Here's my dilema

Cladiator

I want to include some copper in my collection. IMO, red copper is one of the prettiest things around. I currently collect zero copper. I've pretty much decided to not go with any U.S. coins because with the exception of Lincolns they are too cost prohibitive in the "RD" category. I've also decided to try and collect a "series" of copper coins instead of just a collection of various copper designs. I looked in the Canadian Large Cents and they seem to have the same cost problems that accompany the U.S. coins for the most part. So, I've got my strategy down but have no coin to collect LOL I'd love to hear from you all as to what you think would be, in your opinion, an interesting and relatively inexpensive darkside copper series to collect in "Red" condition, preferrably not a modern coin.


.....eagerly awaiting.....

spinaker2000

Kinda partial to the British coppers myself. How modern is modern to you?? The ship half penny series is afordable and not to difficult to assemble. 1937-1970

newsman

If you want a real challenge, try collecting red Italian kingdom copper. It's not too expensive, but not cheap either.

weresteve

<< <i>

.....eagerly awaiting.....

>>



UK farthings, large half cents, and large cents would probably be a good starting point ... Queen Elizabeth II would probably be the easiest monarch to start with.

Farthings lasted until 1956 ...

Half Pence - large size under £sd - reduced in size after decimalization and lasted until 1984 ...

Penny - large size under £sd - reduced in size after decimalization and eventually converted to copper plated steel in 1992

2 pence introduced as part of decimalization and converted to copper plated steel in 1992

3 pence Brass ... phased out with decimalization

£1 introduced in 1983 - Nickel/Brass composition

£2 Nickel/Brass composition as follows -
1986 - Commonwealth Games
1989 - Bill of Rights
1989 - Claim of Rights
1994 - Bank of England
1995 - 50th Anniv End of WWII
1995 - 50th Anniv UN
1996 - European Football Championship

newsman

I like the 1937-56 farthings -- not too expensive and not too easy.

kuhli

Look at the India British Regal Coinage. 1862-1942. You have 1/12 anna, 1/4 anna, and 1/2 anna. Nothing catalogs in UNC in 3 digits, lots of dates and mintmarks to keep you busy for a long time, and there are always the Proofs and P/L re-strikes to add to compliment the collection. And if you really get bored, there are P/L re-strikes in silver (nothing in 3 digits) and gold (these get up there). Don't know how available RD UNCs are, but the thrill is in the hunt, right??

1960NYGiants

How about South Africa, Mexico, Dutch and French colonies of the Carribean?

19 century stuff seems cheap ... er ... inexpensive to me.

Gene

1jester

British Colonial--that's a fantastic idea!! Tons of material, and tons of beauty.

Swiss 1 or 2 Rappens are also a way to go.

spoon

I'd say hold off on date runs for now.. that's too boring

Start out with a type set (one each) of as many copper/bronze coins as you can find in or around the size of a British penny! ~30mm They're as big as you get with copper, excluding a few oddities, and fun to look at and collect even in lower grades (most of mine are VF-XF since I like to carry them around)

Such a set would cover most of Europe, a few parts of S America, China and a whole lotta colonies. You'll get kings and queens, dragons and 'roos, pretty ladies and ships, etc...

This is one of the things I was going for once upon a time when I had a bout of sanity and direction (yes, such a broad set is the closest I come to "direction"!).. unfortunately it was passing and I've since scattered again across the numismatic spectrum. But it provides the best range of quality art and history from around the world. Halfway through I'm sure you'll get sidetracked like I did

satootoko

The "relatively inexpensive" condition blows any chance of your going after most Meiji era (1870-1911) Japanese minors. There are a few valued at under $100 Unc., but those prices are definitely not for red, or even red-brown specimens.

Sylvestius

<< <i>Half cents were reduced in size after decimalization and lasted until 1984 ...

