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 Replies: 12 / Views: 1,093 |
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New Member
United States
0 Posts |
Hello everyone! I am new here, and thought I might introduce myself. My name is Isaac and I hail from Austin, TX. Coin collecting is a budding hobby for me and I guess I am looking for guidance and some answers and a place to hang out and learn! I have read through a lot of coin collecting guides, tips, and rules online. My grandfather gave me his coin collection many years ago, however I didn't actually go through all of them in their entirety until this past week. I have to admit I find them intriguing! I taught myself to read Arabic Numerals and looked up the Japanese dating methods to be able to figure out what stuff is. I have jumped in headfirst I guess. I found some really amazing coins. I discovered that I love old British, Spanish, and French coin designs. I have always been a big fan of silver and so I have a feeling I will end up trying to develop a collection of European Coins Pre-1900 with an emphasis on precious metal coins. I found two coins that I would love some information and advice on. First is a Mexican 8 Reales coin dated 1809. I did some research on it and it is interesting, apparently Ferdinand VII was overthrown by Napoleon in 1808. I think it is a really cool coin and I LOVE that it is Silver, but it has a keychain attached to it and that....irks me. I would love some advice on it. Should I try to get it removed? Should I remove the keychain but leave the loop that is welded/soldered to the coin? Is there a reason for the keychain?   Second is a 1900 Newfoundland 20 cent coin. It appears to be in overall good condition although I am not 100% on grading coins though I have read through the descriptions a few times. I read that this coin has the potential to hold value depending on the condition and I was wondering at what point you should get a coin graded.   I am almost 100% interested in world coinage as US history and coin designs just don't spark my imagination and curiosity like foreign moneys. Anyway, I will attach the images of the Obverse and Reverse of each of those coins. I would love advice on those coins as well as simply general advice on how to get started collecting old world coins. Thanks, IsaacT PS - I tried to limit the resolution of the embedded images to a small size in case people have webpage loading issues but if they show up to big just let me know and I will work ASAP to correct it. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
536 Posts |
Hi Isaac & Welcome! Firstly, you are in luck to learn more about the hobby, because this weekend there is a coin show just down the road from Austin in Schertz (just NE of San Antonio). http://www.coinshows.com/schertz_gcc.htmlShows are a great place to learn, browse, meet people, "drool" over coins, etc. For your reales keychain, the coin itself is probably around $25-50 as is. It's one of the more "common" of that series. I'm not too sure about whether you should try to de-chain it, or leave it. You might get some professional opinions at the show. For the Newfy, it's probably on the low end of the scale as far as grading, so value is only $5-10. It would really only be worth grading if it looked like it just came out of the mint. Several people on the site recommend that you only grade coins worth more than $100, or that you wish to sell. You are on the right track by coming here, too. This is a great community with many knowledgeable people. Hope you enjoy your stay! |
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
4591 Posts |
 to CCF Definitely interesting history, unfortunately, once a coin has been used in jewelry, it's pretty much permanent - there's no way to remove the marks that doesn't further damage the coin (note the further, attaching a mount has already damaged it). So use it as is and enjoy it as is... maybe for some keys you don't use every day, so that when you do drag them out, you've have that flash of memory of your grandfather. -----Burton 50+ year / Life / Emeritus ANA member (joined 12/1/1973) Life member: Numismatics International, CONECA Member: TNA, FtWCC, NETCC, EveryCountry (online) coin club Owned by three cats and a wife of 40+ years (joined 1983) Author: 3rd Edition of the Sample Slabs book, https://www.sampleslabs.info/ |
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New Member
 United States
0 Posts |
Thanks guys! That helps a lot! Couple other questions...
I work full time at Best Buy and my only days off are Monday and Tuesday. Are there any shows/flea markets/auctions/etc that ever occur on Mon/Tues?
Also, I feel like I should start by getting a good feel for the grading system. What is the best way to get that down? I figure that because if I am going to buy a coin I should be able to determine its condition, especially since value in many cases scales exponentially with condition. Maybe a coin shop and just look at examples of various grades? Is a Jeweler's Loupe recommended? I heard on one site that you can see surface condition more easily with one.
PS - the chain bothers me, so I will probably have it removed and then carry it with me sometimes
Edited by IsaacT
06/06/2016 10:58 am
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
1747 Posts |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
536 Posts |
I think probably one of the best tools for understanding grading is the PCGS Photograde app. It only has US coins, but you'll get an idea about the spectrum, which you can apply to pretty much any coin. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5207 Posts |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
814 Posts |
For the 8R on the keyring, I would ditch the keychain (except for the loop that's soldered on) and now you have a most appropriate and conversation-worthy pocket piece!  |
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Bedrock of the Community
Canada
11922 Posts |
to the CCF! |
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New Member
United States
0 Posts |
Thanks for the advice! I filed off the last loop and now it is much more satisfying. I still want to figure out a way to remove the soldered/welded on loop but for now this is good.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4809 Posts |
 Isaac! Thanks for the history lesson. It would be interesting to know if the retaining loop can be removed without damaging the coin. If there is a method, it might be worthy of it's own thread...assuming it hasn't been discussed. Don't forget to use the Search tool to look up things you want to learn about. It's a great self-serve resource. Enjoy the hobby and the history! |
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Moderator
 United States
188213 Posts |
to the Community! |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1795 Posts |
Isaac to CCF. |
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Replies: 12 / Views: 1,093 |
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Posted 06/06/2016 09:21 am
