Collecting decimal coins given in my change

[SionGilbey]

*Checks the thread name*

Oh. lol.

[Peckris]

I think that you are right, if you want to own a true BU specimin then you would have to purchase it from the Royal Mint and pay extra for the privilege.

But never fear - keep it for 50 years and you should get back more than you paid for it

[1949threepence]

I think i'll just buy the BU set.

I can't bear collecting the post-1998 issues from change (particularly the 10p & 50p) because the finish the mint use on the coins becomes scratched and scuffed so quickly, they just don't have nice clean unmarked fields. None of the coins pulled from circulation within their first few days / week could truly be designated UNC anymore (never had that problem with the Maklouf and earlier obverses).

It's odd really as I have managed to obtain coins from around 10 years ago which are practically UNC, but then I have also seen coins that are a year or two old that look as if they were minted in the 1940's lol

I do not always collect or keep all of the coins that I obtain from my change, only usually the very best examples, but as I receive a BU set each year as a Christmas Present, I have no real need for them. I just find it a fun thing to do.

Your experience is exactly the same as mine, Rob. Not only UNC ones from 10 years ago, but maybe a 2p from the early 90's still with lustre etc. But as you also say, the odd much more recent coin with what looks like amazing wear. I think I may have mentioned in another thread a 2008 £1 coin (new design) which looked literally as though it had got 40+ years of wear. It wasn't a fake, I'm sure of that, but it was like looking through some sort of time warp, as though it were 2050 or such. It even passed through my mind that it might have been artifically worn down (deliberately) for some reason.

[Sylvester]

Lower relief coins wear faster? May be that's the reason why coins since 2008 look so bad? Coins with some relief wear on the high points first and foremost, coins with very little wear across everything. Only speculation of course.

[RobJ]

But never fear - keep it for 50 years and you should get back more than you paid for it

Sadly I doubt that I will be here in 50 years time to reap the handsome return. lol

[RobJ]

Your experience is exactly the same as mine, Rob. Not only UNC ones from 10 years ago, but maybe a 2p from the early 90's still with lustre etc. But as you also say, the odd much more recent coin with what looks like amazing wear. I think I may have mentioned in another thread a 2008 £1 coin (new design) which looked literally as though it had got 40+ years of wear. It wasn't a fake, I'm sure of that, but it was like looking through some sort of time warp, as though it were 2050 or such. It even passed through my mind that it might have been artifically worn down (deliberately) for some reason.

That is really hard to say 1949.

Speaking purely from personal experience of checking the coins in my change over the years, I have some quite shocking sights. lol

I think people must carry out bizarre experiments with coins. lol

I have received coins that look like someone has tried to 'Slice' them in half, some that look as if they have been set on fire and some that look as if they have been 'Dipped' in heaven knows what.

I once found an old large 50p with words 'Inscribed' that would shock a Sailor! lol

Then on the other hand, in the same handful of change you can receive a coin that looks like it left the Royal Mint earlier that morning.

Overall, it ever ceases to amaze me the condition that coins turn up in. lol

[RobJ]

Lower relief coins wear faster? May be that's the reason why coins since 2008 look so bad? Coins with some relief wear on the high points first and foremost, coins with very little wear across everything. Only speculation of course.

I think that is a very fair observation Sylvester.

If you take for example, the 1953 Elizabeth II Issues, which are well known for being struck with a rather low relief. They used to wear rather rapidly and were in the end redesigned to make them more durable.

The other factor perhaps is the quality of the metal used to make the coins. Perhaps the metal used in the more recent coins is not as durable as it once was and that may also add to the seemingly rapid wear and overall condition of the coins?

I'm not expert in this area by any standard, but they could be possible reasons.

[Sylvester]

The other factor perhaps is the quality of the metal used to make the coins. Perhaps the metal used in the more recent coins is not as durable as it once was and that may also add to the seemingly rapid wear and overall condition of the coins?

I'm not expert in this area by any standard, but they could be possible reasons.

It may well be something as simple as that, there's no wayto know for sure though!

