worked in complete isolation to the thoughts of the public, even if everything had to be approved by the monarch. For most people the circulating currency is the face of the monarch, so there has to be some sop to public taste. Where would you prefer to live? In a monarchy that is ruled by someone who is a bit of a dog, but tolerable, or someone you could point to on the coins and say, she's beautiful. Most people will prefer the latter given the state of the country 20 years earlier with the excesses of George the Fourth still in recent memory.

[wlewisiii]

The numista entry does refer to them as NIFC so perhaps calling them patterns is too far. 

But an issue of 8000 means that the scruffy collectors like me don't see them much less own them! LOL! Just like pattern coins... 

[Paddy]

I was fortunate enough to pick up mine before the prices went completely crazy:

[Citizen H]

These are the best of my bunch, 1864 is probably the best example that I have, these as the rest I have were boot fair finds well over 30 years ago, pre computers internet day and age...... also It turns out 12 months have passed by it was 1 year today that I first joined www.predecimal.com/forum 👍🍻

   

 

Edited 16 hours ago by Citizen H

[Peckris 2]

On 1/4/2026 at 9:10 PM, Sword said:

Then it gets really difficult with the gothic (pricey rather than rare), William IV, high grade George IV, high grade Young Head. That's why I started other denominations.

George IV crowns aren’t so very hard to find and are much cheaper than William IV (the hardest).

[Rob]

I usually turn them down when offered, because I have never looked for one for the collection, and they are way overpriced for what they are. I was offered a couple of cleaned examples 6 months ago, but declined on the grounds that I don't like cleaned coins when much better alternatives are available, and the questions of iffy ones, abused ones and the rest are a bit off-putting. Give me a florin any day.

Only problem is, if I get a type example of everything else I will have to eat my words. Not looking forward to the expense when I can buy fish and chips for a few quid.

[Coins Of the UK and US]

Some very nice collections here.

[Coins Of the UK and US]

These are the crowns in my collection. The George V is a Jubilee Crown.

[Paddy]

A nice selection! What dates on the Charles II and William III?

[Coins Of the UK and US]

Thanks Paddy. Charles II 1667 and William III 1696.

[Sword]

7 hours ago, Peckris 2 said:

George IV crowns aren’t so very hard to find and are much cheaper than William IV (the hardest).

Very true. But a decent EF example is now well over a thousand pounds. I don't particularly like that George IV portrait and so didn't want to pay so much. As for William IV, I would eventually settle for a halfcrown which is of the same design.