WHAT TO COLLECT?
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The world is quite literally your oyster.
The soundest advice is to collect what
you like at prices that are affordable
to you. Coins are among the least expensive
antiques available. True, coins can and
do sell for hundreds and thousands of pounds,
but there are many tens of thousands that
sell for just a few pounds – see
The Price of Coins.
You may decide to collect the Ancient
Greek Coinage, the Coins of the Romans
or those issued by the Celts or rulers
of Byzantium. Alternatively you may decide
to collect the coins of a specific country
such as Britain, Germany, India or Russia.
Possibly collecting the coins of a group
of countries appeals: for example, those
issued by countries in South America, by
members of the British Commonwealth or
countries of continental Europe. Of course,
if old coins do not appeal, the world’s
mints strike a multitude of commemorative
or coin sets especially for the collector.
Here are some more ideas:
•Thematic collecting
This
approach has no restrictions as to national
boundaries
or the span of time. A topic is chosen
such as animals, birds, insects, flowers,
buildings, views of towns, ships, or even
people wearing hats. Having chosen a topic,
this becomes the theme of the collection.
•
Type collecting
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Victoria, Gothic Crown, 1847 |
Victoria, Crown, 1893 |
This approach is to collect
an example of each type, which is the technical
term for a main design of coin, issued
in a particular country, state or region.
To make this manageable people normally
chose to collect a specimen of each type
in a particular territory struck between
two dates, or restrict their interest to
the coins of a particular reign or dynasty.
•Denomination collecting
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| Brabant, Joan & Wenceslas, Cavalier |
Brabant, Philip the Good, Cavalier |
Many collectors
decide that a particular denomination appeals
and therefore decide to collect as many
different types as possible that relate
to a specific period.
•
Rulers
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King of Wessex, Edward the Elder
(899-924), Penny, Tower type |
William 1 (1066-87), two stars
type,
Penny of Northampton |
Collecting
an example of a coin from each reign of
an emperor, king or
queen certainly gives an overall view of
a country’s history. For example,
the approach could be to collect a coin
from each reign of English monarch from
1066, or an example of a coin from each
Scottish ruler from the beginning of the
reign of David I through to Queen Anne.
•
Beauty
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| Hadrien, AE Sestertius, AD 119-121 |
One
should only buy something because it appeals.
For example, no one would buy
a painting that they did not like. Collectors
who view coins as objets d’art acquire
coins that they find aesthetically pleasing.
•
Commemoratives
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| Agrippina Snr (mother of Caligula,
died AD 33), AE Sestertius, AD 37-41 |
Some
collectors are only interested in coins
that were or are struck
to celebrate particular events. Although
now generally associated with modern issues,
this overlooks the fact that many Roman
coins were issued which make reference
to particular events. It is therefore quite
possible to form a collection of Roman
coins that chronicles the history of Rome.
COLLECTOR PROFILES
Judith
Judith started collecting stamps when
she was seven or eight years old. Her father
received a great deal of correspondence
from overseas and she carefully removed
the stamps from their envelopes and started
her collection. Her parents also travelled
and upon their return would give her the
odd coins left over from their trips. ‘However,
it was not until my early 20s that I actually
started putting my stamps and coins in
order. Stamps proved far too difficult
and time consuming, but coins really fascinated
me’, she commented. Although she
did not abandon the stamps that she had
collected, her interest soon concentrated
on coins and when she made visits abroad
she selected coins from her change to add
to her collection. From this form of collecting
she gradually began to collect coins seriously.
So what does Judith collect and why does
she find coins so appealing? ‘I collect
mainly English coins because it’s
easier for me, knowing the history of my
own country better than any other.’ She
has no particular collecting pattern and,
although her preference is for silver halfcrowns,
she also buys other denominations. Her
real love, however, is the ‘oldies’. ‘Some
of them are so beautiful. Confront a Henry
VI gold noble with an Elizabeth II £5
coin.....there is no comparison’,
she says.