[Boomstick]

Took a trip to Brighton yesterday and played the 2p push machines on the pier. Saw a 1951 halfpenny dangling close to the front, but it fell off into the edge trough at the last minute! : (

[davidrj]

Took a trip to Brighton yesterday and played the 2p push machines on the pier. Saw a 1951 halfpenny dangling close to the front, but it fell off into the edge trough at the last minute! : (

I remember those! Some of my bun pennies cost me a fortune, and they were always heads up and turned out to be 1892s or something equally common when I finally got them

david

[Sylvester]

Ah now there's an idea, next time i'm on the 2p machines I might slip a few halfpennies in, you never know it might just be a nice hook to start off a new collector! Some might think it dishonest to offload an old coin in place of a 2p, but at the end of the day I always walk into those arcades with a bag full of 2ps and I leave without one to my name, so I suppose it all works out!

[scott]

i remember at blackpool once, a mass of 2p's fell out of machine on thier own , in there was a 1933 halfpenny

[RobJ]

It may well be something as simple as that, there's no wayto know for sure though!

Agreed.

[moneyer12]

their is a kid colecctor on this forum somewhere he is 13 but licks coins very much

Which makes him sick...

bet he licks this one

[moneyer12]

their is a kid colecctor on this forum somewhere he is 13 but licks coins very much

Which makes him sick...

bet he licks this one

[RobJ]

I've just found something in my change that you don't see everday.

An 1839 Fourpence! lol

It must have been given to me as a 5p Coin, although I'm not sure how it wasn't noticed as it is slightly smaller and a lot thinner than a 5p Coin. Saying that it was VERY dirty until I gently gave it a little wash in warm soapy water.

The interesting thing is, both the OBV and REV are both facing the same way. I was under the impression that until the 1887 'Jubilee Head' Issues that with Silver Coins the OBV and REV were opposite?

Any thoughts?

[Sylvester]

I've just found something in my change that you don't see everday.

An 1839 Fourpence! lol

It must have been given to me as a 5p Coin, although I'm not sure how it wasn't noticed as it is slightly smaller and a lot thinner than a 5p Coin. Saying that it was VERY dirty until I gently gave it a little wash in warm soapy water.

The interesting thing is, both the OBV and REV are both facing the same way. I was under the impression that until the 1887 'Jubilee Head' Issues that with Silver Coins the OBV and REV were opposite?

Any thoughts?

Not often you see one of those in change!

For this particular issue medal alignment is standard, no idea why they should be the opposite to most other coins in circulation at the time but there you go.

Is the edge milled or plain? If it's plain you've got yourself a proof, if it's milled it's the bog standard circulation variety.

Cool find nonetheless! Oldest circulating coin find on the forum?

[RobJ]

Not often you see one of those in change!

For this particular issue medal alignment is standard, no idea why they should be the opposite to most other coins in circulation at the time but there you go.

Is the edge milled or plain? If it's plain you've got yourself a proof, if it's milled it's the bog standard circulation variety.

Cool find nonetheless! Oldest circulating coin find on the forum?

It has a Milled Edge Sylvester.

I had a look in my copy of 'Spink' and the only mention of an UP/UP Die Axis is for a 1839 Proof Coin. But if it has a Milled Edge as opposed to a Plain Edge it can't be a Proof?

So I have no idea either why the OBV/REV is UP/UP as opposed to UP/DOWN as it is for the other coins.

Perhaps a First Issue? Or part of a Set? Or maybe just a mix up at the Royal Mint? lol

[davidrj]

I've just found something in my change that you don't see everday.

An 1839 Fourpence! lol

It must have been given to me as a 5p Coin, although I'm not sure how it wasn't noticed as it is slightly smaller and a lot thinner than a 5p Coin. Saying that it was VERY dirty until I gently gave it a little wash in warm soapy water.

The interesting thing is, both the OBV and REV are both facing the same way. I was under the impression that until the 1887 'Jubilee Head' Issues that with Silver Coins the OBV and REV were opposite?

Any thoughts?

Not often you see one of those in change!

For this particular issue medal alignment is standard, no idea why they should be the opposite to most other coins in circulation at the time but there you go.

Is the edge milled or plain? If it's plain you've got yourself a proof, if it's milled it's the bog standard circulation variety.

Cool find nonetheless! Oldest circulating coin find on the forum?

Can't beat that, though i did find a wren farthing in my change once, which I assume was circulating as a 1p

[Sylvester]

Can't beat that, though i did find a wren farthing in my change once, which I assume was circulating as a 1p

I have spent halfpennies as 2p before and post-47 shillings as 10p coins, merely hoping some kid would stumble upon it and catch the coin collecting bug. Haven't done it in a long, long time though (about 1998). I should buy some 50% silver shillings and see if I can sneak a few of those into circulation. I think there's a lot less things of interest currently in circulation to grab a child's mind and turn them into collectors. I know it was the predecimals that did it for me.

