Coins of ENGLAND books

Spink in London has just published (in fact just before Christmas) this book which references and evaluates English coinage and by extension the United Kingdom,
from its origins - Celts! - to present time. It is arranged in chronological order and divided into metals under each reign, then into coinages, denominations and varieties. I should say these two books instead, because the book has long been split into two parts. Previously sold together, they are now shown separately.
The first volume grouping together pre-decimal coinage, that is to say from the origins until 1970, has 632 pages and is presented in hard cover book. The second volume therefore concerns decimal strikes since 1971, when the British Pound divided into 100 New Pence became Pence in 1982, and comes in a paperback volume of 302 pages. I'm pretty sure Mr. @jamesicus and many other members will appreciate these readings. (38 € and 14.90 €)

 

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These are excellent references, some of the best and most useable of the Spink publications.

 

I used to buy these at least every other year. The oldest one I have is the 1986 edition (when it was still known as the Seaby guide), and the most recent the 2015 edition, although I got rid of a lot of the editions in between. I always thought they were wonderful.

 

A few day ago I ordered the new book by Chris Rudd, ANCIENT BRITISH COINS.



Ancient British Coins | Chris Rudd (celticcoins.com)

 

I have the 2018 edition and was surprised how often I used it. I thought about getting the 2021 but with covid, not chancing the international shipping issues.

 

My only interest would be in the pre-decimal volume, and I wonder how much that changes every year except for updating prices. Which was never my main reason for buying it anyway.

 

I would buy them only occasionally - I could care less about prices since they are oft out of touch with reality but care more for the research on varieties. I do enjoy looking at the older ones and comparing to the newer versions as occasionally new finds come up. I own a Scots coin from the 14th century that in 1888 was noted as unique. Now there are three known examples.

 

The 2021 edition can now be bought as pre-decimal only & modern is a separate purchase now.

 

I know. It was already split into two volumes by the time I last bought it in 2015, and I already bought only the pre-decimal volume back then. There's nothing new about that option. My point was to ask whether there's really a need to buy new pre-decimal volumes regularly, given that they probably don't change much except for valuations.

 

1888? I don't think the catalogue has been around quite that long!

 

Really? because when I bought the 2018 one, it came with the decimal version book by itself with the price, 2020 or 2021 they changed it where you can buy the pre-decimal separate and the decimal by itself. It wasn't included anymore.

Maybe in 2015 they did that and changed it from when you bought it to when I bought it? I dunno.

So I mean the books were separate but included, now they are separate for a different price each.

 

Perhaps the difference was that I didn't buy it directly from Spink, but from an online bookstore?

 

Maybe, mine was frim Spink & I saw amazon and ebay sellers had it together too.

 

Who knows, maybe I got cheated!

 

Couldn't speak more highly of Spink.
When I'd let them know I came across an old advertisement offering fun puzzles they not only fulfilled my request, but were many times over EXCEPTIONAL to deal with: https://www.cointalk.com/threads/i-spink-i-love-you-aka-a-love-song-to-spink.335196/
So I made some art as way of show of appreciation

 

I have the 1999 edition which was given to me by a friend about ten years ago. Since I have no interest in anything modern and no interest in prices, I never gave thought to updating. What has changed in the first volume from what was in my old book? Has there been, for example, many updates to the list of Plantagenant moneyers or classes?

 

I couldn’t say specifically, but I know there were changes between my 2005 edition and my 2015 edition (the last one I bought). Mostly updated catalog numbers be rearranging the Anglo-Saxon coins. There might be more I missed, and might be more changes in the newest one.

I had planned on updating mine every 5 years, but now 2020 has passed I find myself wanting to buy books on subjects I don’t have yet rather than updating this catalogue. Maybe I’ll need to in 2025.

 

Another complementary book in the same series:



The part relating to the coins of Scotland begins under the reign of David I (1083-1153), the first independent king of Scotland having minted coins until the reign of Queen Anne during which the Act of Union of 1707 was signed. .
That concerning the coins of Ireland begins with the Hiberno-Scandinavian mintages of the end of the 10th century, the Anglo-Irish coins, the Irish mintages until the Act of Union of 1800, the specific mintages of George III and George IV subsequent to this act, the currencies of the Irish Free State and finally those of the Republic of Ireland.
The coinages of the Islands (Jersey, Guernsey and Man) were limited to the usual mintings. Are ignored the commemorative which these territories have made the specialty. A final part is devoted to Anglo-French coins (Anglo-Gallic in English), ie coins minted in France by English monarchs.(49.50 €)

 

I didn’t realize they came out with a new edition of that one! I picked up the third edition a couple years ago, which had been the first update in some time (and I think the first time they included Anglo-Gallic coins)

 

I still have the 1st British coin catalog purchased as a senior in high school .



British coins were not expensive in those days . My Celtic gold stater, #31, was worth slightly over $37.00 back then .





The antoninianus of Gordian III with Apollo on the reverse, #247, was worth less than $1.00 . The sestertius of Gordian III, #248, was worth $2.57 .