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Collectors Guide: What makes a coin so collectable?
The world’s most expensive coin, the Flowing Hair Dollar, went up for auction yesterday. In 2010 it sold for just under $8 million, three years later it set a world record when it sold for over $10 million. It was bought by a collector to add to a unique collection of Early Silver Dollars – including the 1804 Draped Bust Dollar which made headlines when it sold for over $3 million in 2017.
What makes a coin collectable?
It’s incredible to think that a 1 dollar coin could be worth millions today, but there’s several things that determine the numismatic value and collectability of a coin. So we’ve put together a collector’s guide to help you know what to look out for when adding coins to your collection.
Several things determine the numismatic value and collectability of a coin – usually it’s based on the type of coin, the year it was minted, the place it was minted and even its condition or finish. But the biggest factor is probably the mintage of a coin and its rarity.
Mintage and Rarity
It’s the old rule of supply and demand – the less that are made, the more difficult a coin is to source and the more collectable it becomes. There are thought to be less than 150 of the Flowing hair dollars in existence today which contributes to the value of them.
Or take for example the US 2015 Silver Eagle. This had a mintage of just 79,640, making it three times rarer than the second rarest silver Eagle (this year’s COVID Eagle). As these were snapped up by collectors, they have become more and more scarce, and in higher demand than ever, with collectors willing to pay a premium just to add one to their collections.
Year of issue
This doesn’t always mean age of the coin, but the year can play an important factor in determining the value of a coin. Generally you can expect to pay a premium for historic issues but this isn’t always the case. In fact some Roman coins can be picked up for less than £50, but coins from much more recent times, such as Victorian Crowns can sell for hundreds of pounds! Victorian crowns struck in important years, such as the 1887 Jubilee Head crowns are more desirable because of their links to significant events.
Finish
The finish of a coin, or the strike, is also an important factor to consider. Proof finished coins are struck several times with specially prepared blanks, which gives the design a particularly sharp edge and shows every detail. Proof finishes are highly desired among collectors, as are coins issued in BU – or brilliant uncirculated finish. This means the coin hasn’t been in circulation so is free from all the scratches you’d find on coins in your change.
Minting location
Sometimes the mintmark or location of the mint in which a coin was struck can affect the collectability of the coin. The mintmark on a coin tells us where a coin was struck, and from that collectors use historical records to work out just how rare each coin is. For example, the Morgan Dollar was struck in 5 different mints, but the Carson City issues are the most sought after – they were struck for only 13 of the 43 years in which the Morgan Dollar was minted.
Many collectors specialise in some of these areas and build their collections around rare coins, themes and years of issue, or even mintmarks. But demand can and often will change over time and sometimes that means the value someone is willing to pay for a coin will increase over time – just as we’ve seen with the Flowing Hair Dollar.
If you’re interested…
Own the RAREST EVER Silver Eagle: Three times rarer than this year’s “Covid Eagle” we have managed to source a tiny number of these coins straight from the US. Click here to secure yours with a deposit of JUST £19.50 now >>
How a political blunder led to the Fall of the Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall is perhaps the most iconic symbol of the Cold War. A tall concrete barricade that divided the citizens of Germany for almost three decades. Numerous people risked their lives to cross the wall, whether digging tunnels underneath, flying over in a hot air balloon, or even driving cars under checkpoint barriers! But in 1989 that all changed when the world watched a press conference that all went a bit wrong…
A press conference that went wrong
For many months throughout 1989, there was mounting pressure on the government to adjust the restrictions around the boarder wall in Berlin. On the evening of November 9th 1989, the East German Party leader held a press conference announcing some loosening of the restrictions. But he hadn’t been briefed properly.
Gunter Schabowski broadcast the relaxing of some of the travel laws, but when asked when the freedom of movement would happen, he simply shrugged his shoulders, glanced at his notes, and said “right away.”
And that was it. A single moment, the most iconic in recent history, caused by an accident.
After almost 30 years of physical separation, crowds of people swarmed to the Berlin Wall checkpoints in anticipation of reuniting with loved ones and passing into the West freely.
Because of the confusion, the East German border guards had not been warned and were utterly overwhelmed by the crowds. At first they were told to stamp passports with symbols that effectively revoked East German citizenship, but as the crowds grew larger it became clear that unless lethal force was used, that the wall was no longer impassable. And no one was willing to give that order.
