Are British coins fun to collect?

Lovely coins, Paddy!

 

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A truly magnificent piece of coinage.

 

British coinage has clearly remained, and consistently so over the course of centuries, without a doubt among the very most regal and majestic (absolutely no pun intended) ever produced.

 

I agree, even their current modern coins minted today for collecting & for circulation tend to be nicely done.

U.S. on the other hand....

 

Perhaps our problem isn't so much with our coinage but the fact that we have a distinct dearth of persons of royal lineage to immortalize.

 

Some new ones picked up today:

1893 Victoria Crown - these are remarkably common in the UK and make only a little over melt. They had two edges in each year corresponding with the complete years Victoria reigned, so this one shows LVI for 56 years on the throne. (There is a LVII for this year as well.)

1937 George VI Crown - I think the coat of arms on the reverse of this is one of the nicest designs.

Late 18th Century John Howard FRS token from Bath in England. John Howard was a famous prison reformer who died in 1790 I believe. The legend on the reverse reads "Remember the debtors in goal" which is a misspelling as it should read "Gaol" - the English spelling of the American "Jail".

 

I NEVER get tired of looking at these British beauties!

 

No, not fun at all!




Just KIDDING

 

I love them

 

Another popular branch of British coin collecting is the Maundy coins and sets. Here is one I just found in my spares box:

 

Hello! I hope you don't mind me jumping in I also had some questions on the 71 new pence, and you seem pretty knowledgeable. I'm not a collector, so maybe this is nothing, but I have been looking this coin up for the past 2 days and getting nothing. It's mostly normal, but the 2 is backwards! And it also looks more like a medal than a coin. If you would share your thoughts I would be much appreciative!

 

Welcome to CT. Trying to post pictures can be problematic, but you might have to try more than once. JPG's seem to post best.

 

I agree, simple yet elegant with a majestic beauty:

 

I started collecting British coins about ten years ago. My initial goal was to get at least one coin from each ruler, who issued a coin, from Edward the Confessor to Elizabeth II. The reason for that beginning was the story of William the Conqueror. One version is that Edward may have told him that he should be the next king. He acted on that, won the Battle of Hastings, and changed English history. Later I expanded the kings list to Alfred the Great.

Edward III was the first to issue gold coins during that era. I tried to get a gold piece when I could afford it. I was not extremely fussy. A nice, undamaged VF or Fine gold piece was just fine.

Some gold pieces, like Elizabeth I, surprisingly, are beyond my budget. For Henry IV, a gold piece proved to be the only way to get a decent coin to represent him. Henry’s silver coins were too heavy. The vast majority of them were sent to the continent and melted. Most of the survivors are terrible. Dealers told me a piece in Fair (American grading) was “a bargain” at $2,800. No thank you! For double that, I got a noble. Over graded in its PCGS holder, but still very presentable.

While I was doing this, I compiled a “bullet book” with history of each king and queen. That project is now up to two loose leaf binders.

Of late, I have been studying and concentrating on the coinage during the time of Charles III. The Americans complained that the British wouldn’t supply them with enough coins, but the citizens of the British Isles had the same problem.

I have run on for too long, but I will post some coins from time to time.

 

I think you meant George III not Charles? He is the current incumbent and I don't think there is any shortage of coinage now.

 

With the Spink references (Pre-decimal & Decimal) listing 5000 or more substantive types (excluding the Roman included as circulating examples), there is more than enough variety for most collectors should they choose British coins as their direction, even within a restricted field such as a single denomination. And it doesn't have to be expensive, as many periods can be represented for under £100 a pop with some costing pennies, though some of the earlier things have become more expensive.

All the coins below cost me less than £100, with most still in that bracket.

Corieltauvi AVN COST silver unit


Constantius I follis struck at the London mint


Northumbrian styca of Eanred


You will struggle finding Saxon or Norman coins under £100 unless they are severely impaired, but cheap service is restored with the Plantagenents. A Henry III long cross penny. Cut halves and quarters will cost under a tenner.


A Tudor sixpence. Not all coins have to be small.


You can pick up reasonable William III coppers for a few tens of pounds, e.g a halfpenny.


Once you get to the Hanoverian monarchs, silver becomes affordable. George I 1723 SSC shillings, George II old head shillings and sixpences and 1787 shillings and sixpences are good representative examples.


Moving on to Edward VII which is always quite popular as a stand alone group. A mint state, mint toned farthing will only set you back in the region of £20.


And anything from the House of Windsor, with few exceptions such as gold or Edward VIII, you can pick up for small sums. e.g a couple pounds for an Elizabeth II Scottish reverse shilling


All in all there is a huge amount of variety for the type collector at readily affordable prices.

 

None of the above images are coming through for me - is anyone else experiencing the same? I can see images in other threads without a problem - it is just this thread.

 

You are correct! George III.