Coin/Banknote Collecting

[Master Obit 831]

It seems like we've got a few interested people here, and on the back of discussion in the King Charles thread I have started this one for people to specifically discuss this hobby.

 

It would be interesting to know if we've any ardent collectors here, maybe @Cerberus? 

 

I've been collecting the vast majority of my life, so it'd be nice to be able to share some of this passion with some people on here. Post here anything related to this hobby - whether you're someone who devotes vast amounts of time and energy to building a magnificent collection, or you just like looking for interesting designs amongst your pocket change.

[Commtech Sio Bibble 2,044]

I'm not a coin collector but my great grandfather was and I somehow ended up inheriting a large box full of pre-decimalisation coins, mostly post 1900 with about two dozen from the 1800s and five(ish) from the 1700s most of which eroded to a point where you can't read the date but there's one from 1747. As I don't really have an interest in them, I donated most of them to a local antiques shop two months ago.

[Master Obit 831]

3 minutes ago, Commtech Sio Bibble said:

I'm not a coin collector but my great grandfather was and I somehow ended up inheriting a large box full of pre-decimalisation coins, mostly post 1900 with about two dozen from the 1800s and five(ish) from the 1700s most of which eroded to a point where you can't read the date but there's one from 1747. As I don't really have an interest in them, I donated most of them to a local antiques shop two months ago.

That's a pity, I'd have been more than willing to take them off your hands

 

I'm currently valuing a coin collection that a friend inherited from his grandfather - it's a proper old school collection, and full of very interesting pieces (several of which I will acquire for myself). I always think it's sad when collections that people put a lot of work in to just get split up and sold, but c'est la vie.

[Commtech Sio Bibble 2,044]

Just now, Master Obit said:

I always think it's sad when collections that people put a lot of work in to just get split up and sold, but c'est la vie.

I agree with you, he had collected them over a long time and had them all organised by year and type of coin, all wrapped up in separate paper tubes but when he died my uncle got his hands on them temporarily and ripped all the paper open to take all of the silver coins to sell, so by the time I got them it was mostly coppers and they all just loose in a small cardboard box. They sat at the top of a wardrobe for about a decade until the other month when I was having a clear out and thought someone else can get some actual enjoyment out of them. The only ones I've kept are the few Georgian coins, a selection of ceremonial coins/medals for things like Churchill's death or the Silver Jubilee, and a single Yugoslavian Dinar that was in there for some reason, because I think those ones are cool.

[Master Obit 831]

I

5 minutes ago, Commtech Sio Bibble said:

I agree with you, he had collected them over a long time and had them all organised by year and type of coin, all wrapped up in separate paper tubes but when he died my uncle got his hands on them temporarily and ripped all the paper open to take all of the silver coins to sell, so by the time I got them it was mostly coppers and they all just loose in a small cardboard box. They sat at the top of a wardrobe for about a decade until the other month when I was having a clear out and thought someone else can get some actual enjoyment out of them. The only ones I've kept are the few Georgian coins, a selection of ceremonial coins/medals for things like Churchill's death or the Silver Jubilee, and a single Yugoslavian Dinar that was in there for some reason, because I think those ones are cool.

That's such a pity, and they were probably sold for way less than they were worth. I've gotten to the stage where people recommend me to others to assist with valuing collections, and it makes me very happy to save a few people from having this happen. I once helped someone who had a tin of old coins that they thought were complete rubbish and were willing to just give to me, and in amongst them was a genuine Cromwellian shilling. It ended up being authenticated and sold at auction for I believe somewhere around £2,500, so it's always worth spending time on these things. I'd have absolutely killed to own it myself as it was such a beautiful specimen, but I couldn't really justify the expense at the time. I could have just not informed them and gotten it for free, but my conscience would have eaten me. They did buy me a very nice watch as a thank you gift.

[YoungWillz 21,049]

Casual collector here.

 

When OldWillz died, we cleared out some Nicklaus fivers, a couple of Victorian silver coins, my old mum's collection of Year 2000 coins and some other miscellany. Sold off at auction for essentially face value, except the two silver coins which we got 8 quid each for.

 

I just check my change now for stuff. I've a few of the rarer 2 quid coins, the last of which I got from a supermarket - my change was exactly 2 pounds, so I asked if he had any coins with a design on it - Magna Carta, I almost fainted.

 

I don't know enough about it really, I've a load of 50ps and one old pound coin with a tree on it, though it's pretty bad condition.

 

I slip them into bank bags and into my box of money. Which one day I shall no doubt be forced to use for my last days in a Travelodge, to be discovered a la Marilyn but without the drugs - maybe a box of Superkings askew on the pillow.

[Master Obit 831]

20 minutes ago, YoungWillz said:

Casual collector here.

