ikaros Posted February 15, 2006 Report Share Posted February 15, 2006 Well, not only did I get an all-in-one printer/copier/scanner for six bucks today, but my first full crown, and my second oldest coin. So yay me, I'm going to share images! First up is the old-timer, an 1825 George IV farthing: This was a real sweetheart, reasonably priced and quite nice eye appeal (better than the scan)--and the only older coin I currently own is a 1749 George II penny (remind me to scan that some day). Next, the 1953 Elizabeth II Coronation Crown: I fell in love with this as soon as I saw it, especially the four-shield design on (what I assume is) the obverse. And it's my first crown! I love being early enough into my Brits that I can be excited about that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Art Posted February 15, 2006 Report Share Posted February 15, 2006 Nice coins. Enjoy them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlueke Posted February 15, 2006 Report Share Posted February 15, 2006 Next, the 1953 Elizabeth II Coronation Crown: I fell in love with this as soon as I saw it, especially the four-shield design on (what I assume is) the obverse. And it's my first crown! I love being early enough into my Brits that I can be excited about that. A pretty coin indeed, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ikaros Posted February 20, 2006 Author Report Share Posted February 20, 2006 Here's the dean of my collection, age-wise: a 1749 penny. I can't get a decent scan off it; it doesn't look this ratty in person. Still, I was pleased to get my hands on it, even if it's nowhere near mint state. Eventually, I shall improve upon this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Art Posted February 20, 2006 Report Share Posted February 20, 2006 A nice penny. Used but not too much. 1749 -- just think of all of the places it's been since then. All of the people, famous - infamous - unknown, who may have used it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AuldFartte Posted February 21, 2006 Report Share Posted February 21, 2006 Neat coins!!! That Coronation Crown is my favorite Elizabeth II coin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ikaros Posted February 21, 2006 Author Report Share Posted February 21, 2006 A nice penny. Used but not too much. 1749 -- just think of all of the places it's been since then. All of the people, famous - infamous - unknown, who may have used it. Oh, yes. That's one of the reasons I don't mind worn coins. They've been places. I mean, how did this coin get from England to America? With an 18th century immigrant? With an Army Air Corps pilot returning from WWII with a memento? Yeah, there's no way to establish provenance, but it's cool to think about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ikaros Posted February 21, 2006 Author Report Share Posted February 21, 2006 Neat coins!!! That Coronation Crown is my favorite Elizabeth II coin Thanks... I don't know that I have a favorite E2 as such yet. I'm still looking to get the Churchill crown. I love the expressive simplicity of the reverse of that coin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ikaros Posted March 21, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 21, 2006 Well, well, well. Went dumpster diving in the foreign bin at Crown and Eagle (went through the books, too) and came up with a pile of goodies--total count, about 75 coins, total damage, less than $50--and most of that was for just seven of 'em. We'll just do this one coin at a time... no, I'm not gonna throw 'em *all* up here, just the nicest ones. First up is an 1861 halfpenny that--if it wasn't for the obvious scarring--would be in pretty nice shape, all things considered: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burks Posted March 21, 2006 Report Share Posted March 21, 2006 Nothing wrong with that coin, it just has character Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ikaros Posted March 21, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 21, 2006 Yeah, but without those gouges, it would not only have character, it would have class. Still, all a coin has to do is make me happy to land in my collection. Well, okay, make me happy and be in my affordable range. I mean, heck, a Roman date ultra high relief St Gauden's would make me freakin' ecstatic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Art Posted March 21, 2006 Report Share Posted March 21, 2006 The 1861 Half Penny is fantastic. I'd love to have one like it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ikaros Posted March 21, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 21, 2006 The 1861 Half Penny is fantastic. I'd love to have one like it. Time for me to come clean: this was in one of the "loose change" bins. Cost me four bits. I am not going to complain about that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burks Posted March 22, 2006 Report Share Posted March 22, 2006 Still, all a coin has to do is make me happy to land in my collection. And that's all that matters. Bargain bins are my best friend. Pulled a MS Franklin out due to a very, very tiny rim ding (can't see it unless coin is turned on side)......$3.50 Not enough dealers have those kinds of boxes I can get 50 coins for $30 (other then Jefferson's, wheats, etc). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ikaros Posted March 23, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 23, 2006 And that's all that matters. Bargain bins are my best friend. Pulled a MS Franklin out due to a very, very tiny rim ding (can't see it unless coin is turned on side)......$3.50 Not enough dealers have those kinds of boxes I can get 50 coins for $30 (other then Jefferson's, wheats, etc). Wherein lies the advantage in collecting common foreign coins--few American brick-and-mortar dealers, at least around here, take foreign coins seriously (except for gold, of course--can't swing a Whitman folder without hitting a Maple Leaf, Krugerrand, Panda, &c.). So some of them have huge, largely unsearched bins of mixed foreigns typically five to ten for a dollar. Crown and Eagle here in Columbus takes British coins very seriously (oh, those gold sovereigns... whimper!), and other foreigns seriously, and they still have two large bins to wade through at 5/$1 and one at 10/$5. I walked out of there with 76 coins for $18.60--and seven pricier ones that cost me $26. Still, 83 coins for under $50 makes me a happy camper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ikaros Posted March 23, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 23, 2006 And now, another from my latest expedition. This one was not a bargain bin find: from 1963, the Australian florin: I love the intricacy of the reverse design on this one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Art Posted March 23, 2006 Report Share Posted March 23, 2006 Time for me to come clean: this was in one of the "loose change" bins. Cost me four bits. I am not going to complain about that! I love the bargain boxes. Depending on your tastes, you can find some great treasures in them. Dealers have different opinions about what is good or bad, etc. and so you can find stuff in the bargain box at one table and a few tables over find the same item in a display case. At the last FUN show there was a dealer with a few ANA medals that I really liked. He was asking mega-bucks for them. Claimed he had purchased them in order to get some coins and didn't know what they were worth but had xxx dollars in them. One was an anniversary medal that I have purchased for as little as $5.00. He wanted $60 for one. Literally at the next table the dealer had two of these in his bargain box marked at $8.00 each. He took $10 for both. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ikaros Posted March 23, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 23, 2006 Oh, absolutely. I mean, yes, I will go out of my way to ensure that the Kennedys I get for the folder are all strictly MS60+ or proof, but my foreign sets are as yet just for fun, and I don't know a whole lot more about them than that I like 'em, so the Big Bargain Bins are absolute treasure troves as far as I'm concerned. It all goes back to the key feature of a coin being that it makes me happy. I got lucky when I first started collecting coins back in '74 or '75--we were doing a flea market back then, and one of the regular weekly guys was a coin dealer who taught me to love the coins for themselves, not to think of them as investments first. Started me on Jeffersons, which is great for the total beginner--no dates of exquisite torture like the Lincolns or Merc dimes, no volatility due to precious metal speculation, older coins could be had in decent shape without too much financial agony (and let's face it, to an 11-year-old in '75, five bucks was generally a thundering lot of money!). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ikaros Posted March 24, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 24, 2006 And here's a new addition to the birth-year set: a Netherlands Antilles five cent piece. I just love the heck out of all the detail on this--the scrollwork reminds me a little of that on paper money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burks Posted March 24, 2006 Report Share Posted March 24, 2006 Beautiful design. I've always had a thing for square coins. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Art Posted March 24, 2006 Report Share Posted March 24, 2006 And here's a new addition to the birth-year set: a Netherlands Antilles five cent piece. I just love the heck out of all the detail on this--the scrollwork reminds me a little of that on paper money. That's a great coin. I had not seen one before. I agree that the scrollwork is terrific. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlueke Posted March 24, 2006 Report Share Posted March 24, 2006 I love the sea shells on the four corners it gives the coin the look of classy silverware. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Stilson Posted March 24, 2006 Report Share Posted March 24, 2006 How can you tell the date on these? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiffibunny Posted March 24, 2006 Report Share Posted March 24, 2006 How can you tell the date on these? Right there on the reverse with the 5 cents. In the shells. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Stilson Posted March 24, 2006 Report Share Posted March 24, 2006 Right there on the reverse with the 5 cents. In the shells. I should have known. just kept looking at the other side Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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