Henry VII Sovereign Royal Mint Auction March 4

[SidS]

The coin market is a funny thing. I would suggest that coins such as this don't generally have much of a collector base, the reason being they are so rare and come onto the market so infrequently that most collectors consider them unobtainable so they don't chase them. Also of course the great price tags that these have attached also dents interest.

Rare coins aren't always a good investment. I purchased two Anglo-Saxon pennies about 15 years ago, approx £800 each, they still catalogue for that now. So taken inflation into account when I sold them I'd actually lost money, even though I got the same nominal sum.

Likewise with other later era coins, very often it's a case of breaking even. Sonetime things go out of vogue too, like Georgian furniture, in the 1990s you'd spend £200 or so on a table, now they retail at £40-£60, they have history and rarity but dark furniture just isn't in fashion.

Middle of the road coins, grade wise and rarity wise seem to do best.

[westminstrel]

2 hours ago, SidS said:

Sonetime things go out of vogue too, like Georgian furniture, in the 1990s you'd spend £200 or so on a table, now they retail at £40-£60, they have history and rarity but dark furniture just isn't in fashion.

You make some really great points and I loved your furniture analogy in what was overall a very insightful post. 

[brithammered]

4 hours ago, westminstrel said:

Of course, in a romantic sense, collectors like us would say these things are invaluable, priceless. Realistically though their true worth lies in how much people are willing to pay.

100% true.  Myself, I wouldn't really even be looking at it for its present-day value.  The Sovereign is one of my areas and would really appreciate getting it for what it is, not acquiring it for what is value two years from now might be.  That being said, I'd certainly be willing to trade its contemporary value, I know I have 20 Tudor shillings I'd gladly trade for it; I might even be persuaded to include a testoon or two in that total. 😀

[Stuntman]

Tudor shillings and a testoon?  I'd love to see some photos of your favourites.

I have a good few predecimal shillings, but have only gone back to Charles II.  Very tempted to buy a Cromwell shilling but cannot currently justify the money, and I'd love a Henry VIII testoon!

[westminstrel]

@brithammered and @Stuntman - I’d love to see your hammered coins too.

I don’t have any British hammered coins, and would like to, but I have no idea where to start.

[SidS]

5 hours ago, westminstrel said:

@brithammered and @Stuntman - I’d love to see your hammered coins too.

I don’t have any British hammered coins, and would like to, but I have no idea where to start.

Henry III (long cross) and Edward I pennies are cheap and cheerful. A good way to dip one's toes in the hammered coin world without much financial out lay. Then you can get a sense of whether there's any interest there or not.

Elizabeth I shillings/sixpences aren't badly priced either.

[GoldDiggerDave]

11 hours ago, Stuntman said:

Tudor shillings and a testoon?  I'd love to see some photos of your favourites.

I have a good few predecimal shillings, but have only gone back to Charles II.  Very tempted to buy a Cromwell shilling but cannot currently justify the money, and I'd love a Henry VIII testoon!

Wonder if there would be any demand for a modern hammered gold coin.   It's sure would make a special strike on the day coin.  I've had a set of dies in my hands and joked give me a blank and I'll strike my own.  I'd risk losing a finger for that!

[Stuntman]

Something like a modern hammered gold Noble or Angel would be a very lovely thing.  Imagine one of those with a design similar to the 1989 sovereign, for the 2022 platinum jubilee.  Yum Yum.

@westminstrel - I don't have any hammered coins, just early milled shillings.  But if I did, I'd be looking at Edward VI and Elizabeth I to start with I think, then Charles I.  Personally I would want shillings, but long cross pennies are definitely the cheapest and easiest way in.

[Stuntman]

Pictures of early milled shillings.  I put these up in @richatthecroft's type set thread a few weeks ago, but spamming them again gratutiously here... 😉

I bought these between 2014 and 2016 from reputable coin dealers.  They ranged in price from £42 (the Queen Anne 1708) to £230 (the James II 1685).  I think I bought most of them fairly well.

 

 

[westminstrel]

Thanks for sharing your pics @Stuntman. It’s made me want to start reading up on these and see if I can get a couple for myself.