The 2011 British Coins Market Values book is here....... I just got my copy for US$20 from a dealer in Westchester NY this last weekend. For those unfamiliar with the catalog, it is about 20 cm x 15 cm and a little less than 1 cm thick. Note that it lists prices in English pounds and it is divided into the following sections: Celtic Coinage Hammered Gold Hammered Silver Royal and Rose Farthings Milled Coinage Maundy Sets Decimal Coinage Proof & Specimen Sets Scottish Coins The Anglo Gallic Series Island Coinage British Paper Money
Wish my British coins were hammered Most of my personal Great Britain coins are listed in the Milled Coinage section. Of course, milled coins are those coins made by minting machinery as opposed to being struck by hand with dies & a hammer. This book lists Great Britain milled coinage from the later part of the 17th Century to present. Like most coin catalogs, the editors do their best to keep track of sales and update prices in the book. Of course, the editorial staff doesn’t get data from all sales and some coins just don’t sell every year. In addition to this, we all know that two coins may have the same grade but the prices actually realized can vary significantly. How do you guys think the catalog prices for Great Britain milled coinage compare to the true realized prices at coin shops, coin shows, and auctions? IMHO, the prices I find at coin shows are about 25%-50% below the prices in the 2011 British Coins Market Values book. That doesn’t apply to every listing in the book by any means. I’m just saying that I seem to find nice coins for the grade & I find them offered for about 25%-50% below the prices listed in this catalog.
My experience is a little different. First, there is little demand for smaller denominations of the associated metal: farthings have little demand, but pennys do; six pence have little demand, but crowns have a HIGH DEMAND. Also, anything with Queen Vic has a premium, as do most cooper pieces from the American revolutionary period. Second, high grade most anything (MS-64 and above) still command a premium. Third, Queen Vic shield bullion and earlier start to get pricey, but most later bullion gets little premium, even for higher graded coins. Finally, many American dealers try to palm off an XF anything at a higher price by quoting "Spinks," conveniently ignoring the fact that an XF / low AU in the American grading system is equivalent to the listed VF in the British system. :sniper: Bottom line: Most of the milled British coin market is dead. It is a nice time to begin a collection of Brits. I don't collect coins, but my collecting friends have added some nice pieces to their collections. BTW, I have preferred your Thomas guide to the hardcover "Spinks" since it is easier to lug around shows and I prefer the way coins were listed in order of their denomination as opposed to the monarch. guy
This is exactly the type of information I was hoping to receive from the folks & friends at CT. Thank you very much for your insightful data.
i get the updated copy every year and for me it is like a bible, it covers coins from celtic to modern day and even includes the anglo french medieval issues. if i had to take one book to a desert island about coins it would be this one (but my real favourite all time book is catcher in the rye, or anything by george orwell)
Would someone like to look up a British coin set I purchased a year ago, and respond with a suggested value on it? It's a 2005 Limited Edition, Executive Proof Set struck by the Royal Mint. You could either post here or PM me. I purchased this more as an impulse item with just some minor research on the internet. It would be greatly appreciated.
The 2011 British Coins Market Values book lists 2005 Decimal Executive (12 coins) at 65 pounds. That would convert to US106 right now.
It is just catalog price VS coin shop price. This is the kind of feedback we need to see how the catalog prices compare. I think I looked-up the correct coin set in the new catalog.
So would the catalog price be equal to wholesale while the coin shop price is at retail? 65 vs 110? By the way, thank you.
Hello Saltysam, I've been thinking about your question about the guide listing wholesale and I think the short answer is NO. I think this is just one example in the catalog. It is just an example of how the catalog price doesn't line-up precisely with the current coin shop price or the auction house price. Bart9349 gave a few examples where he has seen price differences. My experience (for the milled coins I collect) show the catalog prices to be 25-50% higher than the prices I pay. Bart said that "most of the milled British coin market is dead" and that happens to be what I am mostly buying. That may be why I'm getting coins below the catalog price. I think it is a great catalog.
