Scotland's most important collection of antique coins stolen

[Hussulo 6]

The unique collection, which has been valued at more than 500,000, features pieces dating back to 1136, when the very first Scottish coins were minted.

A total of more than 1,000 coins were stolen from the home of Lord and Lady Stewartby in Broughton, near Peebles.

A "substantial reward" has been offered to anyone who can help recover the collection.

...

"We would appeal to anyone who may have information as to the whereabouts of the collection or anyone who has been offered some rare and unique coins."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotlan...and/6283688.stm

it was on my local news!

I live about 20 miles from there.

Lucky I keep my coins at the bank!

[Hussulo 6]

Link To BBC News

Edited to update the link, it now works!

[Jamesred 1]

Link To BBC News

Edited to update the link, it now works!

i used to live in Peebles and got a whole lot nicked, thats why the majority of mine are in the bank as well!!

oh by the way it wasnt me!!

[scottishmoney 34]

Frankly I cannot understand having so much lying around the house, it is like begging for someone to relieve you of it.

[Red Riley 2]

Frankly I cannot understand having so much lying around the house, it is like begging for someone to relieve you of it.

I'm sorry, but I just can't see the point in collecting if you haven't got the things to hand. You might as well invest in stocks and shares or put your money in the building society and cut out the coins altogether.

Now, in-home security measures, that's a different matter.

[Hussulo 6]

Link To BBC News

Edited to update the link, it now works!

i used to live in Peebles and got a whole lot nicked, thats why the majority of mine are in the bank as well!!

oh by the way it wasnt me!!

James you used to live at Peebles? then you'll know the town were I stay, Galashiels?

Red I agree with you in that it is nice to have coins to study in hand. In fact I have a lot of (non valuable) coins lying around, plus some medium value ones in a small safe at home but my valuable coins are at the bank. Even if I had a great safe or in house security what’s to stop thugs breaking into my home in the hope that they might steal the safe, coins or frightening my wife etc..? There are some crazy people out there that would steal from their mum for drugs and I'm sure they would steal from me if they thought I kept coins of any value at home. Not that I am some kind of scared paranoid guy, but why invite trouble? Besides its not hard to nip to the bank and get your coin/s out if you want to study or look at them.

[Red Riley 2]

Red I agree with you in that it is nice to have coins to study in hand. In fact I have a lot of (non valuable) coins lying around, plus some medium value ones in a small safe at home but my valuable coins are at the bank. Even if I had a great safe or in house security what’s to stop thugs breaking into my home in the hope that they might steal the safe, coins or frightening my wife etc..? There are some crazy people out there that would steal from their mum for drugs and I'm sure they would steal from me if they thought I kept coins of any value at home. Not that I am some kind of scared paranoid guy, but why invite trouble? Besides its not hard to nip to the bank and get your coin/s out if you want to study or look at them.

[Geordie582 18]

Another way to think is - If you have a collection on display it can't be worth stealing

Mine is in a small coin cabinet and scrutinised almost daily. I could't have it any other way.

[scottishmoney 34]

I'm sorry, but I just can't see the point in collecting if you haven't got the things to hand. You might as well invest in stocks and shares or put your money in the building society and cut out the coins altogether.

Now, in-home security measures, that's a different matter.

The cheap stuff is available at hand, the good stuff resides with the bank.

[Jamesred 1]

James you used to live at Peebles? then you'll know the town were I stay, Galashiels?

Red I agree with you in that it is nice to have coins to study in hand. In fact I have a lot of (non valuable) coins lying around, plus some medium value ones in a small safe at home but my valuable coins are at the bank. Even if I had a great safe or in house security what’s to stop thugs breaking into my home in the hope that they might steal the safe, coins or frightening my wife etc..? There are some crazy people out there that would steal from their mum for drugs and I'm sure they would steal from me if they thought I kept coins of any value at home. Not that I am some kind of scared paranoid guy, but why invite trouble? Besides its not hard to nip to the bank and get your coin/s out if you want to study or look at them.

I still own a house in Peebles, I was a manager at the Hydro!!

Quick one for you, I did have a lot of valauble coins at home, but when i got broken into, i switched the main part of my collection to the bank. It may cost a bit of money to do this, but i know my coins are well secure.

On teh stocks and shares side of things - my collection value grows almost every year, stocks and shares are a risk that i am not prepared to put into. I believe my return on investment would be huge if i sold the full collection. But, I am only interested in selling my doubles and do not have the need for the money.

I have 2 daughters who are very interested in coins and they will receive them from me when i pop me clogs.

[basecamp 0]

My collection is out growing the glass jar! I seriously need to consider looking at some storage containers, the coin trays on this site look just the job - but my wife says if I buy them I will then turn into a different person than the one who she married!!! Not sure what she means

Any body else get grief of the missus?

Edited September 17, 2007 by basecamp

[scottishmoney 34]

Any body else get grief of the missus?

Oh never

[Rob 3,152]

Any body else get grief of the missus?

