Eat your heart out Tyrant: mintage 2, none in BM or Royal Mint Collection. IMO def. cheated on the grade. This coin came with a thin silver wash or plate prior to striking so makes it look more raggedy than it really is.
Love that Milled British (1830-1960) Well, just Love coins, period.
An Oxford 1643 halfcrown, Morrieson dies K-28. The large central plume on the reverse is only seen on coins struck late in 1643 and early 1644 at Oxford, and presumably was concurrent with Charles' Parliament from January through to April.
And another struck soon after the New Year. This being Morrieson dies C-4
@7Jaguars said:
Not too shabby for George V - the only known specimen proof 1920 Halfcrown:
If you don't mind me asking. How do you come into rarities like this? Is this something that was at auction once upon a time or required some further connections to get?
Well, these are highlights and have attended auctions and knew many principals at Spink, Baldwin, DNW, etc.
Spink in the "Grande Ole Days" was really something else & is but a mere shadow of its former self.
Of course I have carefully followed all major auctions for many years but have to be extremely judicious in my choices given my budget versus beasts like the Tyrant Collector with unlimited funds....
Love that Milled British (1830-1960) Well, just Love coins, period.
If you don't mind me asking. How do you come into rarities like this? Is this something that was at auction once upon a time or required some further connections to get?
You do your homework and sit back. Sometimes it takes a while - I've been waiting nearly 20 years for one coin to resurface and another I can't find reference to for the past 112 years. What goes around, comes around, but there are quite a few rarities that only come to market once every generation - hence the need for patience. A few acquisitions from the past decade such as:-
A Civil War halfcrown with the Boar's Head mark on the reverse. 2 known with this one off the market from 1979 to 2019, and the other untraceable since 1952
Or this groat from the same series which is the only unimpaired example available to collectors as far as I can establish which needed a near 10 year wait
Or this Oxford groat which was off the market from 1979 to 2011. I can find another, but it's in the BM
Also, some things find their way to you if you have already shown willing to buy similar items and aren't put off by a large price tag.
If you are in for the long haul, build a database of the rarities and establish what the best pieces are. Don't just rely on TPG population reports because there are too many inaccuracies in the labelling. Get catalogues and do a lot of reading because Illustrated catalogues go back well over 100 years.
Top graded, for this year (MS-65). This was a melt bucket rescue.
"Discovery follows discovery, each both raising and answering questions, each ending a long search, and each providing the new instruments for a new search." -- J. Robert Oppenheimer
I couldn't agree with RobP more, as it has taken many years in the traditional way (or something close to it) to manage these coins and one gets to know one's sources.
Meanwhile, here is a more ordinary 1842 half crown which in my estimation shows what not a lot of money can get you; it is not top graded nor is it a major rarity:
Love that Milled British (1830-1960) Well, just Love coins, period.
Really great pieces you have there @Nap I especially like the Edward the Confessor and the William the Conqueror. Are those difficult pieces to find? I know very little of the early hammered pieces.
@Clio said:
Really great pieces you have there @Nap I especially like the Edward the Confessor and the William the Conqueror. Are those difficult pieces to find? I know very little of the early hammered pieces.
In general the earlier coins are less common than the newer ones, but coins of Edward the Confessor and William the Conqueror are fairly common. There are a few post-conquest kings that are hard to get- William II, Matilda, Henry IV, Richard III. None are super rare, Matilda the most difficult. Also very hard is Edward V, but attribution of any coins to Edward V is challenging. No regular issue coins of Edward VIII were made because of his early abdication, but a few proofs exist and are extremely rare. However coins in Edward VIII’s name were made in the colonies such as British West Africa, and those are not rare.
There are many rare kings in the pre-conquest Saxon period.
@BSmith that's a lovely group! All shillings? I've been in the market for a nice 1763 for awhile now. Great group of G3. Do you collect mainly his stuff?
Comments
Godless Florin
Experience the World through Numismatics...it's more than you can imagine.
Gothic Florin
Experience the World through Numismatics...it's more than you can imagine.
Experience the World through Numismatics...it's more than you can imagine.
Queen Anne 1708 Shilling
Commonwealth 1653 Shilling
Seems like Great Britain is a super hot market or has it been the same for a long time?
NFL: Buffalo Bills & Green Bay Packers
My current "Box of 20"
--Severian the Lame
I hope this one rare enough. Mintage: 2. None in Royal Mint or Br.Mu.
1853 Currency Groat
Pattern 1951 Crown, RM removed markings on reverse
Well, just Love coins, period.
Justin Meunier
Boardwalk Numismatics
Probably as good an 1889 Jubilee head Shilling as you will ever see, and quite scarce to rare :
Well, just Love coins, period.
Underrated date in higher grades, had a devil of a time finally getting this one....
Well, just Love coins, period.
Latin American Collection
Lima and Vigo captured silver.
A: The year they spend more on their library than their coin collection.
A numismatist is judged more on the content of their library than the content of their cabinet.
Ah, what denomination the Vigo?
Here is another George V coin of supreme rarity:
Eat your heart out Tyrant: mintage 2, none in BM or Royal Mint Collection. IMO def. cheated on the grade. This coin came with a thin silver wash or plate prior to striking so makes it look more raggedy than it really is.
Well, just Love coins, period.
An Oxford 1643 halfcrown, Morrieson dies K-28. The large central plume on the reverse is only seen on coins struck late in 1643 and early 1644 at Oxford, and presumably was concurrent with Charles' Parliament from January through to April.
And another struck soon after the New Year. This being Morrieson dies C-4
The Vigo is a shilling.
A: The year they spend more on their library than their coin collection.
A numismatist is judged more on the content of their library than the content of their cabinet.
Recently graded. Only cameo at NGC.
Here are my three favorites from my world box:
1804 GB Bank Dollar in PCGS PR-64CAM (very rare in cam, and I think this is the prettiest one...but I am biased)

