Following on from our blog ‘Coin Collecting Glossary – The In’s and Out’s’, we take a look at some more of the terms that you may find useful if you are starting out in the wonderful world of numismatics.
You’ve bought your first sovereign…what’s next?
Having researched the best place to put the money that you have diligently saved, you decide, quite wisely, that gold may be a viable option, and a Hattons of London advert for their latest sovereign appears on the television and it sparks your interest.
Coin Grading – What You Need to Know
In Britain, the original grading scale classed every coin as either ‘Fine’ or ‘Extremely Fine’ – these were the only options. As times changed, extra steps were added into that scheme: ‘Good’ and ‘Very Good’, both below Fine, and ‘Very Fine’, below Extremely Fine. That created five grading steps, which was even further expanded over time by dealers by adding ‘Almost’ or ‘Good’ to any of those grades, with ‘Almost Fine’ being less than Fine and ‘Good Fine’ being better than Fine, but less than ‘Almost Very Fine’.
For over one hundred years this was the grading scheme in Europe, and it didn’t include the grade ‘Uncirculated’, for the simple reason that it was considered that any coin that came from circulation couldn’t be ‘uncirculated’.
A Beginners Guide to Coin Collecting
Coin Collecting Glossary – The In’s and Out’s
If you’re interested in starting coin collecting, but want to do a bit of research beforehand, we think the perfect place to start is learning some of the key terms.
Coin collecting can be both rewarding and intimidating at the same time, with it often seeming like coin collectors are speaking their own unique language. With that in mind, we have put together a glossary of terms to help you along the way and to allow you the best possible chance of starting and progressing your coin collection.
Commemorative Coins
Commemorative coins are one of the most sought after and collected, due to their significance in history and the personal memories they can hold. Whether it is to commemorate a first, or to celebrate the anniversary of an event in history; either way adding a commemorative coin to your collection is one that you couldn’t go wrong with.
We’re going to take a look at some of the commemorative ranges and sovereigns we have available, looking back at the history behind the event and the significance it holds.