How did you start collecting and what is the "star" coin of yo

[Mongo 1]

I am interested, how did everyone start collecting coins? can you golden oldies even remember?

Also, it would be nice to see a picture of that ONE coin that you really love above all the rest, maybe there is a little story behind it?

I have only been interested in coins for a couple of months, so I am still to find my "star" coin. I decided to start collecting when my parents were redecorating, they gave me a small jar with a handful of coins inside. They were all beat to hell and back! but it still ignited my interest, now I am hooked!

[SEnumis 0]

I think I started collecting when given a jubilee crown at school (1977) and had some nice things. I seem to recall an 1887 shilling in EF was probably the star and an 1890s penny was a good find too. My grandmother gave me and my cousin dozens of silver 3d in varying condition that she had kept for a very long time - it is probably my imagination that there was a 1945 in there. I stopped collecting, just lost interest really, but always wanted a rocking horse crown (1935). Looking around on Ebay one day a few months ago I saw a rocking horse crown at a price that wasn't prohibitive and that was that - I was off again. Next time I visit my Mum and Dad I must look for my old coin albums.

[Peckris 579]

I am interested, how did everyone start collecting coins? can you golden oldies even remember?

Also, it would be nice to see a picture of that ONE coin that you really love above all the rest, maybe there is a little story behind it?

I have only been interested in coins for a couple of months, so I am still to find my "star" coin. I decided to start collecting when my parents were redecorating, they gave me a small jar with a handful of coins inside. They were all beat to hell and back! but it still ignited my interest, now I am hooked!

I'd started a new school for 6th form, in a different part of the country. I was just walking one evening from school to the bus, when I passed an antiques shop. They had a small bowl of coins in the window and I saw the date on one was 1672. To me that was unimaginably ancient! so I went in and it turned out it cost only 6d so I got it. A worn copper, but I could see on one side it said CAROLVS A CAROLO. I assumed this was a European monarch. Then it hit me - Charles son of Charles - Charles II. From there I started collecting pennies out of my change, one of each date, and from there I never looked back. Mind you, I struggled for ages to find the elusive gaps for 1923, 1924, 1925, 1941, 1942, and 1943. I'm still looking!

My avatar picture shows my own favourite coin. I was at a Warwick & Warwick auction in the 90s and as usual I was conferring with Peter Viola in his shop beforehand. There was a nice 1797 2d in the auction - GEF with lustre. Peter had one in the same grade but with barely any lustre. He said if I didn't get the one in the auction, he'd knock a third off the price of his, I didn't, and he did. I was happy

[Mongo 1]

Nice story Peck! Just think, if that bowl of coins had not been in the window, you may never have discovered your hobby! Think how much money that would of saved you

[scott 144]

when I found a shilling in an old moneybox.

star coins, not really got anything extra special, I have some rare bits and pieces.

this is the most valuable, only 500,000 minted getting one of these will cost a good £60-70, I found in in the 10p tin at my dealers (odd this, he usualy sells the better dates for a bit more as well)

this for £6 when I got it I just knew it for what I bought it as, an 1858 farthing, which I got because I wanted an example of the design at the time, on a limited budget, when I researched it last year I realised what it is, it is the small date version, and it a very decent grade as well.

Edited June 27, 2012 by scott

[scott 144]

this was my fave for many years, when I started up, saw it in the window of my dealer (he had moved and stumbled across it when my dad was going to a camera shop) saw it in the window for a mere £2.

not special or valuable but £2 for something so old, its fantastic

probably my trophy UK coin, rarer then the farthing, got off ebay for £1+postage with a normal 1879 in similar grade, surprised as it was listed as both types on the auction, hard to get this variety

[Rob 3,152]

In common with just about all of the people old enough to be in a similar position I started collecting predecimal pennies from circulation, initiated by a pot of them in the house which I was given to keep me quiet on a rainy day.

As for a favourite coin, this changes with mood swings.

