I have just purchased a 1977 Brittish proof coin set and with it I got a Comemarative Crown and I am under the impression that it is a "medal". Now I am not a very experienced numismatist/coin collecter so maybe someone here can clear this up for me. Is a coin a medal? Are they pretty much the same thing? Do they come under the same catagory of coins etc. What is the difference if there is any. Please help
Basically the difference between a coin and a medal is that a coin is issued by a government as a means of payment. A medal can be made and "issued" by anybody. Also, a modern coin will usually have a country name and a face value. OK, British coins do not say "United Kingdom" but they will at least have a face value such as "Ten Pence". Problem is that some commemorative "crowns" from the UK do not even have that. If your crown looks like this piece http://www.coins-of-the-uk.co.uk/pics/dec/25/25p77.jpg , then that is actually a coin. Back then, the crown had a nominal value of 25p. Nowadays, commemorative pieces of the same size have a face value of £5, conveniently shown on the coin. Christian