 

When OldWillz died, we cleared out some Nicklaus fivers, a couple of Victorian silver coins, my old mum's collection of Year 2000 coins and some other miscellany. Sold off at auction for essentially face value, except the two silver coins which we got 8 quid each for.

 

I just check my change now for stuff. I've a few of the rarer 2 quid coins, the last of which I got from a supermarket - my change was exactly 2 pounds, so I asked if he had any coins with a design on it - Magna Carta, I almost fainted.

 

I don't know enough about it really, I've a load of 50ps and one old pound coin with a tree on it, though it's pretty bad condition.

 

I slip them into bank bags and into my box of money. Which one day I shall no doubt be forced to use for my last days in a Travelodge, to be discovered a la Marilyn but without the drugs - maybe a box of Superkings askew on the pillow.

 

I'm missing the Nicklaus fiver from my Scotland set. I could easily buy one, but I prefer to try and source things naturally (which can include asking bank workers). I've got a rather good set of Scottish banknotes including one of the hundreds in very nice shape that I've sourced entirely in the wild (though I did get some help from someone who worked in a bank with a lot of elderly clients).

[YoungWillz 21,049]

3 minutes ago, Master Obit said:

 

I'm missing the Nicklaus fiver from my Scotland set. I could easily buy one, but I prefer to try and source things naturally (which can include asking bank workers). I've got a rather good set of Scottish banknotes including one of the hundreds in very nice shape that I've sourced entirely in the wild (though I did get some help from someone who worked in a bank with a lot of elderly clients).

Pity, we had 5 of the damn things. Admittedly in a wallet but otherwise pretty good condition apart from the bend, ha!

[Master Obit 831]

12 minutes ago, YoungWillz said:

Pity, we had 5 of the damn things. Admittedly in a wallet but otherwise pretty good condition apart from the bend, ha!

Grrr. My chances are limited now as paper notes are very hard to encounter, much less commemoratives. I need a good bank contact.

 

I'll try and upload some images of some of my best pulls from the wild if anyone would be interested.

[YoungWillz 21,049]

4 minutes ago, Master Obit said:

Grrr. My chances are limited now as paper notes are very hard to encounter, much less commemoratives. I need a good bank contact.

 

I'll try and upload some images of some of my best pulls from the wild if anyone would be interested.

Go for it.

 

I've just realised this is the fifth anniversary of OldWillz death. Ah, how time has flown.

[Sod's Law 445]

I love collecting the commemorative ones (both UK and overseas), especially the ones that reflect historical events. I have several coronation coins and medallions including one from 1789 that commemorates George III's recovery from his bout of madness. My brother also got me a Lundy Island puffin coin last Christmas which was a great surprise. 

[Toast 16,140]

I just collect interesting coins that turn up in my change, or otherwise in the wild. 

 

I have all the commemorative circulating £2 coins except the 2011 King James Bible, and three of the four 2002 Commonwealth Games ones (I have Scotland).

Shakespeare's Comedies was missing, but found that last weekend at a car boot sale.

I don't go as far as collecting examples from every year, but I do have 2015 and 2016 Britannia.

 

I'm missing 12 of the Olympic Games sports 50p, the 2018 Peter Rabbit, Flopsy Bunny and Mrs Tittlemouse.  And of course Kew Gardens and the 1992 European Single Market one.

 

Had all the old pound coins except Edinburgh, but didn't keep them.

 

I keep any territories and dependencies coins that come my way:  Jersey, Isle of Man, Gibraltar etc.

 

 

[RoverAndOut 4,746]

23 minutes ago, Toast said:

I just collect interesting coins that turn up in my change, or otherwise in the wild. 

 

I have all the commemorative circulating £2 coins except the 2011 King James Bible, and three of the four 2002 Commonwealth Games ones (I have Scotland).

Shakespeare's Comedies was missing, but found that last weekend at a car boot sale.

I don't go as far as collecting examples from every year, but I do have 2015 and 2016 Britannia.

 

I'm missing 12 of the Olympic Games sports 50p, the 2018 Peter Rabbit, Flopsy Bunny and Mrs Tittlemouse.  And of course Kew Gardens and the 1992 European Single Market one.

 

Had all the old pound coins except Edinburgh, but didn't keep them.

 

I keep any territories and dependencies coins that come my way:  Jersey, Isle of Man, Gibraltar etc.

 

Basically: same. I'll do a proper post later.

[ladyfiona 2,585]

Very casual collector here.

 

- My dad had a coin book where we collected all the 25 cent American coins as they represented a different state.

- I have a few foreign coins ranging from Euros, Hong Kong Dollar, US Dollar and old European money such as Francs etc.

- Got some other Royal Mint collectable coins

- Up until last week we had a very big jar of 5p coins in a large glass bottle (it's vintage according to Ebay). Dad took it to the bank...£53

 

I'm tempted to go to local car boot sales nearby and see what I find.