[Peckris 579]

Nice story Peck! Just think, if that bowl of coins had not been in the window, you may never have discovered your hobby! Think how much money that would of saved you

Oh I don't know. I could have been like Jensen Button, but no good at motor racing, just living in Monaco on a fancy yacht and pretending I had any money left

[Colin G. 147]

As for a favourite coin, this changes with mood swings.

My collecting started via my other hobby, metal detecting, and then whilst looking at coins, I spotted a nice 1826 farthing with an edge knock for £4 on Colin Cooke's website and could not believe that something so old could be picked up so cheap....and the rest is history, it's a good job I didn't buy a penny or halfcrown off another dealers site, the story could have been very different expensive

I agree with Rob's comment above, my favourite changes from day to day, I have favourites but selecting just 1 would stress me out

[TomGoodheart 400]

I didn't really start until I was clearing Dad's house. He was an inveterate hoarder and I took the silver/part silver coins he had to a dealer and came away with a few 'nicer' coins.

Then looking through the library to find out a bit more about coin collecting I happened across James Mays' The Splendid Shilling and I was hooked. Shillings were something I remembered from my youff and I decided to collect firsts and major design changes. The later stuff was easy enough, back to around George II but the Stuarts in decent condition were rather out of my budget. Oddly I avoided Charles I as being far too complicated for quite a while.

Then I spent a bit too much and Wifey found out and wasn't best pleased by which time I had bought a couple of Charles I shillings. Dad died and left us reasonably well off and Wifey decided that perhaps she was being a bit churlish as it was sort of more my money than hers. She asked how much I reckoned I'd need to build a collection, I told her and she halved it to 10 grand. I decided that would work, but it wouldn't be a very big collection so opted to sell off the other coins and concentrate on Charles I. Through ebay I 'met' other collectors and learned from them and .. the rest is history.

As to 'stars', like Rob, my view changes depending on my mood. I'm obviously happy with the coins I feel I got cheap (few though they are!) and there are a few rarities that would be the very last coins I'd part with if I had to sell.

Off the top of my head? Maybe this? Not much to look at, I know! But it's one (the better) of the two 'discovery' coins written up by Michael Sharp in the BNJ when the bust was first recognised. Unrecorded until 1995 and though others have come to light since then, it is still quite scarce (I know of 7 other examples). Ex Roger Shuttlewood. Nice to have a bit of numismatic history I think.

[Peter 615]

I had everyone collecting bun and vickies when I was a lad.

Mum and Dad had a card tin which I was allowed to sort on a regular basis plus my grandads saved all the pre 47 silver for me.

I had a Saturday job at 14 next to a jewellers/dealer.Dad had all ready subscribed me to Coin monthly in lieu of Whizzer and chips.

I picked up quality stuff by being in the know.

I continued through my youth with a proportion of my available income spent on Birds,booze,motorbikes etc.

Star coins to me don't exist.When you grab a £5 coin you have been after for yonks it beats the £2k purchase every time.

Mrs Peter trusts me to let loose after having my nose in books from late 60's...I occasionally do

[davidrj 194]

Oh I don't know. I could have been like Jensen Button, but no good at motor racing, just living in Monaco on a fancy yacht and pretending I had any money left

No vacancies for "international playboy" at the Labour Exchange when I left school, shame, I'm sure I could have been quite good at it

[Mongo 1]

Then I spent a bit too much and Wifey found out and wasn't best pleased by which time I had bought a couple of Charles I shillings. Dad died and left us reasonably well off and Wifey decided that perhaps she was being a bit churlish as it was sort of more my money than hers. She asked how much I reckoned I'd need to build a collection, I told her and she halved it to 10 grand. I decided that would work, but it wouldn't be a very big collection so opted to sell off the other coins and concentrate on Charles I. Through ebay I 'met' other collectors and learned from them and .. the rest is history.

Seems nice that your collection now is part of your Dad's legacy Tom, must make some of your more expensive coins that extra bit special!

