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 Replies: 12 / Views: 2,233 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1409 Posts |
I'm asking this question before doing any research, in hopes of picking the minds of you guys with all the info.
I'm headed to Germany, Italy & Spain for 3 weeks this summer. Is there anything over there to search for that may still be in circulation or have they swept it all off of the market?
If I had to pick a target area, I suppose I'd be most interested in older coins & silver coins.
Thanks in advance.
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
2490 Posts |
If you're going to be in Madrid, there's a fantastic weekend coin market.
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Pillar of the Community
Turkey
870 Posts |
Now it's all euros in circulation over Europe. Most of them are dated between 1999-2002 and circulated for over 8+ years. Not much you can find from circulation in Europe, except the UK. You shoudl stick to the coin shops and markets. Myself do prefer coin markets, since mint and offical coin shops in Europe can charge for coin sets and stuff usually higher than the market price. Finding a good dealer in those areas is by chance. Don't know much to recommend. However, sometimes there are good coin markets, like the weekend market in Madrid that was recomemnded before. Don't expect finding anything valuable, even odler than 1999 from circulation in Eurozone, but you can find some better grade examples of euros and eurocents if you are up to that stuff.
Meantime, does anyone know a coin market in Amsterdam, Holland?..
Edited by molydeii
02/01/2010 08:55 am
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
2490 Posts |
In Amsterdam there's the Stamp Market which is good for coins and telephone cards/jetons. Its situated around Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal, Saturdays and one other day in the week.
Also the Flea market on Waterlooplein is open nearly every day.
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Pillar of the Community
Turkey
870 Posts |
Thanks a lot for the information Bob! it's highly appreicated. I'll pay a visit to those two markets if the weather won't be too chilly. I actually love hanging around in open-air markets, though the missus doesn't share the same enthusiasm with me, specailly when the weather is cold. :)
I happen to write a reply to your e-mail did you get it ?
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
1409 Posts |
Thanks for the replies.....I'll keep the market in Madrid in mind. May have to play with our itinerary for that.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2661 Posts |
Do not buy any ancient Roman coins while in Italy!
#1 It is or at least was when I lived there, illegal to take them out of the country.
#2 A whole bunch of fakes can be found there. You can hire a guide who will take you to a "secret place that only he knows" and you will find them laying all over the ground. They are cast coins and have been feed to goats. This will allow the stomach acids to apply a nice fake patina on them, then they are retrieved as they are passed buy the goat, washed, and then scattered around before you and your "guide" arrive to find the mother load.
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Pillar of the Community
Germany
1238 Posts |
Quote:
Now it's all euros in circulation over Europe. Most of them are dated between 1999-2002 and circulated for over 8+ years. Oh, there are quite a few countries in Europe that do not have the euro. Now the three that afcop13 mentioned are part of the euro area indeed, but I for one come across coins that are more recent than 2002 pretty much every day. Besides you can (at least in theory) pick up pieces from 19 different euro countries while staying in one city. But of course, if one is after older coins, a market or store will be the more promising option. The WMF in Berlin (world's biggest coin show, I think) just ended a few days ago, so you would have to wait another year.  In DE there are also the Numismata shows in Munich (March), Berlin (Oct) and Frankfurt (Nov). In IT the expo in Riccione (some time in early/mid September) could be interesting. Christian |
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Moderator
 Australia
16837 Posts |
Quote:
Is there anything over there to search for that may still be in circulation or have they swept it all off of the market?
If I had to pick a target area, I suppose I'd be most interested in older coins & silver coins. There are only three countries in the world where you could go and expect even a slight chance of finding silver coins in circulation: America, Canada and Switzerland. Everywhere else has had some kind of currency reform in the period since WWII, which has usually resulted in the formal and systematic withdrawal of the old coinage and complete replacement with the new. Don't say "infinitely" when you mean "very"; otherwise, you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite. - C. S. Lewis
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Pillar of the Community
Germany
1238 Posts |
As for "silver in circulation", I would not expect to find anything in Switzerland. Of course you may come across a silver collector coin (those can be had at face when issued), but that applies to some other European countries too. The plain regular coins do not contain any silver, and the older ones (with pretty much the same designs as the current Cu-Ni pieces) ceased to be legal tender about 40 years ago ...
Christian
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
1248 Posts |
Christian is just SOOOOOO right....
There is a coin dealer is Strassbourg. he has / had some Canadian coins last year which he adverts in his web site. I made him an offer for all.... typical french he would reject it...as: we do not discount our coins. When over there, I dropped in to his shop and asked for Canadian coins. he showed me the same coins he had 8 months previous, same prices. However, he also had one new coin, a 1948 50 cent piece with fantastic patina. My guessed grade was AU58 or perhaps better.... I bought it for his asking price ( remember no discounts) which was Euro 25. it was graded by ICCS Ms63......
I rest my case..... he is still sitting on the others which I had made a very fair offer....
typical FRENCH.....
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Valued Member
Italy
244 Posts |
Hi guys,
a couple of answers:
- first to the topic starter, if you will be in Milan (Italy) ther is a coin market each sunday morning in down-town around Piazza Cordusio
also in Barcelona (not only in Madrid) there is a coin market sunday morning, if I remember fine it is in plasa Roial anyway at left of middle Ramblas coming from Placa Catalogna
also in London there is a coin market, it is saturday morning, just out of enbarkment underground station
these are which I know in europe
- about antique coins in Italy, be carefull, just buy them in a certified coins dealer, TO USA FRIENDS, I think as in all other countries USA included
- about euros, if you will be in a main city, you can visit the Central bank of that country, to get UNC euros, this is thrue for some countries but not all
it's true for: Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, Spain, Slovenia
it's not true for Italy, France, Germany,
I don't know the other
All above reported data has been directly experienced by myself.
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Pillar of the Community
Germany
1238 Posts |
Quote:
about euros, if you will be in a main city, you can visit the Central bank of that country, to get UNC euros, this is thrue for some countries but not all
it's true for: Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, Spain, Slovenia
it's not true for Italy, France, Germany A lot depends on what you want to get, and when. Here in Germany for example you can always go to one of the Bundesbank (central bank) branch offices and ask for €2 commemorative coins or €10 collector coins. They may be sold out (that applies especially to the €2 commems) but it may be worth a try. What you cannot get this way, however, is circulation coins "fresh from the mints". In France and the Netherlands it is possible to pick certain collector coins up at selected post offices. But as you wrote, a coin market or show may be more promising. And more fun ... Christian Edited by chrisild
02/18/2010 06:26 am
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Replies: 12 / Views: 2,233 |
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Posted 02/01/2010 08:55 am
