Rarity of tower english Civil war era coins

[Michael]

any rarer than pre war coins Parliement must have cranked them out by bushelfulls to pay for the war,one would think so is there any premium for being from a more interesting period of history

[Rob]

any rarer than pre war coins Parliement must have cranked them out by bushelfulls to pay for the war,one would think so is there any premium for being from a more interesting period of history

On the contrary. The Civil War started during the currency of the Triangle in Circle mark which ran from July 1641 to May 1643. With output spread over 2 years, this was the most prolific mark of the reign with £1324 silver in the pyx. Contrast this with Heart which ran for 1 year June 1630-1 where the total value of silver in the pyx was £4. As a specific amount of production was removed for the trial, this gives a pretty good ratio of the amount produced. T in C is so common that you could reasonably argue that it is overpriced in comparison to other marks, but given the usual production standards seen it is still worth paying good money plus for a top rate piece. Any premiums will be the result of conditional rarity or type rarity. Within every mark there are types which are extremely rare. It is this rarity which drives the price and competition, as witnessed by the recent discussion on the T in C marked F7/2 shilling which virtually all collectors of hammered on this forum would have bought if they had been quick enough. 8 known, dire condition comes as standard, everyone wants one, but few manage. The price was almost irrelevant.

[Coinery]

any rarer than pre war coins Parliement must have cranked them out by bushelfulls to pay for the war,one would think so is there any premium for being from a more interesting period of history

On the contrary. The Civil War started during the currency of the Triangle in Circle mark which ran from July 1641 to May 1643. With output spread over 2 years, this was the most prolific mark of the reign with £1324 silver in the pyx. Contrast this with Heart which ran for 1 year June 1630-1 where the total value of silver in the pyx was £4. As a specific amount of production was removed for the trial, this gives a pretty good ratio of the amount produced. T in C is so common that you could reasonably argue that it is overpriced in comparison to other marks, but given the usual production standards seen it is still worth paying good money plus for a top rate piece. Any premiums will be the result of conditional rarity or type rarity. Within every mark there are types which are extremely rare. It is this rarity which drives the price and competition, as witnessed by the recent discussion on the T in C marked F7/2 shilling which virtually all collectors of hammered on this forum would have bought if they had been quick enough. 8 known, dire condition comes as standard, everyone wants one, but few manage. The price was almost irrelevant.

I do hope you get to write a book one day, Rob! I always really enjoy reading your posts. Always logical and well constructed, makes sometimes difficult content an easy read!

(_|_)

I'm serious, though!

Edited August 9, 2012 by Coinery

[TomGoodheart]

Apart from the type/variety rarities Rob mentioned, many of which are only known to exist in small numbers, I think the premiums come in more with the provincial issues, particularly the obsidional (siege) coinage.

If you look at Newark coins they are, by comparison with Tower issues, generally way overpriced for the numbers available. However they have curiosity value and because many were pierced to be worn, appeal not just to coin collectors but medal collectors, civil war enthusiasts and so on. They have a sentimental premium that makes them more popular that rarer but lesser known coins. And of course demand determines price.

That's the thing about collecting, knowledge is power. Not just knowledge about how many examples of a particular coin are in circulation, but what condition a type of coin is normally found in, when one was last available to buy .. it all helps you spot when rarities become available. Of course, many rarities just don't come on to the market. They pass from one collector to another privately, so knowing other colectors (and being prepared to share what you know!) all helps too.