Numismatics or Coin Collecting is a fulfilling hobby that can extend from one denomination to a whole Monarch, or simply a collection of Beatrix Potter 50p’s. There are hundreds of stories about rare coins selling for thousands or even millions, and it is these that capture the public imagination and lead to us searching behind our sofas in the vain attempt to find a fortune.

Discoucia: A Victorianish Fairytale

Discoucia: A Victorianish Fairytale

  1. The word ‘Numismatics’ is derived from the Latin word ‘Numisma’ which means ‘coin’. It is referred to as the ‘Hobby of Kings’ thanks to the nobility that started the hobby and those include King Louis XIV, subject of the television series ‘Versailles’.
  2. Though there is no single person to amass a complete collection of British coins, Louis Eliasberg managed to complete a collection of American coins to date. His collection included some of the rarest coins in history and sold for a total close to $60 million. It is said that nothing like it had been done before and nothing like it will be done again.
  3. The 1933 penny is known to be one of the rarest coins in history, in fact one of them sold in 2016 for £72,000. They were not put into circulation because there was no need for them, there were enough in circulation but a few were minted for ceremonial purposes. These were placed in the cornerstones of buildings along with all the other coins dated 1933 from the Farthing to the Crown. In 1970 the coins that had been placed beneath the cornerstone of The Church of Saint Cross near Leeds were stolen. The coins beneath St Mary’s Church in the same region were removed and sold so as to prevent a robbery, and the third set is known to still be in place.
  4. Some of the most elusive pre-decimal coins were of Edward VIII, who abdicated before they could be released. These include his threepence which was the same shape as our new pound coins and sold in 2013 for £30,000. However this was a pattern coin and as such wasn’t meant to leave the Mint, which is the reason for such a high price.
  5. The coins of Queen Victoria have three distinct portraits; the first is referred to as the ‘Young Head’ and was featured on her coinage for the longest amount of time. Her last was called the ‘Old Head’ or ‘Veiled Head’ and depicted what we most associate with Victoria. It was the ‘Jubilee Head’ that caused the most controversy as it was said to portray the Queen in a comical way due to her small crown being precariously balanced on her head and she seemed to have a sullen look. Despite being given approval by the Queen herself the designer Joseph Boehm lost his job and the next effigy to take over was the Old of Veiled Head.
  6. Countermarking coins has been going on for hundreds of years, and it was during the reign of George III that some of the Dollars of America were marked with small portraits of King George. This was due to a silver coin shortage and things were so bad that Spanish coins were stamped over and valued at five shillings since that was their silver weight. Recently however all kinds of political stamps have found their way onto modern coins. Pound coins and 50p’s have been found with ‘IRA’ stamped on them, and before that Half Crowns with ‘Vote Labour’. These are mainly of historical value, and since the defacing of coins is still illegal with a fine of £400 it might not be advisable to do this yourself.
  7. A gold coin may not always make a fortune, but the 1703 Five Guineas of Queen Anne is a major exception due to its scarcity and its history. When the British Naval forces won the Battle of Vigo Bay in 1702 the gold recovered was turned into the Five Guinea and One Guinea coins. It is believed that only 10-20 examples of these coins exist, which is one of the reasons why this coin is so much more valuable than a 1705 Anne Five Guineas which has a price of £40,000 in Extremely Fine. These details are what makes the coins so attractive and rare. In extremely fine condition these coins can fetch from £270,000 to £300,000 at auction, which makes them a treasure in themselves.
  8. As mentioned before about Edward VIII, a set of proof pattern coins which would have been released during his reign were sold at auction in 2010. These ranged from the gold £5 to the Farthing and only four were thought to have be made. Two are in the Royal Mint Museum, another was broken up and some of the individual coins have appeared at auctions. The fourth was bought in 2010 by Ira and Larry Goldberg Coins and Collectibles for £1,350,000 ($2.1 million), and shows how desirable Edward VIII’s coins really are.
  9. Latin inscriptions are always present on coins but few of us know what they actually mean. The soon to be defunct round pound coin usually carried the inscription ‘Decus Et Tutamen’ which meant ‘An Ornament and a Safeguard’. For hundreds of years the inscription of ‘Dei Gratia’ appeared around a monarch’s head and stood for ‘By the Grace of God’ and in 1848 the first 10p coin which then was known as a Florin had this omitted. Normally something like this wouldn’t be much of an issue but was known to cause some personal discomfort to Queen Victoria and the later issue in 1851 had ‘Dei Gratia’ restored. This was the United Kingdom’s first step towards decimalisation and was completed 120 years later.
  10.  During the Olympics in 2012 all kinds of coins were introduced, from 50p’s to £2 and £5 coins. However there were some other coins that were introduced by the Royal Mint, and had a face value ranging from £10 to £1,000 and were minted in a number of precious metals. The £1,000 coin was minted in solid gold and had an issue price of £100,000, so would be out of our mortal grasp in most cases.

Discoucia: A Victorianish Fairytale (published by Clink Street Publishing 29th June 2017 RRP £9.99 paperback and RRP £3.99 ebook) is available to purchase from online retailers including amazon.co.uk and to order from all good bookstores.