[Father Brown 209]

Good thread! Nice to find other numismatists  Like others above have said, I also generally only keep what I get in circulation.

 

I had all the 2012 Olympics & Paralympics for a while but not sure what happened with all those. I’ve got a couple George VI shillings somewhere, couple of £1 notes as well. Not even sure where my collection is at the moment

[TQR 14,397]

I've got an offside rule 50p that The S*n will occasionally report to be worth 'hundreds', only to find that there are over a million of the buggers and it's worth £2 if I'm lucky.

[Toast 16,140]

When I was a poppy appeal organiser I always looked forward to emptying the collecting tins

[Youth in Asia 1,087]

I like picking up banknotes on my travels, for example I have a DDR deutschmark, some notes from North Korea and a Foreign Exchange Certificate (FEC) from Myanmar late 2000s. I also have a one pound note. I'm sure none of them is worth anything.

[Master Obit 831]

It's lovely to see so many responses. 

 

I'm quite an avid collector, and have been since I was around 5 (when my dad found a bunch of foreign coins in a Coinstar machine and gave them to me). Since then, I've expanded to a collection that has some representation from (I think) 203 different territories/dependencies and a complete set of every circulating commemorative (including the Kew Gardens 50p, a few complete sets of Olympics 50ps and all four Commonwealth Games £2s all acquired at no more than face value). I do have a pre-decimal set of coins but which I've not spent quite as much time on of late, with a fairly complete set of pennies from 1860 onwards (though not all in especially good condition). I also have an expansive collection of banknotes, with an emphasis on UK and the territories, the majority of which has been sourced in the wild (with some exceptions, such as editions of ten shilling and pound notes). One of my best chance finds was a £10 note which has been misprinted (the last three digits in the serial number are missing, the result of the ink running dry), in change from a McDonalds of all places. 

 

I absolutely refuse to buy any of the so-called "coins" that the Royal Mint issues that don't get circulated. I remember the time when they used to circulate all the commemoratives, whereas now they have far more interest in profit than encouraging people to collect.

[Redrumours 861]

10 hours ago, ladyfiona said:

Very casual collector here.

 

- My dad had a coin book where we collected all the 25 cent American coins as they represented a different state.

- I have a few foreign coins ranging from Euros, Hong Kong Dollar, US Dollar and old European money such as Francs etc.

- Got some other Royal Mint collectable coins

- Up until last week we had a very big jar of 5p coins in a large glass bottle (it's vintage according to Ebay). Dad took it to the bank...£53

 

I'm tempted to go to local car boot sales nearby and see what I find.

Years ago the only coin I could get into a Bells whisky bottle was the old half pence when I took to the bank it came to exactly £10! 

[time 8,603]

I'm assuming this is for numismatists and the like, rather than folk who just throw their excess change in a pot to save for Christmas; I have randomly 'collected' a few unusual coins over the years, such as a couple of the unimetal commemorative £2 coins, as well as a few pre-decimal coins that people have thrown in collecting tins. Nothing of any real value, but I do have a couple of the Kew Gardens 50p coins.

 

Like a lot of things, they've been put away somewhere 'safe' and I have no idea where they are now.

[Bibliogryphon 9,583]

Because I was born in the year of decimilisation my mum saved one of the first 50p coins she got. She also used to organise Christian Aid envelope collections so when she counted up if she found any foreign coins she would swap them with what appeared to be the closest UK denomination and put the rest in my collection. It is all in the loft now but there are some Edward VII coins in there

[Paul Bearer 6,102]

I have a number of 50p’s with various designs on them.  The first coin I had was an old penny which was dated I think 1692 with George 3rd(?) on it.  It was probably the size of a half crown (12 & a half pence for all you whippersnappers out there) 

 

I remember decimalisation very well, I even made one of those keepsakes of old money that was made on Blue Peter made from a Dairy Lea cardboard round box.  
 

I don’t have too many coins now, the best I can do is about half a dozen silver threepenny bits. 

[YoungWillz 21,049]

17 minutes ago, Paul Bearer said:

 

I don’t have too many coins now, the best I can do is about half a dozen silver threepenny bits. 

Get yer threepenny bits out for the lads....whoo"!

[Master Obit 831]

2 hours ago, Paul Bearer said:

I have a number of 50p’s with various designs on them.  The first coin I had was an old penny which was dated I think 1692 with George 3rd(?) on it.  It was probably the size of a half crown (12 & a half pence for all you whippersnappers out there) 

 

I remember decimalisation very well, I even made one of those keepsakes of old money that was made on Blue Peter made from a Dairy Lea cardboard round box.  
 

I don’t have too many coins now, the best I can do is about half a dozen silver threepenny bits. 

 

I'm going to guess it was a George III penny, which would date it about 100 years later. Most probably an 1806/1807, though could have been a 1797 cartwheel penny.