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Mongo

Numismatic Research Group
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Everything posted by Mongo

  1. One thing that no-one else has mentioned : many rarities are more common in lower grades than other relatively common dates are in BU. So, my recommendation would be to track down the rarer varieties if they float your boat (for example, you won't find a 1903 "open 3" much better than Fine), but don't neglect the dates which are hard to find in BU. For pennies, the obvious ones that come to mind are : 1945 1944 1940 1934 1932 1931 1930 1926 1922 1915 most of Edward VII 1898 1895, or anything earlier than that. On the other hand, lower grade examples of 1953, 1951, 1950, all Geo V H and KN, 1902 Low Tide, 1895 "2mm", and some bun penny varieties less than Fine (1875H 1865/3 1864 for example) are not really worth bothering with. Thats useful to know! I managed to grab a box of about 300+ pre decimal coins from a bric-a-brac shop yesterday for a tenner, theres loads of pennies/halfpennies in there. Sorting through that lot will keep me busy for a while!
  2. Another forum member gave me this link to a coin value site, if you navigate to the pennies/halfpennies pages, you can scroll down the Fine grade value column and see if any are worth a few quid, this will probably reflect if they are rare and worth having in low grades, hope it helps! http://www.coins-of-the-uk.co.uk/values/
  3. Here are a few nice pictures of Charles I sixpences, If they are any help. Maybe you could ask permission to use them for your works. http://www.coins-of-the-uk.co.uk/pics/c1/6d/index.html
  4. Thanks azda, the price did seem very cheap for an EF example. I think that is one thing I definitely need to learn asap, how to grade coins myself. I noticed on price lists that there can be such a jump from VF to EF in value that its scary!
  5. Here are the pics of the coin listed as EF, I blacked out the company name in case it is against forum rules...
  6. Is it ok to post a link to the coin I mentioned... It being on a commercial website?
  7. Thanks for all the advice, its most helpful! Browsing the net I have just come accross an online coin shop that has prices that seem cheap, example: an EF grade 1917 shilling for £12.99, or an AU one for £25.99. Does that sound too cheap? It is on "special offer", but being a noob I would not know if it is correctly graded from the photos.
  8. Could probably recommend that you stay away from such distractions, you'll never get anything done! Put me off-track for a good 20 years Ooooops! My secret is out
  9. The coins arrived today, thanks John! It was very nice of you, I particularly like the look of the 1935 Penny. It is also helpful to see more dominations in the flesh, help me decide what I would like to buy in the future Thans again, Chris.
  10. Thanks threepence! Thats helpful, so even if I can only afford a poor grade of a coin I really like, I can upgrade it later as funds become available... sounds like a plan.
  11. Thanks guys, its just that I have seen some nice coins that I like the look of and wanted to be sure "detector find" does not mean you should always stay away from them.
  12. Thanks Debbie! Empire coins?.... DOH! even more to confuse me Can anyone please explain what "detector find" implies when in a coin description? Is it a good or bad thing?
  13. Certainly smaller coins such as pennies and 5ps can be found in the same condition they were when they left the mint. The problem is that coins leaving the mint are not always perfect. Edges of one coin knock dints into another, there are often metal flaws. The only 'perfect' coin is probably specimen or proof issues. But people hold on to nice coins and then decide to use them or even break into specimen sets, so it's certainly possible to find very nice examples of coins even 20 years old with a bit of luck! (I guess I shouldn't perhaps use the term BU, when really I mean nice, shiny and with no signs or blemishes from circulation (such as finger marks or suggestions of being 'wiped' which can lead to very fine marks that spoil the sheen)). I will definitely be checking my change from now on!
  14. Thanks! I like farthings too, and pennnies, and halfpennies, and sixpences etc. etc.! I think that I will just buy any coins that I really like the look of at the moment, then down the line a bit see how I feel about specializing in certain denominations. I might go for a nice grade coin of every denomination (that I can afford) and see them in the flesh, im sure there will be one that really catches my imagination
  15. Thanks Tom! I had only just posted a question about grade, thats interesting you say you can find BU coins in your change... that must be my noobness! I assumed that if a coin was ever in curculation it would never be classed as BU, Im learning!