[Sylvester]

It has a Milled Edge Sylvester.

I had a look in my copy of 'Spink' and the only mention of an UP/UP Die Axis is for a 1839 Proof Coin. But if it has a Milled Edge as opposed to a Plain Edge it can't be a Proof?

So I have no idea either why the OBV/REV is UP/UP as opposed to UP/DOWN as it is for the other coins.

Perhaps a First Issue? Or part of a Set? Or maybe just a mix up at the Royal Mint? lol

No it can't be a proof, according to Coincraft all proofs have plain edges for 1839.

Perhaps I ought to check through my groats, I never thought to look for plain edge coins!

[RobJ]

No it can't be a proof, according to Coincraft all proofs have plain edges for 1839.

I have just had a search on the Internet to see if I could find out any further information about this curious little coin.

The only reference that I could find about an 1839 Groat with an 'Inverted' Die Axis was the 1839 Proof Issue. There were two versions of this coin, one with a 'Normal' Die Axis and the other with an 'Inverted' Die Axis. The latter is apparantly rather rare.

I just can't fathom why a standard circulation coin would have an 'Inverted' Die Axis.

Perhaps it may be mentioned in a specialist Silver publication, 'ESC' or something similar?

[Sylvester]

It's weirder than you think;

Following coins were struck in coin alignment;

1826 £5

1823-1826 £2

1831 £2

1761-1786 £1/1/-

1817-1887 £1

1762-1786 10/6d

1817-1887 10/-

1818-1834 5/-

1844-1853 5/-

1820-1887 2/6d

1849-1887 2/-

1763 1/-

1821-1887 1/-

1821-1887 6d

1762-1786 Maundy

1822-1887 Maundy

1838-1887 3d

1797 2d

1797-1808 1d

1770-1807 1/2d

1771-1807 1/4d

1821-1825 1/4d

1842-1868 1/8d

Following coins were struck in medal alignment;

1839 £5

1787-1799 £1/1/-

1787-1813 10/6d

1797-1813 7/-

1804 $1 Bank of England

1839 5/-

1811-1816 3/- Bank Token

1816-1820 2/6d

1811-1816 18d Bank Token

1787 & 1798 1/-

1816-1820 1/-

1787 6d

1816-1820 6d

1792-1820 Maundy

1836-1888 4d

1825-1860 1d

1825-1860 1/2d

1826-1860 1/4d

Notice the 1839 proofs tend to be medal alignment. As for the rest, well I could never figure out why they switched back to coin alignment in George IV's reign for the silver but then changed the copper coinage from coin alignment to medal alignment!

Most of the mainstream silver from 1816 was turned out in medal alignment during George III's reign, all except the crown that is. Why? Who knows...

The gold swapped from coin alignment to medal alignment when the spade guineas arrived, but then reverted back to coin alignment when the sovereigns were introduced in 1817.

The groat seems to follow the pattern of the base metal coins rather than the silver of its era.

[RobJ]

It certainly is all very confusing isn't it? lol

I do think that the most fascinating thing is how on earth did it end up in my pocket?

If you think about it, it is over 170 years old! I can't help myself from wondering about the journey that it has taken to travel from then to my pocket. lol

I'm not even sure where it came from. All that I know for certain is that I obtained it in my change in the last couple of days, as that was the last time that I had a good look through the coins in my pocket and it definitely wasn't there then.

This just confirms to me that it is a really worth while activity to 'Check Your Change.' lol

Edited January 8, 2011 by RobJ

[declanwmagee]

It certainly is all very confusing isn't it? lol

I do think that the most fascinating thing is how on earth did it end up in my pocket?

If you think about it, it is over 170 years old! I can't help myself from wondering about the journey that it has taken to travel from then to my pocket. lol

I'm not even sure where it came from. All that I know for certain is that I obtained it in my change in the last couple of days, as that was the last time that I had a good look through the coins in my pocket and it definitely wasn't there then.

This just confirms to me that it is a really worth while activity to 'Check Your Change.' lol

Do you think you'd have noticed it if you hadn't been interested in coins, Rob? Doesn't the Universe do funny things sometimes?