I collect foreign coins and I was wondering if there's a good site that shows lots of european coins, going back in history, with a picture and description for each coin. Any and all forum suggestions are welcomed.

Also, I never could figure out how the English system of values worked for coins, when they switched to the new penny, and how it worked beforehand. If anyone could tell me, I'd appreciate it.

The British Coin Forum here has a wealth of information and pictures. It is extremely well done, IMHO. Take a look.

http://www.coinpeople.com/British-Coin-Forums-f9.html

This is the link for the Predecimal Coin Forum. Really knowledgeable folks who are always happy to share.

http://www.predecimal.com/forum/

Thanks for the help! One thing though, those forums don't really explain how the value system works, or maybe I didn't find it? Could someone just explain it really quick?

Also, many of the images from those pages no longer work.

Predecimal system - I think I have got it right I have no doubt someone will shout up if it is wrong!!

LSD (L = Pounds, S = Shillings and D = Pence)

240 pennies in a pound
20 shilling in a pound
10 florins to a pound
5 shillings in a crown
2 shillings to a florin
60 pennies in a crown
30 pennies in a halfcrown
12 pennies in a shilling
2 halfpennies in a penny
4 farthings in a penny

Farthing also known as a 1/4d
Halfpenny also known as a 1/2d or "ha'pennies"(Plural Halfpence)
Penny also known as a 1d (Plural Pence)
Threepence also known as a 3d, "thrupence" or "joey" (Brass commonly called a thrupenny bit)
Sixpence also known as a 6d or tanner
Shilling also known as 1/- or a "bob"
Two Shillings also known as a "florin" or 2/-
Half Crown also known as 2/6 or "2'n'6"

Phew I think thats it

Sweet! Thank you very much. It'll take time to memorize, but the info's much appreciated!

A topic on the German states predecimal system would be useful too.

This guy has a site that he works on from time to time, recently he started updating it finally, if he would get off his bum and finish it it might actually be a nice site:

Scottish Coins etc.

Well, you could begin with Charlemagne who, in 793-94, introduced a new pound (fr. livre, de. Pfund), with 1 Pfund = 20 Schilling = 240 Pfennig.

Now let's skip a couple of centuries, currency reforms and monetary unions. When the German Empire was established in 1871, the Mark (1 Mark = 100 Pfennig) replaced various systems, such as ...

1 Taler = 30 Groschen, 1 Groschen = 12 Pfennige (e.g. Prussia)
1 Taler = 30 Groschen, 1 Groschen = 10 Pfennige (e.g. Saxony)
1 Taler = 48 Schillinge, 1 Schilling = 12 Pfennige (e.g. Mecklenburg)
1 Taler = 2 1/2 Mark = 40 Schillinge, 1 Schilling = 12 Pfennige (e.g. Hamburg)
1 Pistole/Louisd'or = 5 Taler, 1 Taler = 72 Grote, 1 Grot = 5 Schwaren (Bremen)
1 Gulden = 60 Kreuzer (Southern countries)
1 Franc = 100 Centimes (Alsace)

And that is only the simplified version ...

Christian