[Mongo 1]

when I found a shilling in an old moneybox.

star coins, not really got anything extra special, I have some rare bits and pieces.

Seems like you have grabbed a few bargains in your time Scott! I hope I can find a few in the future

[Generic Lad 25]

For me it had to start when I graduated high school. I'd "collected" coins as a curiosity now and then, had a little cigar box with some foreign coins, an old 1923 Peace Dollar my dad got me for Christmas one year, and some "error" coins (really just post mint damage) along with some "unusual" stuff like $2 bills, half dollars, and the old Eisenhower dollars. But I got a few hundred dollars for graduation and didn't know what to spend it on. I thought about putting it in a CD or savings account but there'd be no way that I'd even keep my money once I graduated college, it would be eaten away by inflation. I could put it in the stock market, but with all the manipulation by Congress I could very well just lose everything. So then it came to me, put it in gold. Well, I went to the local coin dealer, bills in hand, and wanted to see what all I could buy in gold. I'm thinking that I can buy these huge kilogram bars... Instead the guy comes out with 3 1/10th ounce American Eagles, and I'm like... that's all!? What about silver... So he goes and gets me some silver rounds and I buy them and so I start to research silver. So I think, hey, the US made silver coins that look just like what circulates today. So I went to the bank and started searching coins and found a few silver ones. So I started researching coins some more and buying some of them both US and foreign. I don't really know when I really got into numismatics rather than bullion and I'm not even sure if I can be considered as much of a collector as I am a bullion hoarder Even today lots of my coins are lower-grade stuff that I bought more for the silver content than for a collection. I suppose that will change as my budget will (hopefully!) get bigger with time.

[Accumulator 52]

I'm another one who started collecting from pocket money change in the late 60s. If only I'd know then that grade is everything, rather than just focussing on getting one of each date! Occasionally, when money was tight as a lad, I sold a few of the higher value coins to buy trains or whatever but decimalisation stopped that from the 70s. I still have most of the coins, though as it was much cheaper to collect bronze I have far more of these. I never bothered with the decimal coins, apart from the obligatory year sets which I still have.

As for a favourite, it has to be the 1922 penny with a reverse of 1927. I found it after searching thousands of pennies and it cost me just a penny!

[Peter 615]

I'm another one who started collecting from pocket money change in the late 60s. If only I'd know then that grade is everything, rather than just focussing on getting one of each date! Occasionally, when money was tight as a lad, I sold a few of the higher value coins to buy trains or whatever but decimalisation stopped that from the 70s. I still have most of the coins, though as it was much cheaper to collect bronze I have far more of these. I never bothered with the decimal coins, apart from the obligatory year sets which I still have.

As for a favourite, it has to be the 1922 penny with a reverse of 1927. I found it after searching thousands of pennies and it cost me just a penny!

I searched through 1000's of pennies and plucked out reasonable grades back to 1901.Trouble is the key dated coins had already been plucked out of circulation 10 years earlier.Well done on the 1922 penny.I never found pre 1920 silver or pre 1860 copper.I did get a few ME 1926 1d's and even 2mm trident 1895 1d's.I blame Rotographics check your change 4 little booklets.My albums came from WH Smiths with glorious PVC pages.Most of my post 1947 cupro coins have that slick green tinge.Sometimes I wish I was born 30 years earlier...but then I would probably be dead.It is amazing when I look at some of my old catalogues when 1959 Scottish shillings were going for £10 when it was possible to buy quality 18C 1/4d's for half that.I think I have a good idea on what is rare now and can't resist them.

[Peckris 579]

I'm another one who started collecting from pocket money change in the late 60s. If only I'd know then that grade is everything, rather than just focussing on getting one of each date! Occasionally, when money was tight as a lad, I sold a few of the higher value coins to buy trains or whatever but decimalisation stopped that from the 70s. I still have most of the coins, though as it was much cheaper to collect bronze I have far more of these. I never bothered with the decimal coins, apart from the obligatory year sets which I still have.

