Farthings and other copper and bronze

[Cristatus 3]

Hello everyone I have just registered having stumbled across the forum when doing a search for coin software, which having spent a few hours researching I am planning on buying coin the Exact Change software see this comparison - they seem to think there own software is the best!

http://www.exactchange.info/compare.htm

Any views on this or other sofware most of which seem to be US only? I want ot be able index using Peck and Michael Gouby's system.

Anyway a bit about me. I got interested in coins when my father took me around markets and the rare coin shop in London when I was a child during the late 60s and early 70s. He had started by collecting from his change when he was a child in 40s and is still collecting in his mid 70s. He now has a pretty impressive and complete coin type/reign collection going back to about 1600.

I started with farthings as the cheapest coins to collect, of course this does not last long even with farthings. I have had spells when I did not collect for a few years when the children were young for example. Having started with mainly coin stalls on markets I moved on to mail order mainly with the Farthing Specialist in the 80s and 90s, anyone else remember him, I never met him but bought some really good quality coins from him. Then found ebay and early on this was a good source and I bought quite a lot of good quality coins at sensible prices but have found in the last 2 or 3 years the material is mostly either over priced or too poor to bother with. I have also bought from Colin Cooke for a number of years including a couple of excellent coins when his own collection was sold in 2006.

So now I have a good farthing collection that is pretty complete in UNC or EF at worst from 1790 to 1956 with just a few of the very scarce varieties missing such as 1843 I for 1 in date. I also have a reasonably complete collection back to 1665 in various grades f to EF including an 1714 Anne farthing. I have a few proofs amongst all this but have a few missing such as 1853 and 1868.

So having had spells when I could not find farthings to fill my gaps I started a collection the farthing fractions and have a full set but no proofs yet.

Then I saw some nice coronation medals a complete change but have a set back to William IV, many boxed.

Having really liked the farthing proofs I have now bought some pennies and half-pennies from 1826 to 1841 (one of my most prized possesions is an 1841 proof penny, and I have 1902 short proof set, 1937, 1950, 1951 and 1953 proof sets, would like some of the earlier sets especially the 1839 and 1853 sets just need a lottery win!

I am also very interested in the Soho series and the Taylor restrikes and have a few Droz examples 1788 to 1790 both half pennies and farthings, it was a shame he and Boulton could not work together - Droz's behaviour rather than Boulton it seems - Droz's coins are some of my favourites. I have also bought some patterns from the Soho series recently these are special. My biggest regret is missing an auction in the US early this year when a number of Soho series from the Boulton family collection were sold, they came with handwritten notes and silver lined cases.

Based on my Soho interest I have also collected some Isle of Man and Jersey coins from this period, I think I have a 1839 Isle of Man proof farthing for example. Also have a nice 1822 Irish penny to fill the gap in GB copper. Have been looking for a 1793 Bermuda penny for a while as this is an another nice Soho coin with the Droz version of George III portrait.

I also have a few patterns, a 1859 10 Cent, 1844 copper/brass. Would like some more of these rare trials particularly those of decimal coins in the victorian period.

My favourites are firmly in the 1788 to 1860 period of copper including patterns and proofs.

So any one else out there with the copper/bronze coins of GB variety of OCD?

[Peter 615]

Welcome Cristatus

The forum should be a good place for you.We have many dealers and farthing buffs (Me included)

My collection is complete apart from tin and a few rare varieties.I have a few modern proofs but no Droz or patterns.

I remember John Minishall (farthing specialist) and bought many coins from him.

If you didn't know Aboutfartings.co.uk is excellent and is run by a forum member (Colin Goode)

Settle yourself in and enjoy the chat

Peter

[TomGoodheart 447]

Hi and welcome Cristatus! There are indeed other farthing fans here, who will no doubt be on sometime over the weekend, as well as enthusiasts of other denominations and periods.

Feel free to post a few photos if you like. We always like new coins to admire! Just bear in mind that the limit for images uploaded from your computer is quite small, so you'd be better putting them on a photohosting site like photobucket or flickr and linking from there.

[scott 145]

yes farthings, i had a few of the wren ones from stuff from grandparents when i started out. my first Farthing purchesed was for another purples, a cheap ( yea they good for that as you said) example of the design, £6, trying to get a good example of viccy copper was out of my range at that time. that was this one

i do need to update the picture at some point though >.>

also my first Ebay purcheses was a bulk buy of farthings, mostly though, having a good look through bags of more modern farthings, found a few high EF and UNCs from 1900-12 and an EF 1861 for only a quid or so.

my radius reaches a bit farther back as i do enjoy anything from Charles II onwards as there is so much going on.

