This is an excuse to practice photographing coins as I have volunteered to make a presentation that will include some images to my local coin club. As you may know, our daughter Thalia Elizabeth likes to collect coins with Queen Elizabeth on them, coins from 2000 because that's the year she was born, and coins from 1900 because they are 100 years older than she is. Well, I found a significant upgrade to her UK Victoria penny from 1900 to give her for Christmas: Then, a couple of nights ago, my wife and I watched the BBC/PBS documentary on Catherine the Great of Russia. That set me to some "window shopping" on eBay and also a search here in the archives (thanks for posting some images, folks!). Last night, our coin club had its holiday auction and in that was a coin that was being sold for the benefit of the club. It's a one kopeck copper, not from Catherine II but from Empress Elizabeth and it's dated 1750. Well, there isn't just Queen Elizabeth, of course, and 1750 is 250 years older than Thalia Elizabeth. So I went ahead and bought it-- hey, it was for the club's coffers anyway. It calculates out to six cents per year older than she is. (And she's six, so wait, that's perfect!) The photos are not that great and the coin is very worn, but it is "history in her hand" so to speak. Or it will be when I show it to her!
George,the Czarist Russian coin is actually a Denga,which is 1/2 Kopeck.The Cyrillic letters on the reverse actually translates directly to 'DENGA',even though it is in 2 lines.That is a very nice British Penny.You'd have to mention that it was used in the British colonies,including South Africa,Australia,& New Zealand. Aidan.
Hi George great coins I am sure that Thalia will love them, also got your letter with the bit about her at the coin club :thumb: :thumb: what a start for a young collector De Orc
I have a special spot in my own collection for Elizabethan Russian coinage, in memory of my Mother, who was born in Yelsvetograd (one of several English spellings meaning "Elizabeth Town").
Aidan, thanks for the clarification. The envelope that it came in said "1 Kopeck." Get me rewrite! I second the motion for a few pics from Roy... :bow:
OK, one more question on the 1/2 Kopeck (Denga): I thought my dad had the Krause book for 1701-1800 but he doesn't. Can someone indulge me with a lookup on mintage the approximate value (if any)? I suspect it would grade out to about an "NG-0"... . The purchase was for the good of the coin club so I consider my spend to be a donation with a "thank you" gift so it's not all that important, but I am a bit curious.
Some catalogue books oddly mark the year 1750 dengas as "scarce" but I don't think so. I do see plenty of them around on the net. I am not too sure what the mintage of that coin but most probably, even if you did get a figure, it's difficult to estimate how many are left as one cannot tell how many were melted down, destroyed etc. Ironically, I don't have too much Elizabethan coinages for some odd reason - you can check my collection at omnicoin.com
Just did, gx. Nice collection! I don't really follow Russian coins but they've done some nice commemoratives. I caught your "may be satellite metal" item also...
