Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 14 i Coin Collector

As reported in this issue and over on the allaboutcoins.co.uk website, a gold bitcoin recently became the world’s most valuable numismatic item after it was submitted to grading service PCGS by California-based auction house GreatCollections, and was given a value of $48 million, that’s a staggering 9,786 times the purchase price of ten years ago. Not a bad investment at all. Since it is an actual physical thing with great monetary value (at least at the time of going to print!), it would be wrong for us to immediately dismiss this garish coin as a gimmick, or something unrelated to our hobby. But aside from its (admittedly significant) monetary value, what else does this token of our modern world have going for it? What do you think of the design?…

A Lymington museum which has been asking for donations to enable them to acquire and exhibit a hoard of nearly 300 Celtic coins, have revealed their campaign was a success. Back in 2018, a hoard of nearly 300 coins from the late Iron Age were found buried in muddy ground, not too far from St Barbe Museum in Lymington, Hampshire. According to Rosalyn Goulding, Collections and Engagement Manager, the coins are mainly silver and some feature designs not seen for thousands of years, including depictions of horses, boars and three men in a boat. Historian Dan Snow recently visited St Barbe to support the fundraising effort by recording a live stream for his The History Hit podcast with Trustee Professor Tony King. They discussed the designs on the coins which…

A recent auction at Spink in London saw a new world record for the most expensive Elizabethan numismatic item, a world record price for Elizabethan artistic portraiture and a new house record for the Spink Coin Department. The extremely rare portrait of Elizabeth I, with only two examples recorded, struck on gold coin alignment hammered staggering £480,000. The piece in question was described as ‘a breathtaking canon of Tudor portraiture and most enchanting image of the Elizabethan form, struck on coin alignment with a light ochre tone overlying quite brilliant fields, extremely fine, of the highest rarity with only two recorded in gold, a truly momentous occasion being the first appearance at public auction since October 1956 and a Gold pattern that has evaded even the finest Numismatic cabinets both…

The team behind Coin Collector and the All About Coins website recently launched Collect Modern Coins, a comprehensive guide to collecting 50p, £2, and 10p coins. The A4, 52-page booklet has been produced with the help of the knowledgeable team at Change Checker and features check-lists, price guides, the latest mintage figures and everything you need to build your collection of 10p, 50p and £2 coins, including information on how much your coins are worth, the errors and scarce varieties to look out for, and much more. The guide features every 50p and £2 coin in detail, check-lists and price guides, mis-strikes and myths explained, latest mintage figures, and space for your notes. Find out more and purchase your copy at: www.allaboutcoins.co.uk…

Hammered coins were the most common type of coins for centuries, and were created by striking (or hammering) a design into the coin using dies and a hammer. The production method involved placing the blank piece of metal (often referred to as a ‘planchet’ or ‘flan’) between two dies which each featured the intended design. The bottom die (or ‘anvil’) was often embedded into a piece of wood so it remained stable, then the planchet was placed on top, and the second die on top of that. A solid strike with the hammer and the piece of metal was transformed into a coin, with the design now struck on to both sides. No two hammered coins are quite the same The archaic method of creating coins was not without its…

A five-mark piece from Saxony from 1889 jumps from €7,500 to €16,750 within a few moments. €4,100 instead of €1,250 for a five-mark coin from Baden from 1907. That’s 3.5 times the estimated price for a five-mark coin from Württemberg… these are only three exemplary results of the recent auction of the Heidelberg coin dealer Herbert Grün. But the list could be continued at will and it makes clear; coins from the German Empire are more highly priced than ever before. And it doesn’t matter whether you ask at Grün in Heidelberg, at Künker in Osnabrück, at Sincona in Zurich or at the Teutoburger Münzauktion in Borgholzhausen, all recent auctions fetched record results. A few years ago, the situation was different; anyone who openly admitted during a confidential chat with…

If you are planning to visit a museum then please check their website in advance as certain opening and ticketing restrictions may be in place. Politics, Propaganda and the Collapse of the Roman Republic, Barber Institute of Fine Arts, until 26 June 2022 If you thought fake news, personal propaganda – and political strongmen shifting democracies toward dictatorship – were modern phenomena, then this exhibition invites you to think again. The First Dictators explores how coins were used for propaganda purposes during the dying days of the Roman Republic in the first century BCE. Taking a deep-dive into the images on the currency, the exhibition features super-enlarged diagrams to explore how depictions of real and mythological characters, animals and objects were used for political ends. Three important flash points –…