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I asked Judith if it was the portrait
on coins that she found appealing. The
response was emphatic, ‘No. it is
the overall design that I look at. For
me to buy a particular coin, it has got
to have a certain something. It has to
feel right and look right - it is a certain “magical” combination
which when I see it, I just like it. I
do not restrict my purchases to a minimum
grade, but I do tend to go for coins in
the higher states of preservation. I prefer
to have one really good piece rather than
several run-of-the-mill specimens.’
Although her main collection is devoted
to English coins, Judith also takes a wider
interest. Being a dedicated traveller,
she finds that her interest in coins fits
well with her travels. ‘I am fascinated
by different countries, their history,
culture, people and geography and occasionally
I still add pieces to my small collection
of world coins.’ In common with most
collectors, Judith does have a budget for
the additions to her main collection. She
recently had to forego buying a really
beautiful coin because she had, only a
short time before, spent an ‘outrageous’ amount
on a rare coin which was not nearly so
beautiful and which cost much more.
So where does Judith buy her coins? ‘Following
one or two unfortunate experiences, I now
make my acquisitions mainly from one dealer
who, over the years, has become a friend
as opposed to just a source for material.
In any event, I just do not have the time
to visit many dealers. When I first visited
him I asked for something quite modest
and simple and requested some general advice
on collecting. I liked his approach and
now I rely entirely on him for any advice
and guidance that I require. He knows what
I like and he also has my “wants
list”.’
Judith’s advice to any new collector
is to make time for their pastime. ‘Dedicate
a set period each week to your collection.
Read as much as possible about the subject,
keep the coins in order and maintain a
record of the coins as you buy them.’
Alan
Alan became interested in coins when he
was seven years of age. This was in the
days before decimalisation when it was
quite usual to find pennies and halfpennies
from the days of Queen Victoria in circulation.
The coins acted as a trigger for him
to read about history - the reigns of
George V, Edward VII and of course Victoria.
It was not long before he was delving
back further in time. Nearly forty years
later, he has a collection of English
and UK coins which extends back to Alfred
the Great’s time as well as a comprehensive
collection of British Commonwealth coinage.
This has not been a continuous period
of collecting. Marriage and the arrival
of a family meant that there were more
pressing things than indulging in collecting
coins. However, when his sons were in their
teens, he again turned towards numismatics.
The last quarter century has been a well-organised
campaign to form an extensive collection
of the coinage of the English and UK series.
With the early hammered coins, his object
is to secure an example of each reign.
However, from the reign of Edward I (1272-1307)
his aim has been to obtain an example of
each denomination. Where there is a major
change in design, for example during the
reign of Henry VII (1485-1509) when there
are groats with a forward-facing and profile
bust, he will buy an example of each. Likewise
with the milled coinage, for example during
the reign of George II (1727-1760), he
will want an example of each denomination
featuring both the monarch’s young
and old heads. Essentially Alan is what
is called a ‘type’ collector
- he seeks an example of each ‘type’,
or design, of coin that is available.
Like many collectors, Alan does not have
unlimited funds. Although he hopes one
day to extend his gold collection back
to the reign of Elizabeth I, his earliest
gold coin so far is a laurel of James I
(1603-1625). Rarities have to be forgotten,
but nevertheless Alan enjoys the hunt for
a specimen that has been elusive at a price
he can afford to pay.
His interest in British
Commonwealth coins was a spin-off from
his main collecting.
He came across some examples in a dealer’s
stock and became attracted to the coins
of an empire upon which the sun never sank.
The series of British Commonwealth coins
is certainly vast and the opportunities
for collecting are almost endless. However,
undoubtedly Alan’s main interest
is the English and UK coinage.
Although condition is not of paramount
importance to Alan, he does upgrade specimens
in his collection when this is possible.
However, he will accept minor imperfections
when a particular coin on his wants list
has been particularly elusive.
So, what is the main appeal of coins
to Alan? Undoubtedly it is the history
of
the reign during which they were struck
as well as the story behind the coins themselves.
As he mused, ‘It is a shame that
coins cannot talk.’ Back
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