[Peckris 579]

Welcome to the forums Cristatus I've given a reply to your coin collecting software question, in the software forum (the right place for it).

Your collection sounds impressive! I'm trying to collect by type now, but with so many gaps in early milled (pre-1816) and prices being what they are now, most of them will remain gaps. I'm also really interested in the Soho output, but cannot run to patterns and proofs, which is a real shame. I don't even have a decent 1806 halfpenny! but I wouldn't settle for the average kind you see around. I did buy a fantasy proof penny dated 1798, but it was based on real original designs (e.g. Kuchler's portrait) and was only £10 on eBay.

I assume you have all the varieties of farthing like "both Gs over" bun, all the 1953s, both 1915s, etc? Colin Cooke was a great source information in his lifetime, especially for farthings.

Anyway, will be good to see your contributions.

[Cristatus 3]

Thank you to for the prompt replies and welcome messages.

To reply to Peckris, I do have a lot of what I think of as minor varieties but have focussed on the what I consider the main variations - no precision or even much logic here of course. The patterns and proofs are now my real passion and I will concentrate on these going forward. I have recently bought an 1805 Brittanarium Taylor restrike pattern farthing for example, plus a crowned 1799 George III halfpenny pattern Taylor restrike. I am on holiday at present but will post some peck number of the more interesting varieties and some photos.

I have also been reading the history of the Soho mint and this is facinating, it is a shame non of the site remains but it is clear Boulton influenced coinage the world over. The Peck book contains some excellent material on the Soho and Taylor story but the book I have has much more.

[Rob 3,242]

Although coin collectors lead a fairly solitary existence, you are not alone.

PS. By the way, welcome to the forum.

Edited September 22, 2012 by Rob

[Accumulator 52]

Welcome to the forum Cristatus. Lots of farthing enthusiasm and chat here, so you won't be alone. My own interest lies with pennies, mainly from 1860 though I have a few earlier examples.

[Colin G. 147]

Welcome to the forum ,great introduction, it sounds like you have quite a collection, we could definitely do with more farthing fans on here....there are too many of these penny boys now

[Coinery 1,256]

Welcome aboard cristatus, you'll not be disappointed!

[Peter 615]

Welcome Cristatus

The forum should be a good place for you.We have many dealers and farthing buffs (Me included)

My collection is complete apart from tin and a few rare varieties.I have a few modern proofs but no Droz or patterns.

I remember John Minishall (farthing specialist) and bought many coins from him.

If you didn't know Aboutfartings.co.uk is excellent and is run by a forum member (Colin Goode)

Settle yourself in and enjoy the chat

Peter

I missed the h out of farthings. I'm supprised I haven't had a few large fish wrapped around my chops It is my eldest birthday (17) and the wine has been flowing.( at least she knows her blue nun from a nice burgandy)

[Rob 3,242]

Welcome Cristatus

The forum should be a good place for you.We have many dealers and farthing buffs (Me included)

My collection is complete apart from tin and a few rare varieties.I have a few modern proofs but no Droz or patterns.

I remember John Minishall (farthing specialist) and bought many coins from him.

If you didn't know Aboutfartings.co.uk is excellent and is run by a forum member (Colin Goode)

Settle yourself in and enjoy the chat

Peter

I missed the h out of farthings. I'm supprised I haven't had a few large fish wrapped around my chops It is my eldest birthday (17) and the wine has been flowing.( at least she knows her blue nun from a nice burgandy)

Isn't 17 a little young for uniforms?

[Peter 615]

Welcome Cristatus

The forum should be a good place for you.We have many dealers and farthing buffs (Me included)

My collection is complete apart from tin and a few rare varieties.I have a few modern proofs but no Droz or patterns.

I remember John Minishall (farthing specialist) and bought many coins from him.

If you didn't know Aboutfartings.co.uk is excellent and is run by a forum member (Colin Goode)

Settle yourself in and enjoy the chat

Peter

I missed the h out of farthings. I'm supprised I haven't had a few large fish wrapped around my chops It is my eldest birthday (17) and the wine has been flowing.( at least she knows her blue nun from a nice burgandy)

Isn't 17 a little young for uniforms?

Peck they have gone out to crash a party in the village...long may it last.We used to have speakeasies around the local villages and made the press a few times.My bollo*cks still carry a few scars of leaping over a barbed wire fence with the police hot on our heels.