There’s been some HUGE shake-ups on our A-Z 10p Index, as well as two new additions to our 50p Index. You can use the updated A-Z 10p, 50p and £2 indexes to discover how sought-after the coins in your collection really are. This information has been compiled using data from the Change Checker Swap Centre and presented in the easy to use indexes. A-Z 10p Scarcity Index In the biggest shake up we’ve ever seen on our Scarcity Indexes, the Loch Ness Monster 10p has climbed an incredible seventeen places! Having also been bumped down the A-Z 10p Index by seventeen places, the Mackintosh 10p is now in our bottom four! Our top two coins have also switched positions, with the Robin 10p now holding top spot. Only 64,000 of…

Ema Sikic Ema is an archaeologist and art historian, and is a coin specialist at Baldwin’s. Her first encounter with numismatics was via her grandfather’s coin collection. She learned more about coins in the Numismatic Department of the Archaeological Museum of Zagreb. Ema provides a guide to celestial symbols on coins on page 22. Alexandra Siddons Alexandra Siddons is Content Executive at Change Checker, she helps the team share the latest information that you need to know about UK coins, from the rarest coins in circulation, to the very latest, brand new coin releases. Read Alex’s latest guide to modern coins on page 54. Paula Hammond Paula Hammond has worked as a publisher, copy-writer, ghost-writer, author, and journalist. She has written over thirty fiction and non-fiction books as well as…

A gold physical bitcoin has become the world’s most valuable numismatic item after it was submitted to grading service PCGS by California-based auction house GreatCollections. The lines between physical coins - the ones we collect – and cryptocurrency occasionally become blurred, but there are few examples of the likes of Bitcoin being of interest to numismatists. Until now. Not seen for a decade, a one-ounce gold coin with a denomination of 1,000 Bitcoins (BTC) was purchased in December 2011 for $4,905, and is now worth $48 million (approximately £36.4 million). On behalf of its anonymous owner, GreatCollections Coin Auctions of Irvine, California (www.GreatCollections.com) submitted the gold 1,000 Bitcoin physical coin under armed guard for certification to Professional Coin Grading Service. It has been certified PCGS Proof-70 DCAM. Ian Russell, President…

A mid-17th century New England shilling, which had been found in a sweet tin at Bywell Hall in Northumberland, has fetched over a quarter of a million pounds at auction. The rare example of the Massachusetts Bay Colony coin, struck in 1652, was offered recently by London-based auctioneers Morton & Eden Ltd. The rare shilling, one of the first coins to be used in the USA, had been found by the father of Wentworth Beaumont, a descendant of early New England settler William Wentworth, at his family’s home of Bywell Hall in Northumberland. Featuring a simple Roman numeral XII on one side, to signify 12 pence, and the initials ‘NE’, for New England, on the other, the coins were produced – against the wishes of the English authorities – to…

Ross MacDiarmid, Executive Director of the Mint Directors Conference (MDC) has highlighted the need for mints to produce coins sustainably whilst also questioning whether crypto-currency is really better for the environment. Writing in the Mint Industry Communique newsletter, MacDiarmid said: “As the ‘traditional’ cash/coins industry comes under greater scrutiny, when one considers the competitive environment in which the Mint industry is now operating, there are a number of questions that should be asked and analysed about the products supplied by the ‘alternative’ suppliers… For example, how much total energy from cradle to grave is used to conduct a cashless retail transaction – including production of the technology and the devices, the amount of computer power required, security etc… How long do cards last, how frequently will you buy a new…

The popular website Numissearch brings together coin dealers and well known auction houses from around the world, and allows collectors to search the stock of these traders, with the added bonus that you’ll be notified about any new items added to the site that match your search criteria. There are different ways to puchase coins on Numissearch. All ‘fixed price’ offers can be directly ordered, whilst for online sales you are taken to the auction site, where you simply register and start bidding. Numissearch also presents major public auctions, and will forward your bids directly to the auction companies. A spokesperson for Numissearch explained: ‘If you find anything you like in our “fixed price” lists, you can have a closer look on the item by clicking the order number. You…

With a growing range of coin guides, interviews, and lectures, the All About Coins YouTube channel is a great resource for collectors, and the perfect way to improve your knowledge and your collection. Check out some highlights below, and why not subscribe to the channel today? Interview: Rebecca Morgan, The Royal Mint We recently chatted to Rebecca Morgan, head of Collector Services at The Royal Mint (pictured above), and asked her about her role, the issuing of commemorative coins, how collectors can tap into the expertise at the Mint, and much more. Links and differences between US and UK coins Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC) Research Director David W. Lange discusses the links between US and UK coinage, from the first days of the American colonies through to the coins of…

