In our latest blog series, we take you through the world of numismatics one letter at a time, bringing you the coin terms, history and facts which make coin collecting a fascinating pastime. This time, we look at the letters K to O.
K is for Kent
In 2019, on a farm in Dover in Kent, next to a Roman road, a metal detectorist discovered a rare gold Roman Coin depicting the Emperor Allectus.
The coin sold for over half a million pounds, making it the most expensive British-minted Roman coin ever sold at auction.
L is for Laureate
Laureate refers to a form of coin design whereby the monarch or ruler on the obverse of a coin is depicted wearing a laurel wreath, in the style of a Roman Emperor.
A modern depiction can be found on the first sovereign of Queen Elizabeth II’s reign in 1957, which you can view HERE.
M is for Mule
The dictionary definition of the word “mule” is the offspring of a male donkey and a female horse. In coin terms it relates to the incorrect combination of obverse and reverse designs. This can either be intentional, or by accident.
An example of this would be the British twenty pence that was released in 2009. The coin had been redesigned in 2008; a tooling error occurred, and a batch of coins were created with the obverse of the old design, and the reverse of the new design. This resulted in the first dateless coin released into circulation in Britain, in over three hundred years.
N is for Numismatic
Numismatics refers to the collecting of coins, medals and paper money. The word “numismatic” came to the English language, via the French word numismatique, from the Latin and Greek word nomisma meaning “coin”.
Nomisma then, in turn, derives from the Greek word nomizein, which means “to use”, and from the Greek noun nomos which refers to “a usage, custom or law”.
The combination of these gives us the word “numismatist”, referring to a person who studies and/or collects coins, medals, or paper money.
O is for Oxidation
Oxidation is the tarnish of a coin that occurs when it is exposed to the air and other elements. This tarnish can take the form of a grey, green or white layer on the coin.
In order to keep it in the best possible condition, every sovereign and coin you buy from Hattons of London, comes in a protective plastic capsule. Our advice is always to keep the coin within the capsule and not to handle it, to prevent it from being knocked or scuffed, and also to prevent against oxidation.
Next time we will take a look at the letters P to T.