As for a favourite, it has to be the 1922 penny with a reverse of 1927. I found it after searching thousands of pennies and it cost me just a penny!

Really? I'd not realised that was even known about pre-1971. Put it this way, I never saw it listed in a price guide until either the 80s or 90s. It wasn't in Seaby, or the "blue pages", or Coins & Market Values.

[Accumulator 52]

I'm another one who started collecting from pocket money change in the late 60s. If only I'd know then that grade is everything, rather than just focussing on getting one of each date! Occasionally, when money was tight as a lad, I sold a few of the higher value coins to buy trains or whatever but decimalisation stopped that from the 70s. I still have most of the coins, though as it was much cheaper to collect bronze I have far more of these. I never bothered with the decimal coins, apart from the obligatory year sets which I still have.

As for a favourite, it has to be the 1922 penny with a reverse of 1927. I found it after searching thousands of pennies and it cost me just a penny!

Really? I'd not realised that was even known about pre-1971. Put it this way, I never saw it listed in a price guide until either the 80s or 90s. It wasn't in Seaby, or the "blue pages", or Coins & Market Values.

I wish I'd not had a clear out of old books a few years back! While I'm not sure that 'Check your Change' (when it was 4" x 3" approx. in size and had a chessboard pattern on the front) listed it in the late 60's - early 70s, I do know that it was included in the competing pocket guide, whose name I have completely forgotten! Someone must have an old copy of this? Interestingly, from memory, it was the only variety of penny listed for the 20th century other than the H's and KN's. Strange I know. The guide was issued annually as a single volume, had a colour cover and was slightly smaller in size.

[Peckris 579]

I'm another one who started collecting from pocket money change in the late 60s. If only I'd know then that grade is everything, rather than just focussing on getting one of each date! Occasionally, when money was tight as a lad, I sold a few of the higher value coins to buy trains or whatever but decimalisation stopped that from the 70s. I still have most of the coins, though as it was much cheaper to collect bronze I have far more of these. I never bothered with the decimal coins, apart from the obligatory year sets which I still have.

As for a favourite, it has to be the 1922 penny with a reverse of 1927. I found it after searching thousands of pennies and it cost me just a penny!

Really? I'd not realised that was even known about pre-1971. Put it this way, I never saw it listed in a price guide until either the 80s or 90s. It wasn't in Seaby, or the "blue pages", or Coins & Market Values.

I wish I'd not had a clear out of old books a few years back! While I'm not sure that 'Check your Change' (when it was 4" x 3" approx. in size and had a chessboard pattern on the front) listed it in the late 60's - early 70s, I do know that it was included in the competing pocket guide, whose name I have completely forgotten! Someone must have an old copy of this? Interestingly, from memory, it was the only variety of penny listed for the 20th century other than the H's and KN's. Strange I know. The guide was issued annually as a single volume, had a colour cover and was slightly smaller in size.

It definitely wasn't in C.Y.C. - that listed almost no varieties at all, except the H KN and ME (from memory). I'm not sure what the other guide is you refer to; I do have a 1968 colour booklet with prices, but it contains some terrible inaccuracies, the most notable of which is a failure to differentiate the copper and bronze issues of 1860!!! and it doesn't include the 1922. But I'm not sure the 1922 variety was widely known in the late 60s? As I say, it didn't feature in the main guides and catalogues of the time and wasn't mentioned in adverts, nor in Coin Monthly articles.

[Accumulator 52]

I'm another one who started collecting from pocket money change in the late 60s. If only I'd know then that grade is everything, rather than just focussing on getting one of each date! Occasionally, when money was tight as a lad, I sold a few of the higher value coins to buy trains or whatever but decimalisation stopped that from the 70s. I still have most of the coins, though as it was much cheaper to collect bronze I have far more of these. I never bothered with the decimal coins, apart from the obligatory year sets which I still have.