Moreover, in England, Francia, Visigothic Spain and some other regions, the minting network became highly localized, and less obviously responsive to the needs of centralized state needs. This more dispersed set-up is suggestive of some of the forces that may have kept the monetary economy of this period moving: the demands – social, commercial and hierarchical – of secular and ecclesiastical elites who frequently also represented state functions on a local level. Because coined money was relatively scarce but also made within a wellestablished social framework, it could actually fit into exchanges of all kinds. It did not erode or collapse relationships; if anything, it took on the character of the new situations between which it moved, chameleon-like. The fact that there was so little coin meant that using it…

Hong Kong is one of those few places in the world where paper currency is still being issued by commercial banks rather than a state-owned central bank or monetary authority (the others are Scotland, Northern Ireland and Macau). Today there are three issuing banks but there were far more back in the 19th century. In total eight banks were given authorisation to issue their own notes but only three survived into the 20th century. Sadly, all the early notes are rare and nowadays very expensive. Many of them were beautifully engraved by Waterlow & Sons and other leading security printers. Apart from the Oriental Bank (which collapsed in 1884), these early banks included the Agra & United Service Bank (1857-1872), the Chartered Mercantile Bank of India, London & China (1857-1893)…

Starting Points • Buy coins made by official and reputable producers, such as the Perth Mint, the Royal Canadian Mint, the Royal Mint, and the US Mint. These are more likely to be high quality and increase in value over time. • Bullion collecting can be an expensive hobby, and there’s no guarantee that coins will increase in value. So, buy cautiously. • There’s no such thing as ‘budget bullion’. Be wary of low prices, unfamiliar dealers, and poorquality sculpting. Must haves Commemorative coins make a really good buy. The Royal Mint have annual issues of gold and silver coins which celebrate specific historic events or aspects of British culture. Such regular releases allow you to plan and budget for additions to your collection. Most expensive Many of the rarest…

The seventeenth (XVII) Commonwealth Games was hosted by Manchester from 25 July to 4 August 2002, and saw 72 nations take part, including the four home nations. At the time it was the largest multi-sport event to ever take place in the UK. The Royal Mint released four coins each with a subtle difference in the design which today can make a big difference in the value. Look very closely and you can see a subtle difference in the flags seen on each design. That’s the only difference between them, as they each represent a different home nation and so show the flag of either England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, or Wales. So is it worth finding your old magnifying glass and giving these coins a closer inspection? In a word,…

Jonathan Callaway is a Director of the International Bank Note Society Lawrence Chard Founder and Expert Numismatist, Speciality Sovereigns Elizabeth Cottam Specialist in Celtic coins and Director of Chris Rudd Ltd Jeff Garrett US coin dealer and board member of the Smithsonian Museum of American History Richard Kelleher Assistant Keeper, Department of Coins and Medals, Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge Jonathan Mann Numismatist and coin expert, British coinage specialist Rory Naismith Lecturer in Medieval British History, King’s College London Ema Sikic Archaeologist, art historian, coin specialist at Baldwin’s, London Anglo-Saxon and Viking coinage: Gareth Williams Curator of Early Medieval Coins and Viking Collections at the British Museum…

Chancellor of the Exchequer and Master of the Mint, Rishi Sunak, recently unveiled a £5 coin celebrating the life and legacy of Mahatma Gandhi – one of the world’s most influential leaders. The new coins marks the first time that Gandhi has been commemorated on an official UK coin. Struck in the 75th year of India’s independence, the coin features an image of a lotus, India’s national flower, and one of Gandhi’s most famous quotes: ‘My life is my message’. The new coin, designed by Heena Glover, is available in a range of finishes including a gold one ounce, silver one ounce, £5 ‘brilliant uncirculated’. Born in Porbandar, India, in 1869, Gandhi was instrumental in the movement for Indian independence. His followers called him ‘Mahatma’, which means ‘great soul’. Rishi…

A hoard of 5,600 silver Roman coins was recently found in a riverbed in Germany during excavation work prompted by the recent floods in the country. The Augsburg Art Collections and Museum explained that the discovery was the largest such find in the southern German state of Bavariaand that the oldest of the coins were minted under Emperor Nero (AD 54-68) and the most recent from the time of Septimius Severus, shortly after AD 200. A hoard of 131 Anglo-Saxon gold coins, dated around AD610, were recently declared treasure, with Norwich’s Castle Museum now hoping to buy them. Regular Coin Collector contributor Adrian Marsden, who is a numismatist from Norfolk County Council’s Historic Environment Service, said the coin discovery was “internationally significant” adding that “We’ve not seen anything like this…