Cents were reduced in size after decimalization and eventually converted to copper plated steel in 1992

2 pence introduced as part of decimalization and converted to copper plated steel in 1992 >>





Please do not call UK one penny or halfpenny pieces cents, basically because they are not and never have been. Call them that in the UK and the collectors would launch an assault on you and the regular public would just look at you and blink, "two cents change? Sorry we don't accept foreign coins". But due to the way the new decimal system is written, e.g 24 pence as 24p, people will refer to them a 'p', i.e 'can you lend me 50 p?'


Also i should point out that the large pre-decimal pennies and halfpennies issued to 1967 are totally different to the decimal pennies introduced in 1971. There are 2.4 old pennies (written as d) to one new penny (written as p). Which makes 240 old pennies to a pound sterling but only 100 decimal pennies to a pound sterling. At decimalisation in 1971 the old predecimal coins that could be valued to either a whole or a half of a new penny were permitted to remain circulating.

Two shilling pieces (24d) became 10p
One Shilling pieces (12d) became 5p
Sixpences (6d) became 2½p

Those three remained legal tender at their new values till size reductions later, or until four years before the halfpenny was demonetised.

The other denominations that were eliminated just before or at decimalisation were;

Halfcrown (30d) would have been 12½p
Threepence (3d) would have been 1¼p
Penny (1d) would have been 0.42p
Halfpenny (½d) would have been 0.84p


Apart from that as i myself collect UK 1971-84 Bronze coins in BU can heartily agree that this field is a nice underappreciated one to work in.

lordmarcovan

Like Kuhli, I was going to suggest British India.


<< <i>Look at the India British Regal Coinage. 1862-1942. You have 1/12 anna, 1/4 anna, and 1/2 anna. Nothing catalogs in UNC in 3 digits, lots of dates and mintmarks to keep you busy for a long time, and there are always the Proofs and P/L re-strikes to add to compliment the collection. And if you really get bored, there are P/L re-strikes in silver (nothing in 3 digits) and gold (these get up there). >>






<< <i>Don't know how available RD UNCs are, but the thrill is in the hunt, right?? >>


From what I personally have seen, Red Uncirculated pieces are surprisingly available and cheap- sometimes shockingly so. This is what brought them to my mind, since you mentioned wanting to collect inexpensive and older copper. The British India copper is often found in RD and RB, even back to Victoria's reign. I don't know why this is- perhaps some of the smaller denominations didn't circulate as much and were kept in bags? I have seen some truly amazing full Red coppers which sold for peanuts. Sometimes they're a little streaky, but overall, I'm astonished at how well they've survived. One would think that the climate in India wouldn't be the best for red copper coins.

laurentyvan

Have you considered a type set of all british-related colonial coppers?

Lots of diversity, in most cases not too expensive, very interesting stuff from a broad time range...

weresteve

<< <i>The other denominations that were eliminated just before or at decimalisation were;

Halfcrown (30d) would have been 12½p
Threepence (3d) would have been 1¼p
Penny (1d) would have been 0.42p
Halfpenny (½d) would have been 0.84p


Apart from that as i myself collect UK 1971-84 Bronze coins in BU can heartily agree that this field is a nice underappreciated one to work in. >>


Oh well .. so much for my oopsie ...

So ... how did the old halfpenny wind up worth more than the old penny as above?

Cladiator

I was thinking the same thing...it's got to be a typo.

Sylvestius

<< <i>

<< <i>The other denominations that were eliminated just before or at decimalisation were;

Halfcrown (30d) would have been 12½p
Threepence (3d) would have been 1¼p
Penny (1d) would have been 0.42p
Halfpenny (½d) would have been 0.84p


Apart from that as i myself collect UK 1971-84 Bronze coins in BU can heartily agree that this field is a nice underappreciated one to work in. >>


Oh well .. so much for my oopsie ...

So ... how did the old halfpenny wind up worth more than the old penny as above? >>




Yeah correction on that it should be 0.21p

I was half way through proof reading a pending publication on medieval coins for someone and posting something on CP forums as well as trying to do maths, which is something i'm not too good at. Dyslexic with numbers.