NUMISMATICS AND THE INTERNET

Over the last three to four years there has been an explosion in numismatic activity brought about by the introduction and use of the internet as a means to buy and sell coins.  Not only has eBay brought people closer together but also it has shown clearly what prices buyers are prepared to pay for choice coins.  With the technology of high quality digital cameras and the medium of electronic mail, people are able to share thoughts and images (now even whilst on the telephone when using BROADBAND connections) and discuss their coins in great detail with immediacy. 

An area of numismatics which has seen probably the greatest growth has to be the UK bronze and copper market.  Specialist publications such as the excellent and now out-of-print 'The Bronze Coinage of Great Britain' first written in 1970 by Michael Freeman, 'English, Copper, Tin and Bronze Coins in the British Museum 1558-1958' by C. Wilson PECK (1964 and 1970) and the 'British Bronze Penny' by Michael Gouby have suddenly had their pages re-ignited because of this boom in interest.

Many sellers have enjoyed promoting their wares and specialist pieces have realised very high prices indeed.  Choice UNC coins still dominate the market and also command top money.  The rare penny dates continue to prove hard to locate, in particular the 1843, 1849, 1864, 1869, 1870, 1871 and 1875H (the letter H refers to the Heaton Mint of Birmingham and can be located underneath the date in the exergue which is the area of the coin where the date resides).  The main photo to this review shows the 1869 penny in UNCIRCULATED condition with approximately 40% lustre (original red patina and often referred to as RED by the US market).  Coins such as these now fetch several hundred pounds easily with the frenetic bidding opportunity that eBay offers.

The silver market too has proved very active with the choice EF or better examples selling well.  The 1905 series continues to perform well with the halfcrown commanding its premium as it has always done.  The 1847 'Gothic' crown has seen its beauty displayed using digital cameras as people have never seen it before and thus is able to retain its 'status' as arguably the most beautiful modern silver coin ever produced.  The publications such as 'English Silver Coinage' by P. Alan Rayner (known by collectors and dealers alike as ESC), despite not having been printed since 1992 continue to assist the buyer or seller with rarities.  Another publication first written in 1982 has also surfaced assisting numismatists with minor variations called 'English Silver Coins Since 1816' by Peter J. Davies.  His catalogue numbers are now quoted for silver coins by many people.  

With January 2006 showing the highest gold prices since 1980, the numismatic market in gold has also shown renewed interests with modern sovereigns changing hands for £90, something not seen since those 'heady' days of 1980!  Many of the rarer guineas and their derivatives are already showing a good premium on prices of two years ago.  The investment potential of gold coupled with the quick and easy selling methods available via the internet are helping to continue to drive the numismatic gold market higher. 

More recently the 'live auctions' on eBay have been promoting choice coins globally.  These auctions enable buyers to purchase top quality pieces from the luxury of their home, after registering with the organisation concerned.  They are just one method of being able to secure that 'must have' date in, often, choice UNC or FDC (fleur-de-coin) condition.

We hope that the 2006 continues to be an active and prosperous market for all concerned!

We would be very keen to hear from other coin collectors on this fascinating and rewarding hobby and welcome any comments on the article above.