Help with British & Spanish Colonials.

edmerlr

First, in case I forget to add this at the bottom: "Thank you for your time."

I need to drain the brains of The Smart Ones again.

I have been given the task of selling these coins and I am trying to do some homework so I do not come off like a numismatic dumb-dumb.

My goals are the following:

(1) To give me a tiny bit more knowledge about each coin.

(2) To confirm the country of origin and denomination.

(3) To - because I have no concept of their value - figure out what lots to put them in should they end up on eBay. Because of the potential listing fees, I would like to have lots of coins in no less than $20 in value.

Any help you can give me would be very much appreciated.

Coin A:

What I think I see: 1731 ? GEORGIVUS ? REX. BRITANNIA. I know it is British. I do not know the denomination. The coin's approx. diameter is 22 mm.





Coin B:

1799 George III copper half penny. ???? diameter: approx. 30.2 mm





Coin C:

Another British copper. George III. 1770 ??? approx. diameter: 27.2 mm The denomination ?





Coin

Another copper half penny? George II 1738 ?? diameter: 27.8 mm





Coin E:

A SILVER COIN. Spanish, I think? What I think I read is PHILIPPUS V D.G. HISPANIA RUM 17?? approx. dia. is 27.5 mm The denomination?





Coin F:

Another Spanish coin? It reads: CAROLUS III D.G. HISP. REX 1774 It is copper. The diameter is approx. 18.2 mm Denomination?





The rest of them:

The rest of them I am going to just put in one lot.

No identification remains on the coins. They are all copper - I believe. The diameters range from 25.5 mm to 35.5 mm



In advance, I thank you for your help.

Regards,

Ed R.

PS: I know this is not the BST board. ...but if anyone has any burning... Well, you know what I am implying. You can PM or e-mail me at edrichter7@msn.com for the fastest response.

Blackborder

The first coin is a George I, probably 1721, definately not 1731. The rest are identified correctly. The Spanish coin is a 2 reales "pistareen", a common coin valued at 20c in Colonial times. The Spanish copper is a 2 Marvades. One of the coins in the bottom photo looks like a 1797 "cartwheel" penny.

However, here's the bad news, all these coins aren't worth much because of the poor condition. The best coins of the group would have been the 1721, 1738, and the pistareen. The 1797, 1799 and Spanish copper aren't really even considered Colonial coins.

At best, I'd say you might get around $25 for the entire lot.

farthing

The 1799 half penny would have been minted at the Soho mint in Birmingham by Mathew Boulton and James Watt under Regal contract.

Half penny and farthing coins were minted in 1799 in response to the great shortage of small value currency, the same shortage that lead to the use of tokens in the late 1780's - late 1790's, a series now referred to as "Conder tokens" in the US.

1960NYGiants

I think the 1st 4 are British half pennies or comtempory counterfeits.

E is a 2 Reales piece.

? for the others.

lordmarcovan

I think D probably is a 1738. Unless I'm mistaken, that's a fairly common date for George II. I found a 1738 on a colonial site here in Georgia with my metal detector, which is so far my only dug Britannia halfpenny (a George III Hibernia and a totally slick, probably French piece are the only other colonial coppers I've found).

lordmarcovan

For simplicity's sake, I'd put 'em on eBay as a single lot, with decent pictures like the ones you used here, and let folks make of them what they will. These are low grade pieces that are not going to have much catalog value, BUT stuff like this often does well on eBay, and I think (maybe) a lot comprised of all colonial-era coins would garner some healthy interest. I know I always check out such lots (found a 1694 London Elephant token in one once!)

Make sure you list in the US Colonial section as well as the World Coins Collections & Lots category (or if you choose only one category, go US Colonial, since such material as this qualifies, as it circulated in the American colonies).

PS- I do buy such lots if they're inexpensive. I like old stuff, regardless of the grade. I'm a bit of a "bottom feeder" at times, siphoning up a fair portion of the junk out there, as there's a ready market for it at my antique mall booth. So I would spare you the hassle of eBay and take the lot off your hands, but to be candid, you'd probably get best buck for 'em if you toss 'em in the Bay. (The Bay of E, that is).


(edited to fix small grammatical error)

edmerlr

I want to thank Everyone who has responded so far.

I now have a clear idea of how I will be selling these coins.

My next issue(s) I will have to deal with myself:

My friend (the owner of these coins) has an economic need to sell his coins. These coins are tiny part of a large collection that has almost been already completely dispersed. (Only approx. 5 to 10% of his coins made it to eBay. I rest I sold through other venues or direct to buyers. The current coins I have on eBay - seller name: edmerlr - are his. ...as were all of the other coins I sold on eBay in 2008. A quick search of my eBay feedback would show the eclectic scope of his collection.)

Obviously for coins like this, eBay is the perhaps the best approach for exposure to the greatest potential number of buyers.

Historically my friend and I were and have always been what you would call "Bottom Feeders" or "Sniper Bidders Extraordinare." For this reason we both have an aversion to starting lots on eBay at 99 cents. (Isn't it interesting that as human beings we don't like things done to us [by Bottom Feeding Sniper Bidders], but we do not usually hesitate doing it to others?)

I will spent the next couple of hours deciding which way to go with these coins - while I am scanning other coins from this collection. I like Lord Marcovan's suggestions. Thank you, Lord M.

I find it amazing that coins like this - regardless of their (bad) condition - over 200 years old sell for so little in comparison to some of the Modern Coins that were struck in the millions and millions. Perhaps the Collector Base for these old coins is very small?

One Gentleman has expressed interest in the silver coin. I will be PMing him shortly to try to figure what is best for all.

...again thank you all for your time.

...and thank you for reading.

Regards,

Ed R.

GDJMSP

<< <i>

I find it amazing that coins like this - regardless of their (bad) condition - over 200 years old sell for so little in comparison to some of the Modern Coins that were struck in the millions and millions. Perhaps the Collector Base for these old coins is very small?

Regards,

Ed R. >>



Compared to many US coins, older and modern, the collector base for these coins is a lot smaller. But you have the same misconception that many have - that a coin's age has anything to do with its value. Some of the cheapest coins available are the oldest. Now that is not true in every case of course, but as a general rule it is true.

And many of these older coin that you have pictured were made in the millions, just like modern coins. And very nice examples of them still exist, which also partly explains why examples like these in poor condition are worth so little.

coachleonard

the 1700-46 Spanish silver 2 reale and the 1774 spanish 2 maravedis, i think, are interesting enough to sell by themselves, as opposed to just sticking them in a group lot. As far as your six coins you had grouped together, on the top row, far left, it looks like you might have a British William III farthing 1695-1701. Again, not a big money item but historically interesting. On the far right of that same top row, the British farthing or halfpenny (not sure which it is) looks very intruiging.... appears to be a crude counterfeit of a 1770-75 British George III copper coin. THAT one, I'd like to see a better picture of...in fact, I might hold off selling that piece as just part of your "worn-out" group. At least until you get some more info on it. I can't make out the others you have in that group.

But you're right--their history value FAR outweighs their current market value. Even though every one of these coins was known to circulate in Colonial America and/or the early United States, to most collectors they are still viewed as just old darkside coins.i

lordmarcovan