Pobjoy Mint has issued the second coin in the new series of 50p coins each featuring one of seven best-selling novels by acclaimed children’s author David Walliams OBE which is being issued on behalf of the Government of Gibraltar. The second coin in the series of The World of David Walliams™ features Walliams’ second novel Mr Stink, published by HarperCollins, a tale of a young girl called Chloe who befriends a witty tramp called Mr Stink. The design on the coin shows the image of the front cover from the novel and is available in cupro nickel diamond finish and proof sterling silver in colour to match the original illustrations by Quentin Blake. The series of Gibraltar 50p coins is set to feature designs the following novels: The Boy in…

The World Money Fair, set to be held in Berlin from 28 to 30 January, has been cancelled for the second year running, with an online version set to take its place. The major coin event was first held in the 1970s and moved to the German capital in 2006. Unfortunately the continuing battle against the Covid19 pandemic has forced the organisers to postpone the physical event for a second time. Barbara Balz, the show’s Managing Director, said: ‘None of us believed that we would be faced with the decision a second time whether or not to hold the World Money Fair as planned. But our customers have shown the way in the last few days. We have been given many reasons for the numerous cancellations of stands, boxes and…

YOUR INSIDER GUIDE TO THE WORLD OF PROFESSIONAL NUMISMATICS The first Normans arrived in southern Italy around 1030 as mercenaries brought in to fight in the wars between Italian, Byzantine and Arab rulers. Sicily and southern Italy were frontier regions where widely diverse cultures lived in close proximity. There was a strong Byzantine legacy in Sicily, Calabria, Apulia and Naples. The duchy of Benevento in southern Italy had been established by the Lombards (a Germanic people) and gave rise to the duchy of Salerno. The key figure in the Norman success was Tancred de Hauteville. This minor noble had twelve sons by two wives and two of them are of special significance. His son Humphrey became count of Apulia with another, Robert Guiscard (meaning ‘the crafty’), succeeding him in 1057.…

'What’s that in old money’: Remembering decimalisation reminiscence box project Throughout 2021 the Royal Mint Museum has run a number of projects and events to commemorate the 50th anniversary of decimalisation, writes Abigail Kenvyn, Royal Mint Museum. A key element was to challenge ourselves to create meaningful and innovative events for a range of audiences, despite the restrictions of the pandemic. Firstly, we wanted to interact with some of those most affected by the national lockdown. We knew, from first-hand experience, that holding and chatting about pre-decimal coins could be a positive and nostalgic experience for those who lived through the changeover, so working with care home residents seemed a good fit. Although we were unable to visit in person, we sought to use our collection to promote health and…

The New Zealand Medal to Private Patrick Murphy holds a story of a voyage across thousands of miles of ocean to the other side of the world. Patrick Murphy was born near Wexford, Ireland and enlisted in the 99th Regiment in 1838. He was 6ft tall, a big man for the 19th century. Just over a year later he deserted for two months and on his return was branded with the letter ‘D’ and stripped of all pension rights. In 1843 he left the UK for the last time as a guard aboard a convict ship bound for Australia and on arrival was deployed to supervise prisoners in a stockade in New South Wales. In May 1845 a Maori rebellion over land rights and customs dues broke out in New…

BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS (www.pobjoymint.com) Tall Ships: Santa Maria Denomination: $1 Diameter: 28.4mm Weight: 8g Metal: Virenium Mintage: 1,950 Mint: Pobjoy Mint BELGIUM (www.royaldutchmint.com) Guilder of Emperor Charles V Denomination: €10 Diameter: 33mm Weight: 18.75g Metal: 92.5% Sterling Silver Mintage: 5,000 Mint: Royal Dutch Mint Guilder of Emperor Charles V Denomination: €2 Diameter: 25.75mm Weight: 8.5g Metal: Base Metal Mintage: 150,000 Mint: Royal Dutch Mint ITALY (www.ipzs.it) Endangered Animals: Polar Bear Denomination: €5 Diameter: 26.95mm Weight: 9.3g Metal: Base metal Mintage: 10,000 Mint: Italian Mint Keep up to date with the latest coins issued on the ‘New Coins’ section of the website: www.allaboutcoins.co.uk Thank You, Healthcare Professionals Denomination: €2 Diameter: 25.75mm Weight: 8.5g Metal: Base metal Mintage: 10,000 Mint: Italian Mint Rome, Capital of Italy 150 Years Denomination: €2 Diameter: 25.75mm…