Posts Tagged ‘Coins’
Discover 200 years of fascinating UK silver coins…
British coinage has had its fair share of fascinating tales over the years. When searching for coins, I’m always seeking to find classic coins whose numismatic interest and history mean that they will forever be sought-after pieces.
Which is why, with the help of my UK coin specialist, I’ve decided to narrow down what I believe to be six of the most interesting and collectable UK historic silver coins issued over the past 200 years.
Read below to discover the stories of six coins that cover some of the most important events in British numismatic history – including influential design changes, mistaken introductions and controversial issues.
The Great Recoinage Shilling – George III Bull Head Silver Sixpence
1816 marked one of the most important moments in the history of British coinage – The Great Recoinage. For Georgian Britain, it was a change as big as Decimalisation for you or me. The George III Bull Head Sixpence was introduced as part of an attempt to re-stabilise the currency following economic difficulties caused by both the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars and marks one of the most important moments in British numismatic history.
The Coin of the Colonies – Victoria Silver Three Halfpence
During the 1800s demand grew for British coinage from all across the globe, with over 25% of the world’s population using coins bearing Queen Victoria’s portrait. The British three halfpence was a silver coin produced for circulation in the British colonies with a denomination which had never been seen in mainland Britain before. What makes this coin so interesting is that it has no indication of what country it was minted for, which meant that it could be used across most of the globe!
The Longest ‘Reigning’ Portrait – Victoria Young Head Shilling
The first effigy to feature on Queen Victoria’s coinage was the Young Head portrait featuring a particularly youthful and charming portrait of the young Queen. The Victoria Shilling featured the Young Head portrait from 1839 to 1887, which is the longest period a single portrait has ever featured on a British circulation coin.
The Withdrawn Sixpence Pair – 1887 Victoria Silver Sixpences
In 1887, new coin designs were issued to mark Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee. Surprisingly, the new design of the Silver Sixpence shared the same design as the Gold Half Sovereign. Of course, it didn’t take long for crafty opportunists to start coating the Silver Sixpence in gold paint and passing them off as the far more valuable Half Sovereign. The authorities hastily withdrew the Sixpence and a quick redesign took place with ‘SIX PENCE’ written across the middle of the coin.
The Rocking Horse Crown – 1935 George V Silver Crown
The ‘Rocking Horse’ Crown was issued for just one-year-only in 1935 to celebrate the Silver Jubilee of George V. Significantly, this special Silver Jubilee Crown was the first-time a commemorative crown was ever struck and started what is now one of the most popular numismatic collecting trends ever seen. Despite its significance, this coin caused controversy when it was first issued, with many traditionalists disliking the art deco reinterpretation of the iconic St. George and the Dragon design.
Each of these coins has unique story that makes them all must haves for any collector with an interest in historic UK coins. We’re certainly lucky to live in a nation with such a rich numismatic history!
However, these coins are now historic artefacts in their own right, and considering that many have been melted down over the past two centuries for their valuable silver content, they are now extremely rare.
I’m sure you’ll agree, that considering the fantastic history along with the scarcity of all six of these coins, they can all be considered amongst the most interesting and collectable UK Silver coins of the past 200 years.
If you’re interested…
Understandably, it is extremely difficult to build up a stock of these fascinating coins. But working with my extensive network of suppliers, I have been able to put together 22 sets of these iconic silver coins to now offer to my collectors. But with such limited numbers available you will need to act now if you want to add these fascinating coins to your collection.
This remarkable new Armistice Centenary issue is so unique its production techniques have been kept a closely guarded secret…
100 years ago this year, at 11 o’clock on 11th of November, the guns of war finally fell silent. The First World War was over.
While many fathers, sons, uncles and brothers came home, millions lay where they fell, on the Battlefields of Europe. Those who were lucky enough to be identified were placed in makeshift graves, often only identified by a rifle placed in the earth with his steel helmet placed on top as a final memorial.
To commemorate the Armistice Centenary, The Royal Canadian Mint have issued a remarkable new coin that honours each and every fallen soldier.
Struck in the shape of a WWI Brodie Helmet, it is more deeply curved surface than any other concave or convex-shaped coin I’ve seen before. The design is so unique in fact, that the Mint have kept the minting technique a closely guarded secret.
Although the original helmet would have been cast from Steel, this coin has been struck in the very finest .9999 or “four nines” silver, this is the purest grade of silver available. The Royal Canadian Mint is one of the very few Mints in the world with enough minting expertise able to strike coins with this incredible high relief finish. It’s an exceptional feat of craftsmanship.
What’s more the attention to detail is outstanding, each coin has been given a final antique finish and there are even engraved cracks and markings which complete the helmet’s battle-worn appearance. A reminder of the hardships endured by those who fought.
The amount of 2018 Silver ‘Helmet-Shaped’ coins available is very low. A worldwide edition limit of just 6,500 has been set by the Mint, but of course many of these won’t even make it out of Canada. Without any doubt, this has to be one of the most collectable issues ever struck.
The First World War will always be known as one of Man Kind’s darkest hours but poignant issues like this one allow us to remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice.
If you’re interested…
We have just 500 WWI Lest We Forget Silver ‘Helmet-Shaped’ coins available for UK collectors, but to get one you’ll have to act quickly.
Click here for more details >>
Errors, Mules and Mis-strikes: Why the 2014 Year of the Horse Silver Coin is so sought after
We all have our favourite coins to collect, whether it be historic coins, special 50p designs or coins from around the world.
But one thing that piques the interest of almost all collectors, including myself, is the elusive ‘error’ coin.
Examples of error coins – top: nickel brockage error, bottom: Indian 25 paise mis-strike
Considering the high levels of technology involved in minting coins and the number of different quality controls in place, it is extremely rare that a coin is minted with an error. And it is even rarer for an error coin to be released to the public.
However, over the years there have been sporadic cases of error coins being struck and issued to the public. Just a few things that would be considered an error would be an off-centre strike, a crack in the die or even use of the wrong die completely!
And that last one is exactly what happened to the 2014 Year of the Horse Lunar Silver Coin when it was incorrectly struck with the distinctive denticle obverse of the 2014 Britannia coin.
Comparison of 2014 Year of the Horse error and non-error coin
After an investigation, it was discovered that approximately 38,000 Year of the Horse coins were struck with the incorrect denticled edge on the obverse. And once The Royal Mint confirmed this as a genuine error, these coins understandably became incredibly sought after.
2014 Year of the Horse explanation of error
What makes these error coins particularly desirable is that, because it was issued as a bullion coin, many were sold around the world to coin dealers and investors. That means that they are much harder for the British public to track down. Plus, of course, in terms of pure numbers struck they are considerably scarcer than previous errors such as the ‘undated 20p’.
In fact, Ebay listings have seen the value of these coins soar to around 30 times their original value! So if you are lucky enough to own the 2014 Year of the Horse coin, I’d suggest you go and have a closer look at it!
If you’re interested…
We have a small number of the ‘Year of the Horse Silver Mule Sets’ available to buy. This set contains the Year of the Horse error coin alongside the correct version of the coin for easy comparison. This ‘mule’ is an absolute must for any collection and is extremely rare, so secure yours today.