New to British coins

[sirdizzy]

I have been an avid US coin collector for around 15 years and I recently just started to expand my collection and have been wanting to start collecting British coins and other countries. I started a crowns of the world album as well were I am mixing current foreign counties bullion with older crowns so say for example I just purchased a 2010 Brittania silver bullion coin and then I have a 1965 Churchill Crown (want to actually get a Victorian jubilee instead but just grabbed a churchill for now), or I have silver eagle and a morgan, a maple leaf and a canadian silver dollar or austrian philharmonic and a 5 coronas so on and so forth. It was starting to get into the crowns that really made me want to do a british type set.

I love type sets thats my favorite sets to do. I have almost completed my US Dansco 7070 type set and have completed a Whitman 20th Century US type set for my little boy and started another one for my youngest boy. I have thought about doing Whitman for myself as well as a 20th and 21st century whitman. I am also thinking of doing a Canadian type set one as well. I really want to do a british type set but for the life of me I can't find any albums for them. I mean sometimes you can find old albums they haven't made for decades like in the case of the Canadian type set as they did a dansco 7210 and 7211 years and year ago for the Canadian type sets or you can find old Whitman bookshelf albums from the 1960's. I am just stumped finding anything on a British type set. Does anyone know if anyone ever made one?

I mean I don't have much british coinage right now I have managed to get a George V 1920 Florin, a George VI 1935 half crown, a Elixazabeth II 1955 half crown, the 1965 Chruchill crown, a George V 1929 six pence, a George VI 1948 shilling and Victoria, Edward VII, George V, George VI and Elizabeth II large pennies and Edward VII and George V half pennies. BUt that is the expanse of my collection right now I just have nowhere to house them other than 2x2s. I also have some decimal coinage someone just gave me like 10 pence and 20 pence.

[RLC35]

I have been an avid US coin collector for around 15 years and I recently just started to expand my collection and have been wanting to start collecting British coins and other countries. I started a crowns of the world album as well were I am mixing current foreign counties bullion with older crowns so say for example I just purchased a 2010 Brittania silver bullion coin and then I have a 1965 Churchill Crown (want to actually get a Victorian jubilee instead but just grabbed a churchill for now), or I have silver eagle and a morgan, a maple leaf and a canadian silver dollar or austrian philharmonic and a 5 coronas so on and so forth. It was starting to get into the crowns that really made me want to do a british type set.

I love type sets thats my favorite sets to do. I have almost completed my US Dansco 7070 type set and have completed a Whitman 20th Century US type set for my little boy and started another one for my youngest boy. I have thought about doing Whitman for myself as well as a 20th and 21st century whitman. I am also thinking of doing a Canadian type set one as well. I really want to do a british type set but for the life of me I can't find any albums for them. I mean sometimes you can find old albums they haven't made for decades like in the case of the Canadian type set as they did a dansco 7210 and 7211 years and year ago for the Canadian type sets or you can find old Whitman bookshelf albums from the 1960's. I am just stumped finding anything on a British type set. Does anyone know if anyone ever made one?

I mean I don't have much british coinage right now I have managed to get a George V 1920 Florin, a George VI 1935 half crown, a Elixazabeth II 1955 half crown, the 1965 Chruchill crown, a George V 1929 six pence, a George VI 1948 shilling and Victoria, Edward VII, George V, George VI and Elizabeth II large pennies and Edward VII and George V half pennies. BUt that is the expanse of my collection right now I just have nowhere to house them other than 2x2s. I also have some decimal coinage someone just gave me like 10 pence and 20 pence.

Welcome to the Forum. I purchased many of the Dansco generic pages, and made up my own albums for farthings thru half crowns. They have coin pages with cutouts that fit most of the British Coins...and they will custom stamp the covers for you. I don't think these would help you for type sets though. Dansco will send you a brochure of all of their generic pages, and albums, so maybe you could find something. Sorry I can't be of more help.

Regards,

[sirdizzy]

I have thought about going the generic route but that's a last resort. I really like the Canadian dansco type where it breaks it out by monarch but can't find anything like that for Great Britain

There was a Whitman bookshelf album that was just for silver coinage from Edward to Elizabeth. I'd like Victoria too and non silver coinage as well though.

[Peckris]

It's a difficult one that. Good quality 2x2 coin flips are a bit of a squeeze for crowns, and not ideal. Mahogany cabinets are expensive, but things like Lindner trays with large recesses might work for you (but in both cases, the coin has to be handled to see both sides.)

Perhaps a simple coin album with large pockets would be the answer? But you would need one where the pocket is 'closeable', as normally album pockets are designed to hold 2x2 envelopes. Chris Perkins (this forum) sells a range of accessories - maybe this might help? http://www.predecimal.com/coin-wallet-with-spaces-from-safe-p-570.html

[TomGoodheart]

Hi and welcome sirdizzy!

I'm afraid albums aren't really my thing. I suspect the one I found with a quick eBay search was the silver type (1901-1954) one you've already seen. I thought I'd seen New Zealand folders but there are none on the Whitman site ... maybe they used to do more but don't now? Did you ask on coincommunity? (Or maybe I'm thinking Dansco ..)

Sadly (AFAIK) such albums don't seem as popular over here as in the US. At least I don't know of any UK manufacturers. Maybe because we've had decimal coins for 45 years or so, so there's no chance of picking up any older coins from change for beginners.

Plastic sleeve ring-binders for 2x2s are probably a reasonable starter option, though obviously don't have the useful guide pages.

It also depends on what quality of coins you plan to collect. If you're spending decent money then perhaps capsules and a tray storage system, coupled with one of Chris' books to guide you to what coins are available? (Just click on the 'Book Range' tab from the link Peckris gave above) Collectors coins GB 2014 might be of interest. Derek's 'Grading British Coins' book can be found (for Kindle) via the Amazon banner ad at the top of any page too.

Or maybe someone here has a list of suggested denominations and easier to get dates to start you off. Unfortunately unless you want recommendations on 17th century shillings, I'm of no use I'm afraid!

Edited August 15, 2014 by TomGoodheart

[TomGoodheart]

Oh, forgot to mention. Remember our 'silver' coinage was only silver (0.925) to 1919.

From 1920 to 1946 it was only 50% and from 1947 there have been no currency "silver" coins, all being CuNi.

OK, metal content doesn't always have relevance to the price of numismatic coins. But if you're bin picking, don't spend 'silver' money on things like Churchill Crowns or even the E II Coronation or Festival of Britain (1951) ones. They are common enough to find for a few quid and have no bullion value.

[sirdizzy]

All the coins I have gotten so far I have been out of my US coin shops foreign junk bin for 20 cents each (that includes the Churchhill crown as well as all the %50 silver coinage like the 1920 Florin and the 1935 half crown). I might upgrade down the road and I will likely have to resort to ebay a lot to put together a collection but right now I am just trying to put a decent set together from Victoria to Elizabeth II.

[Peckris]

All the coins I have gotten so far I have been out of my US coin shops foreign junk bin for 20 cents each (that includes the Churchhill crown as well as all the %50 silver coinage like the 1920 Florin and the 1935 half crown). I might upgrade down the road and I will likely have to resort to ebay a lot to put together a collection but right now I am just trying to put a decent set together from Victoria to Elizabeth II.

20 cents for 50% silver florins and halfcrowns can't be bad! Well done that man.

[sirdizzy]

Yea my coin shop treats almost all foreign coins like junk just dumping in a huge bin for 20 cents. I doubt they would do that if they knew they were silver.