As for a favourite, it has to be the 1922 penny with a reverse of 1927. I found it after searching thousands of pennies and it cost me just a penny!

Really? I'd not realised that was even known about pre-1971. Put it this way, I never saw it listed in a price guide until either the 80s or 90s. It wasn't in Seaby, or the "blue pages", or Coins & Market Values.

I wish I'd not had a clear out of old books a few years back! While I'm not sure that 'Check your Change' (when it was 4" x 3" approx. in size and had a chessboard pattern on the front) listed it in the late 60's - early 70s, I do know that it was included in the competing pocket guide, whose name I have completely forgotten! Someone must have an old copy of this? Interestingly, from memory, it was the only variety of penny listed for the 20th century other than the H's and KN's. Strange I know. The guide was issued annually as a single volume, had a colour cover and was slightly smaller in size.

It definitely wasn't in C.Y.C. - that listed almost no varieties at all, except the H KN and ME (from memory). I'm not sure what the other guide is you refer to; I do have a 1968 colour booklet with prices, but it contains some terrible inaccuracies, the most notable of which is a failure to differentiate the copper and bronze issues of 1860!!! and it doesn't include the 1922. But I'm not sure the 1922 variety was widely known in the late 60s? As I say, it didn't feature in the main guides and catalogues of the time and wasn't mentioned in adverts, nor in Coin Monthly articles.

I'm absolutely certain it was listed in the other small pocket-sized price guide from the late 60s-early70s. Someone must remember it? The colour of the cover changed each year. I had an old copy until a few years ago but unfortunately had a clear out and it went

[Peckris 579]

I'm another one who started collecting from pocket money change in the late 60s. If only I'd know then that grade is everything, rather than just focussing on getting one of each date! Occasionally, when money was tight as a lad, I sold a few of the higher value coins to buy trains or whatever but decimalisation stopped that from the 70s. I still have most of the coins, though as it was much cheaper to collect bronze I have far more of these. I never bothered with the decimal coins, apart from the obligatory year sets which I still have.

As for a favourite, it has to be the 1922 penny with a reverse of 1927. I found it after searching thousands of pennies and it cost me just a penny!

Really? I'd not realised that was even known about pre-1971. Put it this way, I never saw it listed in a price guide until either the 80s or 90s. It wasn't in Seaby, or the "blue pages", or Coins & Market Values.

I wish I'd not had a clear out of old books a few years back! While I'm not sure that 'Check your Change' (when it was 4" x 3" approx. in size and had a chessboard pattern on the front) listed it in the late 60's - early 70s, I do know that it was included in the competing pocket guide, whose name I have completely forgotten! Someone must have an old copy of this? Interestingly, from memory, it was the only variety of penny listed for the 20th century other than the H's and KN's. Strange I know. The guide was issued annually as a single volume, had a colour cover and was slightly smaller in size.

It definitely wasn't in C.Y.C. - that listed almost no varieties at all, except the H KN and ME (from memory). I'm not sure what the other guide is you refer to; I do have a 1968 colour booklet with prices, but it contains some terrible inaccuracies, the most notable of which is a failure to differentiate the copper and bronze issues of 1860!!! and it doesn't include the 1922. But I'm not sure the 1922 variety was widely known in the late 60s? As I say, it didn't feature in the main guides and catalogues of the time and wasn't mentioned in adverts, nor in Coin Monthly articles.

I'm absolutely certain it was listed in the other small pocket-sized price guide from the late 60s-early70s. Someone must remember it? The colour of the cover changed each year. I had an old copy until a few years ago but unfortunately had a clear out and it went

I'm a bit of a student of coin prices and price guides from the 60s onwards. If you should find out what this other guide was, I'd love to know. (You're not thinking of COINS & MARKET VALUES, are you? That was an A5 size booklet with a glossy cover, published by Link House - it was once the COINS & MEDALS annual, but became an independent guide possibly in the early 70s. That came out each year, and its prices were always quite modest compared to Seaby/Spink.)

