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What book is the British equivalent of the U. S. Red Book?
RichieURich
Posts: 8,372 ✭✭✭✭✭
RichieURich
Posts: 8,372 ✭✭✭✭✭
RichieURich
Posts: 8,372 ✭✭✭✭✭
RichieURich
Posts: 8,372 ✭✭✭✭✭
RichieURich
Posts: 8,372 ✭✭✭✭✭
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Spink "Coins of England & The United Kingdom - Standard Catalog of British Coins'. Latest edition 2018. Now in two volumes, splitting neatly at the Decimal Issues (approx 1970). The older stuff in the thicker book is hardbound, the thinner book with the modern stuff is soft bound. Somewhere between $40 and $50. Those folks up in Vermont have it, last time I checked.
Token Publishing has their annual 'Yearbook' too, it is a good book and a great bargain at 10 pounds plus shipping. But it comes out approximately each September and they usually run out of stock sometime in the summer.
You can also pick James Ricks brain.
I give away money. I collect money.
I don’t love money . I do love the Lord God.
Spink is definitely the one to own. If you're not too obsessive you could find a used copy a few years old (I have a 2012 volume that still serves me just fine). They are also well-made and gorgeous, well-edited and profusely illustrated in 4-color throughout.
That's where the S-numbers come from in attributions from both PCGS and NGC, I think. Not varieties necessarily, but types as well.
Kind regards,
George
Thanks for the feedback, just bought Spink 2015 the Pre-Decimal issues. Not interested in the Decimal issues.
Thank you, fellow Forumites, for your guidance!
An authorized PCGS dealer, and a contributor to the Red Book.
Was it two books in 2015, or just one?
This two book format is pretty new, maybe just started in 2017.
I like the new format very much. I have use for both books, and the new book shows how much STUFF has been generated since 1982 or so.
Definitely Spink. Great reference!
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Like the Red Book, the Spink guide is just that, a guide. BUT, you can use it as an indicator when “the price does not pass the smell test.” As I have collected British coins, I learned that there are dealers out there who are ready to take advantage of you. If you are looking at a common coin, not a big rarity, and the dealer wants three or four times the price in the book, adjusted for foreign exchange rates, of course, you should think twice. Dealers, you can get angry at me, but I found that dealers who would sell me the coins at more reasonsable prices or auctions, after I got those high quotes.
Hi Bill, thanks for the tip. I had considered collecting coins from Great Britain, but there are SO many of them. Therefore, I decided I would settle for gaining knowledge first, then maybe buy a couple pieces.
An authorized PCGS dealer, and a contributor to the Red Book.
Excellent way to go - read then buy, let us know what you focus on.
Over here, the British coins often get quoted by dealers at relatively high rates AND the corresponding quality is not as strict as you will find over there. Brits grade pretty darned strictly. Brits will hardly look at some pieces that Americans readily accept as O.K. This is a bit of a racket. I have many British coins (bought here) that fall into this area of gray difference. Many of them I'm kinda proud of (like coins of Charles II), but I know they won't bring top money. Life is tough.
If you are paying the prices found in Spink, you need to be very picky.
Great advice George.
I got mine last week and DO NOT regret it.
It was an older volume (2006) for $6.99 shipped on eBay. It's in great shape fits my needs. I'm thoroughly delighted and enjoying it a lot.
@Swampboy Yay, yay, glad you got it! I knew you would iike it!
Kind regards,
George
This is how they do the two volume format now. One hardbound volume, one softbound volume. Divides neatly at the moment when the U.K. Coinage went decimal.
This is the 2017 edition. I also have 2018, but that Volume 2 is AWOL at the moment.
My copy is 2012.
I'm probably due for a new, 2 volume set...
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The people up in Vermont had it recently at something like $48 plus $5 p&h.
The changes in the book from year to year are incremental, but I often buy it annually.
I’m still using 2013. Once you get into a series, price guidebooks are of limited value and auction results are your best guide.
One nice thing about collecting British coins is that you can focus on a Sovereign - helps narrow down the range unless it is Victoria or QEII.
I post another book - I have only had this one about three weeks and haven't had time to give it a full and just inspection...
One of my buddies always said that if you have a presentable Bombay sovereign of 1918, that was all you needed to "be in the sovereign club" as a respectable member.
To his credit, he had a nice 1918 "I" sovereign in an NGC slab.
Excellent book, but should be used in combination with Spinks and a few major auction catalogs.
Collectors Coins of GB is also good to have.
@Exbrit You may have to expound upon "Collectors Coins of GB" as I don't know that one...
Thanks, Googled it already.
That looks like a good book, I love Sovereigns anyway.
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@asheland There are a lot of excellent photographs of the coins, the buildings where the coins were produced and lots of related material. Token Publishing sells much advertising space at the front and back of the books too, and these advertisements (mostly British dealers) are done to a very high standard.
Token had a 15% off sale earlier this summer because the local soccer team did well. I figured that was about like getting free shipping.
@BillDugan1959 Sounds like a winner. I'll let you know if I get a copy.
Thanks!
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Just received the 2015 edition of the Pre-Decimal Issues, it was on sale for about $13.
Still looking through it, a decent book.
Thanks to all for the recommendations!
An authorized PCGS dealer, and a contributor to the Red Book.
Marsh did an excellent job, but there are a few errors in the book. His rarity ratings are also based upon VF coins. Marsh researched the Victoria young head pretty extensively, but died before researching the Victoria Juiblee or Veil Head in greater detail. David Iverson and Steve Hill researched and published a book on variations for the Victoria Jubilee sovereigns. The book you bought that was revised by Steve Hill includes the Jubilee research. Just not in as much detail as in his book. The Veil head has not been thoroughly researched for variations as far as I know.
Spinks does a nice job on variations, but they tend to include only what they consider major variations. They know of other minor variations that they do not include in their books.
As for sovereigns, there are several major collections that was been sold over the past couple of decades. Two of the auctions resulted in a limited edition hard cover auction catalog that is also a collector's item. There is a little research added that contributes to rainy ratings.
Collector Coins of GB - tries to provide the value in several different grades - based upon English grading.
And I think it goes without saying that grading in the Brit series as reflected in Spink valuations is VERY conservative for the most part when compared to USA standards.
Well, just Love coins, period.