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 Replies: 11 / Views: 1,887 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
581 Posts |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2605 Posts |
Welcome to the "Guy in a Wheelchair Holding a Pitchfork"-fan club!
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2605 Posts |
One thing is to observe the varieties of the Britannia designs: sea level, ship/no ship, lighthouse/no lighthouse, etc.
Actually, not all Britannias face the same way, although you "fixed" it by putting the "odd one" upside down.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
689 Posts |
im right there with you, I just started picking these out of foreign bargain bins myself a few weeks ago!
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
581 Posts |
Funny you mention the direction...
Thinking that most coins are the same, I photographed the front then flipped them over.
The way my tripod set, the obverse pictures had to be rotated 180 degrees (I like to see them right side up in the viewfinder)
So...the upper left coin in an upper section is the obverse of the lower right coin in a bottom section.
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Valued Member
United Kingdom
60 Posts |
It's the US coins that are on the wrong die axis alignment, you even drive on the wrong side of the road as well  |
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Bedrock of the Community
Australia
21786 Posts |
I found in a dealer's junk box about a month ago what could be described in American terms as an MS65 condition farthing. It is of Edward v11, 1902. There were about 30 or so of these coins in the box all in uncirculated condition but only one in absolutely pristine condition, that is, perfectly struck up with a sharp die, with absolutely no marks on the coin whatsoever, even under a 20x magnification gemstone examination lens. These coins were treated by The Royal Mint with sodium thiosulphate solution to darken them, so that they would not be confused with half sovereigns. The coin that I have has a really attractive very dark purple tone to it. I was explained to me that the the 30 or so coins had been originally obtained to be used for gambling chips in regular family social gatherings in Fiji, but were forgotten about and were never used for this purpose. |
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Valued Member
United Kingdom
60 Posts |
You should have bought them all. Edward VII farthings are very difficult to pick up in GEF/UNC and my retail price would be £10/£25 per coin!
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New Member
United Kingdom
24 Posts |
Hey I see you have a nice collection of the old british one pence coins, I have many of these in my collection as I am from the uk. I also collect these, thay arn't in the best condition but they are a good starter if you fancy collecting them, I mostly look for the old threepence, sixpence (silver) and shillings (silver). Good luck with your future findings. :)
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Valued Member
United Kingdom
497 Posts |
sel 69l - You found 30 Edward VII UNC farthings in a junk box? Wow! Interesting story behind them as well. Could easily get £250-300 GBP+ for the lot to an inteested collector.
www.kingstoncoincompany.co.uk
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2541 Posts |
You picked up those puppies for 50 cents each? Dang, I'll take that all day long!
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Bedrock of the Community
Australia
21786 Posts |
Perhaps I am a charitable type of guy. Although I went to some pains to make sure that I had the best example of the batch of 30 or so farthings, I deliberately left the rest behind, so that other collectors could have some fun too. Besides, one coin only is all that I really required.
Oz collectors seem to have forgotten about the British series from 1825 to 1910. This is a series of coins that I have decided to concentrate on. (I have been collecting ancients for most of my life). Before Australia had her own coins, we used British ones. When Australia first became to be settled from 1788, we used a hodge-podge of other countries' coins much as America did in pre independence days. Most Oz collectors know something of the Proclamation coins, used between 1788 and 1825, some of which are scarce and valuable. I have a few.
From 1825, when some legislation was passed by the British Parliament, over one hundred thousand pounds worth of British coin was sent to Sydney, and British currency was declared for exclusive use from that time, until 1910, when distinctively Australian pounds shillings and pence came into use.
In the period from 1825 until 1910, Australia did produce Sydney Mint sovereigns and half sovereigns, and copper tradesmens' tokens. I have a nice example of a sovereign of this period, of the time of the gold rush, roughly the same time as the gold strike at Suttors Mill in California.
The British series from 1825 until 1910 has about 100 types, at the height of the British Empire; there is much scope for study learning collection building and enjoyment. Americans could well do with studying English coins from the time of the Pilgrim Fathers until Independence. That is also a fascinating series, where both Americans and Australians, at least in part, share a similar heritage to the Brits.
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Replies: 11 / Views: 1,887 |
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Posted 07/25/2010 11:40 pm