1708 GB Shilling in NGC MS-64PL (only known PL...currently at PCGS for cross...fingers crossed).


1758 Shilling in PCGS MS-64 (was NGC MS-65)

Not too shabby for George V - the only known specimen proof 1920 Halfcrown:
Well, just Love coins, period.
What a stunning group you have there. Maybe one day I will pry that 1708 shilling from your hands.
https://numismaticmuse.com/ My Web Gallery
The best collecting goals lie right on the border between the possible and the impossible. - Andy Lustig, "MrEureka"
If you don't mind me asking. How do you come into rarities like this? Is this something that was at auction once upon a time or required some further connections to get?
https://numismaticmuse.com/ My Web Gallery
The best collecting goals lie right on the border between the possible and the impossible. - Andy Lustig, "MrEureka"
Well, these are highlights and have attended auctions and knew many principals at Spink, Baldwin, DNW, etc.
Spink in the "Grande Ole Days" was really something else & is but a mere shadow of its former self.
Of course I have carefully followed all major auctions for many years but have to be extremely judicious in my choices given my budget versus beasts like the Tyrant Collector with unlimited funds....
Well, just Love coins, period.
OK, here is another which I like that begs a better picture:
Well, just Love coins, period.
beautiful piece!
https://numismaticmuse.com/ My Web Gallery
The best collecting goals lie right on the border between the possible and the impossible. - Andy Lustig, "MrEureka"
You do your homework and sit back. Sometimes it takes a while - I've been waiting nearly 20 years for one coin to resurface and another I can't find reference to for the past 112 years. What goes around, comes around, but there are quite a few rarities that only come to market once every generation - hence the need for patience. A few acquisitions from the past decade such as:-

A Civil War halfcrown with the Boar's Head mark on the reverse. 2 known with this one off the market from 1979 to 2019, and the other untraceable since 1952
Or this groat from the same series which is the only unimpaired example available to collectors as far as I can establish which needed a near 10 year wait

