My favorite place for buying coins here in the city isn't even a coin store -- it is a "Collectibles" store. While they do have a large supply of coins, it runs mostly to
RCM sets and new product (which makes little sense to me, since the Mint itself has a huge sales boutique of their own, but limits itself to current product only, naturally). Oh sure, they have the requisite small boxes of "Buffalo Nickles, Dated, $1.00 each" and the like in the display cases, but they carry little foreign outside of Canada, the U.S., and the U.K.
What they do with their foreign coin is bag them by weight and sell these for $8.95 each. It's a small enough price for an interesting gamble now and then, and sometimes the value of the coins within is in excess of the selling price, but they seem little concerned about that. In the past, I have even found the odd silver coin in one of these as well as current coin that is still spendable (they seem to treat foreign banknotes the same way; one memorable buy was two '60s issue UK five pound notes for $2 each, but that's another story). It's my guess that a lot of these coins are tourist souvenir coins.
Recently, I bought three bags of coin from them, and here are the results:
BAG ONE:
Australia: 10c - 1973, 1988; 20c - 1999; $1 - 1994 (Roos), 1997 (Kingsford Smith), 1999 (x2)(International Year of Older Persons), 2001 (Centenary of Federation).
China: Unknown cash coin - picture will be posted in Identification section.
France: 1F - 1968 (x2).
Germany: 1pf - 1950D; 2pf - 1981D; 5pf - 1987F, 1991J; 10pf - 1950D, 1950F, 1950G; 50pf - 1993A; 2MK - 1994D; 5MK - 1980D.
East Germany: 1pf - 1952.
Great Britain: 2/- - 1963; 5p - 1996.
Iceland: 25 Aurar - 1940.
Kenya: 10c - 1966
Korea: 10 Won - 1996, 2001; 50 Won - 1995, 2002; 100 Won - 1991, 1996 (x2), 2000; 500 Won - 1990.
Italy: L.5 - 1954 (x2); L.50 - 1955 (x2); L.200 - 1992 (Exposition); L.500 - 1986, 1997 (State Police 50th Anniversary); L.1000 - 1997 (Map of Europe).
Malaysia: 10 Sen - 1997; $1 - 1993.
Netherlands: 5c - 1970, 1988, 1988 (different type), 1990; 10c - 1976, 1992; 25c - 1980, 1988, 1998; 2.5G - 1980; 1 Euro - 2001.
Netherlands Antilles: 5c - 1982.
Norway: 25 Ore - 1924.
Singapore: 10c - 1985, 1989 (x2); 20c - 1987, 1990, 1991 (x2).
Spain: 20 Eurocents - 2004.
Switzerland: 2F - 1987B
Thailand: 1 Baht - Various Dates between 1987 and 2003 (x26!); 5 Baht - Various Dates between 1987 and 2000 (x5).
USA: 1c - 1963D.
REMARKS - So much spendable coin! The Australian Dollar coins were a nice surprise, as were the higher value Italian coins, and the Dutch Euro. As for value, pretty much spot on, but I've never seen so many Thai 1 Baht coins in a selection of this type before.
BAG TWO:
Australia: 1d - 1923; 3d - 1939.
Brazil: 1000 Reis - 1927; 5 Centavos - 1964; 10 Centavos - 1945, 1952, 1953; 50 Centavos - 1951; 10 Cruzeiros - 1965; 20 Cruzeiros - 1965.
British Caribbean Territories: 1c - 1955; 2c - 1955; 5c - 1955 (x2); 10c - 1955 (x2); 25c - 1955; 50c - 1955.
Chile: 1 Centimo - 1961, 1962; 5 Centimos - 1964 (x2); 10 Centimos - 1964 (x2).
Colombia: 5 Centavos - 1957; 10 Centavos - 1960, 1964; 20 Centavos - 1963.
Denmark: 10 Ore - 1953, 1957; 25 Ore - 1953; 1 Krone - 1925; 2 Krona - 1956.
Dominican Republic: 1 Centavo - 1952, 1955.
Ecuador: 5 Centavos - 1946 (x2); 20 Centavos - 1946, 1959; 50 Centavos - 1963 (x2); 1 Sucre - 1959.
