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 Replies: 15 / Views: 2,030 |
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New Member
United Kingdom
11 Posts |
Hello all, taking coins up as something of a hobby, and looking for the bare bones coin collecting advice. Anything I SHOULD know...I would be grateful to know!:)
Also in the UK I would like to know what coin selling places are reputable, especially in regards to gold coins. I don't want to make any mistakes on that.
Could you link me some webbies, trusted places in the UK for these things?
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Moderator
 United States
189546 Posts |
 to the Community! |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
575 Posts |
to CCF! Good luck in your endeavors! |
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Valued Member
Belgium
186 Posts |
to CCF! |
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Moderator
United States
34428 Posts |
@vaxalon, first welcome to CCF. Second, please be a little patient with getting replies. Evidently this website is under attack from some spam bots right now. Once things settle down, hopefully one of our UK-based members can help you with providing answers to your questions.
"If you climb a good tree, you get a push."
-----Ghanaian proverb
"The danger we all now face is distinguishing between what is authentic and what is performed."
-----King Adz
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
945 Posts |
Hi Vaxalon, welcome to CCF.
I am in the UK and collect coins, but not gold ones. A lot depends on what sort of coins you are after - if it is just straightforward Sovereigns, then any coin dealer should have some. Coin fairs, which you can find in Coin News, are also a good bet. Some Jewellers shops may have a few too, though they generally over-price theirs. The online Bullion dealers can also be a source if you are not looking for rare dates.
If you are after the better dates or rarer coins, then getting to know a few good dealers is a good way to go. Otherwise, bid at the better auctioneers that include coins - Dix Noonan and Webb, London Coins, Lockdales, Baldwins etc. Be very wary of bidding on "gold" coins at local small auction houses without a serious coin expert on their books - we are swamped with fake "kruger rands" and other supposedly gold coins here at the moment. They are clever fakes - they have the weight and appearance spot on by using a Tungsten core and you have to know what you are doing to spot them.
What part of the Country are you in? Then we may be able to recommend dealers or auction houses closer to you.
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New Member
 United Kingdom
11 Posts |
Thank you for the advice, I saw a gold coin on the shopping channel this morning, for some odd reason, I'm just a little wary. :)
Coin news? most handy. I'm in Norfolk, near Norwich myself.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
536 Posts |
Please do not buy coins on the shopping channels. Usually overpriced from what is easily available elsewhere.
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
945 Posts |
OK - I am not in the Norwich area, so I do not know the dealers around there. Coin News should help you that too - you can get it in most good Newsagents or subscribe. Lockdales of Ipswich is probably your best close auction house, but the others you can do online. I would not buy from the shopping channels! If nothing else, the cost of selling on those is very high and has to be passed onto the buyer. Bear in mind that any modern gold coin is effectively worth only the gold value for the foreseeable future (unless you are very lucky) so a gold sovereign is about £225 on present gold prices. Unless it is old or a rare date or proof, you don't really want to be paying much over that. The Royal Mint want £250 for a half sovereign - you would have to wait a very long time to get your money back there! |
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Rest in Peace
United States
17900 Posts |
We look forward to your participation. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4211 Posts |
Old Guy...from an Old Gal  PaddyB to you as well has given you some great advise. Keep us posted! |
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Pillar of the Community
Australia
2180 Posts |
Buy a book before you buy any coins.
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
856 Posts |
Personally I'd suggest a book to help you learn about UK grading, since grade affects price for most coins (bullion is different). Something like Derek Allen's "Grading British Coins" (available on Amazon). And a general book on UK coinage might be useful, depending on what you want to collect. Dealers? There are many reputable ones, but some specialise in particular types of coins, so difficult to recommend without knowing what you enjoy and how much you might want to spend! General advice? Buy the best you can afford, handle coins by the edges only (unless old and tarnished), never clean coins, only spend what you can afford to lose until you know what you're doing! And have fun of course. :D Edited by Tom Goodheart
03/06/2018 10:49 am
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
945 Posts |
There are many good books produced under the "Rotographic" brand which cover most areas of British coin collecting. If you put "Rotographic" into Amazon it will come up with those available. |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
94367 Posts |
to the CCF! |
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Valued Member
United Kingdom
190 Posts |
As mentioned Dereks book on grading is the first and best book to buy.
Grading determines value so without knowing the grade you will almost certainly end up paying to much if not from a reputable dealer.
I would not buy anything of value although its hard for atleast a few weeks and read as much as possible.Most costly mistakes are made by people just buying things they know nothing about.......Although I still make those mistakes now...LOL.
Ideally make the effort to go to a coin show and look at coins and prices rather than pictures.
Going to a show will mean you can ask a few questions and get some advice for a couple of pound entry fee.
Happy collecting.
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Replies: 15 / Views: 2,030 |
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Posted 02/21/2018 08:28 am