Or this Oxford groat which was off the market from 1979 to 2011. I can find another, but it's in the BM

Also, some things find their way to you if you have already shown willing to buy similar items and aren't put off by a large price tag.
If you are in for the long haul, build a database of the rarities and establish what the best pieces are. Don't just rely on TPG population reports because there are too many inaccuracies in the labelling. Get catalogues and do a lot of reading because Illustrated catalogues go back well over 100 years.
Top graded, for this year (MS-65). This was a melt bucket rescue.
Content of this post is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0
I couldn't agree with RobP more, as it has taken many years in the traditional way (or something close to it) to manage these coins and one gets to know one's sources.
Meanwhile, here is a more ordinary 1842 half crown which in my estimation shows what not a lot of money can get you; it is not top graded nor is it a major rarity:
Well, just Love coins, period.
My YouTube Channel
Experience the World through Numismatics...it's more than you can imagine.
Experience the World through Numismatics...it's more than you can imagine.
Crown
Experience the World through Numismatics...it's more than you can imagine.
Crown
Experience the World through Numismatics...it's more than you can imagine.
Crown
Experience the World through Numismatics...it's more than you can imagine.
@coinkat great group you've posted there. I am especially partial to the 1893 crown.
https://numismaticmuse.com/ My Web Gallery
The best collecting goals lie right on the border between the possible and the impossible. - Andy Lustig, "MrEureka"
A selection of British coins of various eras
Early Saxon gold thrymsa, Crondall phase
Early Saxon silver sceatta, series W
Saxon Northumbrian styca of Aethelred II
Middle Saxon penny of Ceolwulf I of Mercia
Anglo-Viking penny of York
Late Saxon penny of Edward the Confessor
Norman penny of William the Conqueror
Plantagenet penny of King John
House of Lancaster groat of Henry VI
House of York groat of Edward IV
Tudor testoon (shilling) of Henry VIII
Stuart groat of Charles I
Hanoverian shilling of George II
Really great pieces you have there @Nap I especially like the Edward the Confessor and the William the Conqueror. Are those difficult pieces to find? I know very little of the early hammered pieces.
https://numismaticmuse.com/ My Web Gallery
The best collecting goals lie right on the border between the possible and the impossible. - Andy Lustig, "MrEureka"
In general the earlier coins are less common than the newer ones, but coins of Edward the Confessor and William the Conqueror are fairly common. There are a few post-conquest kings that are hard to get- William II, Matilda, Henry IV, Richard III. None are super rare, Matilda the most difficult. Also very hard is Edward V, but attribution of any coins to Edward V is challenging. No regular issue coins of Edward VIII were made because of his early abdication, but a few proofs exist and are extremely rare. However coins in Edward VIII’s name were made in the colonies such as British West Africa, and those are not rare.
There are many rare kings in the pre-conquest Saxon period.
Cool stuff, although pedantry insists that I mention that anything dated before 1707 isn't Great Britain.
Here are a few of mine.
Keeper of the VAM Catalog • Professional Coin Imaging • Prime Number Set • World Coins in Early America • British Trade Dollars • Variety Attribution
OK, I love my Vickies, here is another for you. Perhaps you'll not find another - do you recognise this specific coin?
Well, just Love coins, period.
I really like that one!
My YouTube Channel
A Gothic florin which was made into an amateur love token:
Great Britain Florin 1873 - Gothic style
Letters on coin:
Obverse: The letters "LL", "AND", and "CH".
Reverse: The letters "LL" and "CH" on the cross.
The Mysterious Egyptian Magic Coin
Coins in Movies
Coins on Television
@BSmith that's a lovely group! All shillings? I've been in the market for a nice 1763 for awhile now. Great group of G3. Do you collect mainly his stuff?
https://numismaticmuse.com/ My Web Gallery
The best collecting goals lie right on the border between the possible and the impossible. - Andy Lustig, "MrEureka"