France: 10 Centimes - 1963 (x2); 20 Centimes - 1963; 2F - 1949; 5F - 1949 (x2); 20F - 1952; 50F - 1951.
Germany: 10pf - 1950J; 50pf - 1921A, 1950F, 1950J.
Great Britain: 1/4d - 1940, 1/2d - 1941; 1d - 1937, 1967; 6d - 1959, 1962; 1/- - 1955S; 2/- - 1958; 2'6 - 1943.
Iceland: 1 Krone - 1946.
Ireland: 1d - 1933; 3d - 1961, 1964; 6d - 1947, 1962; 1/- - 1939.
Jamaica: 1d - 1942 (x2).
Mexico: 5 Centavos - 1937, 1953, 1955, 1964; 10 Centavos - 1946; 20 Centavos - 1956; 50 Centavos - 1956; 50 Centavos - 1956.
Netherlands: 5c - 1942; 10c - 1941, 1944; 25c - 1944.
Norway: 1 Ore - 1951, 1963; 2 Ore - 1960; 5 Ore - 1962; 10 Ore - 1949, 1960; 25 Ore - 1947, 1962; 50 Ore - 1927; 1 Krone - 1951, 1962.
Palestine: 1 Mill - 1939.
Panama: 1 Centisimo - 1953, 1961; 5 Centisimos - 1962 (x2).
Peru: 5 Centavos - 1964; 20 Centavos - 1951, 1964; 1 Sol - 1964.
St. Pierre & Miquelon: 1F - 1948 (x2); 2F - 1948.
Vatican City: L.100 - 1960.
REMARKS: An interesting mixed bag, with a lot of Latin American content. The St. Pierre and Miquelon coins were a nice bonus, since these are seldom seen. Also nice was an almost complete set of the Norwegian "animal" coins.
BAG THREE:
Australia: 1/2d - 1963; 1d - 1949; 1c - 1966 (x2); 2c - 1966; 5c - 1966; 20c - 1966.
Bahamas: 1c, 5c, 10c, 15c, 25c, all 1966.
Belgium: 10 Centimes - 1942; 20 Centimes - 1953 Fr., 1954 Fl.; 50 Centimes - 1957 Fl.; 1F - 1942, 1943; 1952, 1955, 1957, 1969 (all Fl.), 1951, 1963 (x2), 1965 (all Fr.); 5F - 1967 Fl., 1949, 1958, 1961, 1968 (all Fr.).
British Caribbean Territories: 2c - 1955.
Colombia: 50 Centavos, 1959.
Cyprus: 5 Mills - 1955; 50 Mills - 1955 (x2).
Cuba: 1 Centavo, 1920.
Fiji: 1d - 1961, 1965; 3d - 1965; 6d - 1961, 1965; 2/- - 1965.
Great Britain: 1/2d - 1905; 1d - 1900, 1904, 1921, 1944, 1963; 2/- - 1948; 50p - 1969.
Iceland: 5 Aurar - 1942.
India: 1 Paise - 1962, 1963, 1967 (x2); 2 Paise, 1967; 5 Paise, 1963; 10 Paise - 1957.
Kenya: 5c, 1S - both 1967.
Netherlands: 1c - 1942, 1955; 5c - 1923, 1942; 10c - 1950, 1964; 25c - 1943, 1948.
New Zealand: 1/2d - 1959; 1d - 1946; 1/- - 1965; 1c - 1967; 2c - 1967 (x2); 10c - 1967 (x2); 20c - 1967; 50c - 1967 (x3).
Portugal: 20 Centavos - 1966, 1968; 50 Centavos - 1969; 1 Escudo - 1952, 1958; 2.5 Escudo - 1968.
Spain: 1 Peseta - 1944, 1953(56), 1963(64); 5 Peseta - 1957(58); 5 Eurocents - 2003.
Sweden: 1 Ore - 1963; 5 Ore, 1961.
Yugoslavia: 20 Para - 1965.
REMARKS: Not really as good a bag as the other two, but a lot of interesting stuff nonetheless; problem is too many heavy coins that are relatively common (Great Britain) and THREE New Zealand 50c coins!
OVERALL - I think I got my approximately $30 worth, and will buy again.
Comments anyone?
Posted 07/29/2009 10:45 am