[Accumulator 52]

I'm another one who started collecting from pocket money change in the late 60s. If only I'd know then that grade is everything, rather than just focussing on getting one of each date! Occasionally, when money was tight as a lad, I sold a few of the higher value coins to buy trains or whatever but decimalisation stopped that from the 70s. I still have most of the coins, though as it was much cheaper to collect bronze I have far more of these. I never bothered with the decimal coins, apart from the obligatory year sets which I still have.

As for a favourite, it has to be the 1922 penny with a reverse of 1927. I found it after searching thousands of pennies and it cost me just a penny!

Really? I'd not realised that was even known about pre-1971. Put it this way, I never saw it listed in a price guide until either the 80s or 90s. It wasn't in Seaby, or the "blue pages", or Coins & Market Values.

I wish I'd not had a clear out of old books a few years back! While I'm not sure that 'Check your Change' (when it was 4" x 3" approx. in size and had a chessboard pattern on the front) listed it in the late 60's - early 70s, I do know that it was included in the competing pocket guide, whose name I have completely forgotten! Someone must have an old copy of this? Interestingly, from memory, it was the only variety of penny listed for the 20th century other than the H's and KN's. Strange I know. The guide was issued annually as a single volume, had a colour cover and was slightly smaller in size.

It definitely wasn't in C.Y.C. - that listed almost no varieties at all, except the H KN and ME (from memory). I'm not sure what the other guide is you refer to; I do have a 1968 colour booklet with prices, but it contains some terrible inaccuracies, the most notable of which is a failure to differentiate the copper and bronze issues of 1860!!! and it doesn't include the 1922. But I'm not sure the 1922 variety was widely known in the late 60s? As I say, it didn't feature in the main guides and catalogues of the time and wasn't mentioned in adverts, nor in Coin Monthly articles.

I'm absolutely certain it was listed in the other small pocket-sized price guide from the late 60s-early70s. Someone must remember it? The colour of the cover changed each year. I had an old copy until a few years ago but unfortunately had a clear out and it went

I'm a bit of a student of coin prices and price guides from the 60s onwards. If you should find out what this other guide was, I'd love to know. (You're not thinking of COINS & MARKET VALUES, are you? That was an A5 size booklet with a glossy cover, published by Link House - it was once the COINS & MEDALS annual, but became an independent guide possibly in the early 70s. That came out each year, and its prices were always quite modest compared to Seaby/Spink.)

If only I'd not thrown them away! This guide was slightly smaller than Check Your Change and about the same thickness. It was cheaper as only a single volume was needed, unlike CYC. I'm sure it was available in WH Smith. The two I owned had yellow and aquamarine covers with full colour coin photos on the front, but were monochrome inside. I had a feeling the name started with 'Know', as in Know your... money, change, coins, or whatever, though I may be wrong.

[Peckris 579]

I'm another one who started collecting from pocket money change in the late 60s. If only I'd know then that grade is everything, rather than just focussing on getting one of each date! Occasionally, when money was tight as a lad, I sold a few of the higher value coins to buy trains or whatever but decimalisation stopped that from the 70s. I still have most of the coins, though as it was much cheaper to collect bronze I have far more of these. I never bothered with the decimal coins, apart from the obligatory year sets which I still have.

As for a favourite, it has to be the 1922 penny with a reverse of 1927. I found it after searching thousands of pennies and it cost me just a penny!

Really? I'd not realised that was even known about pre-1971. Put it this way, I never saw it listed in a price guide until either the 80s or 90s. It wasn't in Seaby, or the "blue pages", or Coins & Market Values.