The Night the wall fell
That evening saw celebrations throughout Berlin, with people climbing the wall and taking pickaxes and hammers to break it apart and pull it down. Pieces and fragments of the wall were chipped away, with many pocketing pieces as souvenirs.
Families and loved ones reunited, as those from East Berlin were greeted with flowers and food. After years with limited contact, media censorship and restrictions, the people of Berlin were free to travel as and where they wanted.
The official reunification
Almost a year later, on 3rd October 1990, the German flag was raised over the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. It symbolised the moment at which the two German countries were finally reunified as the unification treaty became official.
Every year the German Day of Unity is celebrated throughout the country, with fireworks, meals, concerts speeches, and of course commemoratives. This year marks the 30th anniversary, and despite the coronavirus restrictions around the world, the people of Germany will still be celebrating and remembering the moment the country was untied again.
If you’re interested…
Today you can commemorate the historic moment in which Germany was brought together again by owning THREE commemorative coins alongside an original piece of the Berlin Wall in the Reunification of Germany Collection.
This collection has a tiny edition limit of JUST 200. Considering the anniversary this year, and the popularity of difficult to source one-off historic products like this, the edition limit is expected to sell out completely.
Introducing the BRAND NEW Winnie the Pooh 50p Coin Range
The Royal Mint has just authorised for release 3 BRAND NEW UK 50ps featuring characters from the beloved children’s book Winnie the Pooh, created by A.A. Milne.
This is the first time these characters have featured on a UK coin, and are the first coins in a classic 9-coin collection that will be released over 3 years.
The coins feature a nostalgic design by The Walt Disney Company that’s reminiscent of the classic illustrations by E.H. Shepard which feature in the novels, and as such are sure to be adored by fans and collectors of all ages.
Take a look below at the full range available:
2020 UK CERTIFIED BU 50p
This is your chance to be ahead of the crowd and secure your 2020 Winnie the Pooh 50ps in superior Brilliant Uncirculated condition for just £4.50 (+p&p) each.
Each coin will come protectively encapsulated in Official Change Checker packaging to ensure that their superior quality is preserved forever.
Click here to order the UK 2020 Winnie the Pooh CERTIFIED BU 50p now >>
Click here to order the UK 2020 Christopher Robin CERTIFIED BU 50p now >>
Click here to order the UK 2020 Piglet CERTIFIED BU 50p now >>
Official Royal Mint Brilliant Uncirculated Coin Pack
Each coin has been struck to Brilliant Uncirculated quality, so you know they will be free from any of the marks or blemishes you would find on coins in your change. They each come beautifully presented in bespoke packaging from The Royal Mint that is Winnie the Pooh themed, and are each available at The Royal Mint issue price of JUST £10 (+p&p).
Click here to order the UK 2020 Winnie the Pooh BU Pack 50p now >>
Click here to order the UK 2020 Christopher Robin BU Pack 50p now >>
Click here to order the UK 2020 Piglet BU Pack 50p now >>
Limited Edition UK 2020 Silver Proof 50p
Struck from .925 Silver to a pristine Proof finish, JUST 18,000 of each of these Silver Proof 50ps will ever be available worldwide. This small number of coins is sure to sell-out quickly. Especially as the edition limit is significantly LESS than the 25,000 edition limit of the SOLD OUT Gruffalo Silver Proof 50p.
Each coin is available today for The Royal Mint’s official issue price of ONLY £67.50 (+p&p).
Click here to order the UK 2020 Winnie the Pooh Silver Proof 50p now >>
Click here to order the UK 2020 Christopher Robin Silver Proof 50p now >>
Click here to order the UK 2020 Piglet Silver Proof 50p now >>
Each new 50p is also available in an extremely limited Gold Proof edition. However, we have already SOLD-OUT of our full allocation of the UK 2020 Winnie the Pooh Gold Proof 50p Coin and now only limited numbers remain of the Christopher Robin and Piglet Gold Proof 50p coins. These are still available to pre-order here, but you must act now whilst stocks last.
Don’t miss out on owning the new UK Winnie the Pooh, Christopher Robin and Piglet 50p coins. Click here to view the full range now >>