  16. If you want nice shiny UNC coins, then you can still get them and follow John's good advice to avoid decimals. The fact is, predecimal coins of the 60s were hoarded in BU condition in their millions, in the lead-up to decimalisation. You can pick up BU pennies and halfpennies dated between 1965 - 1967 very cheap, also brass 3ds, sixpences, even shillings. You pay a little more for florins and halfcrowns, though if you want shiny, 1967 is your date In fact, if you're looking for cheap BU predecimals, here's a quick rundown: Halfpennies and pennies - any from 1962 onwards Brass 3ds - 1937, 1953, 1961 - 1967 Sixpences - 1948, 1953, 1955, 1957, 1959, 1965 onwards Shillings - 1948, 1953, 1957 English, 1959 English, 1961 English, any 1964 - 1966 Florins - 1948, 1953, 1964 - 1967 Halfcrowns - 1948, 1953, 1966 - 1967 Crowns - 1953, 1965 Hope that helps. Thanks, thats a big help! I do not think I will limit myself to BU coins, I think I will enjoy the hobby more if I take every coin on its own merits. For a coin that is not particularly rare, nor cheap as chips, what would you say is the lowest grade that is a nice collectable condition? I have seen many that are graded as fine that I think are very nice (especially older coins), but I think it would maybe be better in the long run to save up the extra money and go for at least a Very Fine example.
  17. Amazing collection you have there! and a nice website too... I can but dream
  18. Thanks Gary! At the moment I have not decided to specialize in any one group of coins, only that they are British/English. I like the look of most of the coins I have seen so far, the shilling and florin are very nice, I may start out trying to get some nice grade coins of these. I think at the moment it will be low price coins maybe £5-£30, but from the websites I have seen that should still buy me some nice examples. While im here.. I got some pvc envelopes off of eBay before I done some research into storage of coins, I read the PVC is no good for long term storage, what is classed as long term for these envelopes? I since have purchased some lighthouse self adhesive flips, these are much nicer for viewing, and I was told they will not harm coins at all. If you put smaller coins in the large flips does that still protect them just the same?
  19. Thanks again! I have made a donation to the North area charity for you. I will let you know when the coins arrive. A forum member kindly informed me you are a trusted coin dealer, so I googled your username and found your website. You have some very nice coins in my budget for me to consider... I am probably just blind, but I could not find your postage costs, are they available to see in the checkout process? The postage is added at checkout, BUT, please buy from Chris before you come to me. If it wasn't for Chris running this forum you would likely have taken a long time to find my website. Any business I get as a user on here is nice but I am mainly here to talk to/help fellow collectors. Thanks for the donation up Norf Not a problem.. I can buy from both sites! Its nice to have more choice, eBay is ok, but its hard to know who to trust on there. Im all excited about my goody bag! I dunno, 31 years old and looking forward to my new toys!
  20. Thanks again! I have made a donation to the North area charity for you. I will let you know when the coins arrive. A forum member kindly informed me you are a trusted coin dealer, so I googled your username and found your website. Mongo, just underneath where John (argentumandcoins) has written you'll see his link to his website, no need to google, just click on the link and it takes you there, along with other member who have websites. Just don't click mine, there's nothing there as i'm a lazy bar steward Oh yeah! thanks azda, Im such a numnut
  21. Thanks again! I have made a donation to the North area charity for you. I will let you know when the coins arrive. A forum member kindly informed me you are a trusted coin dealer, so I googled your username and found your website. You have some very nice coins in my budget for me to consider... I am probably just blind, but I could not find your postage costs, are they available to see in the checkout process?
  22. Thanks! Thats very nice of you, I will send you my details in PM. With the UNC decimal coins, its not the value that appeals, but more the look of a bright shiny unused coin... Its interesting really, I had never even taken a second look at any coins in my pocket, but since taking an interest in coins, even a nice looking 5 pence that I got given as change yesterday is nice to the eye!..... I just done a quick google, I can donate some money to the charity via their website here: http://www.midlandsairambulance.com/shop/?c=20 Is this the correct air ambulance charity? Thanks again
  23. Thanks for the tips! and thanks for the value link, I have bookmarked it. In the handful of coins I was given, there was a beaten up old 1771 coin, the date was just readable and the head could be barely seen, but I think it was that old coin that caught my attention... Just the fact it was so old. I thought I would start out small, only pay a few pounds for my first coins, then if i made mistakes they would not be expensive ones. Now I have found a place where I can learn from people with lots of experience, I think I will be more confident in making my collection grow. I am on a limited budget, but was thinking of starting out by purchasing some decimal UNC coins, and pre decimal VF coins from the predcimal shop website, as and when I have a few pounds spare. ref to the predcimal.com shop... I have read up about the sites owner, and it seems a very honest place to buy from, would members on here advise that the prices on the website are all reasonable? I really like some of the coins there, and with some nice grade ones available at low prices, they would be ideal for me to start with. Thanks again for helping a newb!
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