I wish I'd not had a clear out of old books a few years back! While I'm not sure that 'Check your Change' (when it was 4" x 3" approx. in size and had a chessboard pattern on the front) listed it in the late 60's - early 70s, I do know that it was included in the competing pocket guide, whose name I have completely forgotten! Someone must have an old copy of this? Interestingly, from memory, it was the only variety of penny listed for the 20th century other than the H's and KN's. Strange I know. The guide was issued annually as a single volume, had a colour cover and was slightly smaller in size.

It definitely wasn't in C.Y.C. - that listed almost no varieties at all, except the H KN and ME (from memory). I'm not sure what the other guide is you refer to; I do have a 1968 colour booklet with prices, but it contains some terrible inaccuracies, the most notable of which is a failure to differentiate the copper and bronze issues of 1860!!! and it doesn't include the 1922. But I'm not sure the 1922 variety was widely known in the late 60s? As I say, it didn't feature in the main guides and catalogues of the time and wasn't mentioned in adverts, nor in Coin Monthly articles.

I'm absolutely certain it was listed in the other small pocket-sized price guide from the late 60s-early70s. Someone must remember it? The colour of the cover changed each year. I had an old copy until a few years ago but unfortunately had a clear out and it went

I'm a bit of a student of coin prices and price guides from the 60s onwards. If you should find out what this other guide was, I'd love to know. (You're not thinking of COINS & MARKET VALUES, are you? That was an A5 size booklet with a glossy cover, published by Link House - it was once the COINS & MEDALS annual, but became an independent guide possibly in the early 70s. That came out each year, and its prices were always quite modest compared to Seaby/Spink.)

If only I'd not thrown them away! This guide was slightly smaller than Check Your Change and about the same thickness. It was cheaper as only a single volume was needed, unlike CYC. I'm sure it was available in WH Smith. The two I owned had yellow and aquamarine covers with full colour coin photos on the front, but were monochrome inside. I had a feeling the name started with 'Know', as in Know your... money, change, coins, or whatever, though I may be wrong.

Curioser and curioser. You could barely get smaller than CYC which was tiny! It must have been small indeed. But I'm intrigued to know it included the 1922 rarity - I'm almost tempted to wonder if the guide was put together by someone who actually had one and wanted to give it more publicity? As I say, I don't recall ANY of the late 60s guides featuring it. The 1970 Coins & Medals Annual had a "Varieties since 1816" survey - pretty comprehensive on the basis of what was known at that time (i.e., the 1915 "close TT" farthing isn't there, nor the 1923 florin, nor - in spite of 4 varieties that are included - is the 1921 shilling with the pre-1920 obverse; on the other hand there are FOUR varieties of 1957 calm sea halfpenny). The 1922 penny is not in that survey; if it had been known in 1970 it most certainly would have been.

[Coinery 1,148]

I'm still excited about the day that I can begin to actively seek out those magical and 'perfect' pieces, and start work on a collection.

Finances have never, and still don't, permit me to tie-up thousands in a collection (not yet, at least, though I am beginning to see daylight).

I am never sure where my loyalties lie in coins, but I do have a weakness for Elizabeth I (all metals), copper [any], and William III. Also, more recently I've taken an interest in Edward VII, Edward I and, shockingly for me, George V. So I guess I will evntually (when our narrowboat is finally organised) be flitting back and forth between the early hammered of Edward (the sheer variety intrigues me), the early-milled copper of Charles II, Elizabeth anything (gold, once I've satisfied myself I know enough about it), silver and copper of William III, some Edward VII and, when I'm skint [considering the above list, this will be always] but feeling itchy, there'll always be dear old G5!

THAT'S THE PLAN! Though I will likely (very likely) drop off one or two areas that I'm struggling in (probably William would be the first to go) and focus on the others! My speculated collection will have my fingers stretched across a lot of numismatic pies, so I'll probably knacker myself up and get nowhere!

Oh, and for some reason, I have a couple of one-off desires in EF...a Mary Groat (just bought the cracked one from Castlecoins [rockinghorsepoo], purely for the bust), and a Charles I siege piece please!

THAT'S ALL!