Not usually. Mine's a very nice woman. She even instructed me to increase my bid in a recent sale. Didn't work though because I still came second.

[Hussulo 6]

Any body else get grief of the missus?

Oh never

Not normally, luckily my wife’s dad is a coin nut so she has been brought up round them.

Although I'm not as lucky as Rob because she won't encourage me either. She just lets me get on with it.

James I know the Hydro well it’s a nice hotel.

[Jamesred 1]

Any body else get grief of the missus?

Oh never

Not normally, luckily my wife’s dad is a coin nut so she has been brought up round them.

Although I'm not as lucky as Rob because she won't encourage me either. She just lets me get on with it.

James I know the Hydro well it’s a nice hotel.

Mine gets me sovereigns for Christmas and birthdays, she knows what i have and what i need and is getting better at buying them now!

[Red Riley 2]

Any body else get grief of the missus?

[scottishmoney 34]

I find that marital harmony is improved if I don't tell her how much I spend on my hobbies...

When I have done that I have gotten in deep deep poo. I have given up on trying to sneak stuff by her, she just figures it out somehow, it is as though she is psychic or something. So now if I were to buy something pricey, I have to justify it by selling something equivalent.

[Red Riley 2]

On teh stocks and shares side of things - my collection value grows almost every year, stocks and shares are a risk that i am not prepared to put into. I believe my return on investment would be huge if i sold the full collection. But, I am only interested in selling my doubles and do not have the need for the money.

[Jamesred 1]

Rant over.

I feel better now.

Sorry Jamesred, this wasn't really aimed at you, you just seem to have copped the fallout!

No problem,

maybe i shouldnt have called it an "investment", rather an "heirloom" I do totally agree that prices will fall. However, as I have no consideration of selling my main collection.

I have been introduced into coin collecting many years ago, but only fairly recently took a huge interest in it. A family member was a huge collector, he has passed away, and this is where my main collection comes from.

I received almost a lifetimes supply of coins, and as i stated when i came on here a while ago i was looking at each denomination separately. on Farthings, I have a grand total of 238 1797 - 1956 in my main collection, many of which have been graded professionally, these coins were collected over a period of almost 40 years. All have been marked and left in envelopes, many were not looked at for years! I have not touched them without cotton gloves. I have 146 doubles (which are posted here, and i am in the process of scanning all of those) which i have collected myself and probobaly near 300 which i havent even looked at!

The above has taken, to date, for me 3 years and such is the extent of my collection, i reckon i will be 60 by the time i look at everything. I have all denominations to look at (pre 1797 as well, but not enough info on those, for me to study on.)

As a "newer collector" i deliberately bought from Colin Cooke coins a varied selection in different grades so that i could see what way the professionals grade them.

So as for investments? If i look at the book price of the collection that i want to sell at the moment, i get a price of just over £4000 (remember thats with my grading of them) , how much did they cost me over 3 years? considerably less than that (approx. 1500) if i sold them now i would get say 60% (based on my grading being correct) which is £2400.

(Im waffling now) so the profit margin say £900 over 3 years? crap really isnt it.

My main collection that i have classed, maybe wrongly, as an investment (my opinion here is that when i received them i could have gone and sold them to get the money, instead i "invested them" in a bank.) is to me at the moment growing in value every year. Maybe i am niave, i dont know, but im certainly not well heeled. I am a hotel manager, work 70 hours a week and get no overtime!! I have made a few property investments in my time (move too bloody often)

Any way ill stop waffling now. Anyone else got opinions on what they think what their collections are?

Cheers

[TomGoodheart 400]

Mine's just a 'collection' since I get very little sympathy from my wife when I want to buy anything. Her look somehow says 'haven't you already got a Charles I shilling'?

I think that of all the sales of coins I have made, perhaps two brought me a profit! So if I keep on like this it will eventally be a collection of one rather expensive coin I guess!

I have 60 Charles I shillings that have taken me around four years to put together. I have a number of rarities that would only appeal to another Chas I collector (for example the coins are the same except one has slightly curlier cross ends on the reverse or a different mint mark!) so it certainly is unlikely to make me a profit (not that I have any desire to sell).

I guess you could call it an 'academic' collection. Somewhat unfashionable probably. But hey, we collect what we enjoy don't we?

A Charles I shilling for 'the US market'!

.

[Peter 615]

JamesRed

How about offering forum members Vast discounts at your hotel...especially if we paid with a few different!!!coins....I'm a freelance QS (quantity surveyor) and would love a bit of net working.

70 hours per week PAAAAHHHH

[Hussulo 6]

Hi James,

I collect coins as a hobby first and investment second. I am trying to complete a couple of separate collections 1/3 farthing set, Shillings, always collecting British errors and lately siege coins.

It would be great to think that my collection goes up in value and I have something to leave the kids.

So In that sense I am in your boat too.

Regards,

Hus

[Jamesred 1]

If any of ythe forum member were coming to jersey id give a discount ofd course you just need to give me a date etc