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[Master Jmd]

Many people who post about their coins do not realize that we (the members of the forum) cannot value or identify a coin unless we know the exact specifications of the coin. The size, metal type and a brief description of the designs and words usually helps.

Please also read sections from the below hyperlinks BEFORE posting in this section of the Predecimal/Rotographic forum:

Grade information (most important!)

Celtic Coinage

The majority of Celtic coins were struck by hand, sometimes resulting in a loss of definition through well striking. In addition, the design on the dies was often bigger than the blank flan employed, resulting in the loss of some of the design. Coins with full legends are generally more valueble than examples with incomplete legends. (Quote from Spink 2004 Coins of England Catalouge.

Grades for Celtic coinage (and most of the coinage up to Charles I) hardly ever are found above VF, GVF at best.

Fine = Some detail (especially in centre of coin) still clear, mostly worn.

Very Fine = Some detail (especially in centre of coin) still clear including some of the legend, not as worn as Fine, but still quite worn.

Roman Coinage

Generally as above, but more of the legend is see-able. At best the grade could go to NEF at push.

Anglo Saxon

Still as above, but with slightly more detail showing, later examples could get to EF at push.

Plantagenet Kings - House of Tudor

As above, but more detail and at push the grade could go to UNC or even higher!

Should i clean my coins

It is not as much of a 'sin' to clean older coinage, many collectors do clean their Celtic - Hammered coins to bring out the detail in them or to get the dirt off of them. Although its not 'ok' to clean these coins but it is not much of a de-valuer to clean them lightly.

Umm...what does it mean (Dictionary of Coinage terms)

Buying Coins Online

Please also use the search facility in this forum because we often find that the same kinds of things get asked twice. Remember that the list of topics you see cuts off after a certain number of days, and that there is an awful lot of info to explore in here.

Thanks for visiting.

[Sylvester]

Anglo Saxon

Still as above, but with slightly more detail showing, later examples could get to EF at push.

Plantagenet Kings - House of Tudor

As above, but more detail and at push the grade could go to UNC or even higher!

Sometimes i wonder JMD.

Firstly Anglo Saxon coins particularly those of Æthelred II, Canute (yes i'll take the liberty of including him here) and Edward the Confessor can often turn up in EF (Especially Æthelred II ones), and i've seen examples of those go in AU condition too.

As for the Plantagenet and Tudor stuff i dunno if UNC is possible, EF i've heard of but UNC? I doubt it.

Oh by the way what's higher than UNC? I suppose you mean BU, How many hammered coins grade BU? I've never seen one yet!

[Chris Perkins]

But JMD, I really only consider Roman and Celtic (so 200BC up to 500AD) as being ancient. You can't call tudor coinage ancient!

Strictly speaking the ancient period stopped when the dark age begun after the Romans had moved out.

[Master Jmd]

Hmm...i tried...

As for the Plantagenet and Tudor stuff i dunno if UNC is possible, EF i've heard of but UNC? I doubt it.

Oh by the way what's higher than UNC? I suppose you mean BU, How many hammered coins grade BU?  I've never seen one yet!

I meant at unc for the Tudor stuff...in some of the spink auctions there are tudor coins that are regarded as unc

By higher than UNC, i meant something like ABU...but now you mention it, itdoes seem a bit high up

[Sylvester]

I meant at unc for the Tudor stuff...in some of the spink auctions there are tudor coins that are regarded as unc

By higher than UNC, i meant something like ABU...but now you mention it, itdoes seem a bit high up

Regardless of what Spinks may or not think i still think an UNC hammered coin is an impossibility. AU i can understand, UNC sorry but no.