Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 19 i Coin Collector

Not far from the World Heritage Site Archaeological Border Complex of Hedeby and the Danevirke, an important Viking trading centre, a metal detectorist in training has discovered a hoard that is believed to be around 800 years old. Nicki Andreas Steinmann was learning how to use a metal detector with his instructor when the pair stumbled upon gold artefacts and coins near the site in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein. After the initial discovery, the Archaeological State Office was informed, and a controlled excavation was undertaken. With the consent of the farmer, a 4m² area was excavated around the site. Although the material had been slightly relocated due to agricultural activity, several coins were stacked on top of one other, as originally deposited, and textile remains preserved on several coins…

New Zealand Post have launched a range of coins to celebrate the coronation, each featuring a new effigy of King Charles III created by Wellington-based designer and illustrator Stephen Fuller. Issued by NZ Post under license from the Reserve Bank of New Zealand, and produced in Germany by BH Mayer’s Kunstprägeanstalt GmbH, the New Zealand coins feature a selection of portraits of the King, with each coin featuring the same effigy. This portrait, personally approved by the King, has been created specifically for commemorative coins and it is unlikely that the same design will be used on the country’s circulation coinage. The range of coins on offer includes a 0.5g Gold Proof Coin featuring the King’s royal cypher on the reverse (below); a 1/4oz Gold Proof Coin showing the St…

After an involuntary two-year Covid-19 break, NUMISMATA took place again from 4 to 5 February and proved a celebration for collectors from all over Europe. Attracting approximately 3,500 visitors, everyone who entered the hall at the 53rd NUMISMATA was mesmerised by the atmosphere, with dealers’ tables at the Munich show crowded well into the afternoon. Ernst Neumann, long-term coin dealer and NUMISMATA exhibitor, said: ‘It was just like in the good old days when people flocked to coin shows in the 1970s.’ NUMISMATA is known for being a coin fair geared to the needs of classical collectors. Although a few modern mints have a booth, the focus is on European auction houses and coin dealers. Tables and booths were completely sold out long before the event, with those taking a…

Baldwin’s 109th auction on 9 March featured ancient Greek, Roman and Byzantine coins, along with British, Scottish and world coins, as well as commemorative medals and tokens. One of the auction’s highlights was a proof of an 1847 Queen Victoria (1837–1901) Gothic Crown struck in pure silver, which takes its name from its medieval style (lot 282). A crowned bust of the Queen facing left with braided hair appeared on the obverse, with initials of the engraver, William Wyon RA (WW), appearing incuse at the base of the bust within the trefoil and arc border. The legend, in a lower-case Gothic script, reads ‘victoria dei gratia britanniar reg fd’. Crowned shields in a cruciform arrangement were depicted on the reverse, with emblems of three lions passant for England, lion rampant…

He was tall, with a round head, a friendly face and a bit of a belly – this is how the scholar Einhard described the Frankish King Charles I, who later was to be referred to as Charlemagne. Einhard is more or less the only contemporary witness who left us with a historical work providing detailed insight about the most important Carolingian ruler. But regarding Charlemagne’s appearance, a much better historical source has come down to us: extremely rare denarii – one can expect there to be about 35 pieces – featuring the authentic image of Charlemagne, at least as authentic as a medieval portrait can be. The Carolingian Coinage System Charlemagne was not the one who set up the Carolingian coinage system – it was his father Pepin the…

The year is 2012. Excavation work is under way in what used to be an ordinary Leicester car park known as Greyfriars. Archaeologists have just made an important discovery: a skeleton suspected to be that of one of England’s medieval kings, Richard III. This remarkable discovery was confirmed the following year, the body was given a reburial in Leicester Cathedral, and another chapter in England’s history had been written. Richard was the last of the Yorkist kings of England, probably best known for the alleged murder of his nephews, the ‘Princes in the Tower’, sons of his late brother Edward IV. He had usurped the throne in 1483 at the expense of the elder of the princes, the young Edward V. This was the time of the Wars of the…

The life and legacy of Queen Elizabeth II, who served as Canada’s monarch and head of state for 70 years is being remembered on a collection of precious metal coins from Royal Canadian Mint which will be released over the course of 2023. The obverse of each coin in the collection is double-dated 1952-2022, with those dates separated by a Tudor rose. This inscription accompanies an overlay of the four effigies of Queen Elizabeth II that have appeared on Canadian coins since 1953. Except for the Special Wrap Roll circulation coins, the obverse design is exclusive to the Queen Elizabeth II’s Reign collection. Marie Lemay, President and CEO of the Royal Canadian Mint, said: ‘The passing of Queen Elizabeth II is a pivotal event that the Mint is acknowledging with…

Pobjoy Mint is celebrating the accession of His Majesty King Charles lll with a new 50p coin featuring the Royal Cypher. The coin is legal tender of the British Antarctic territory, and is a limited issue of 1,950. The design on features His Majesty’s cypher surrounded by a rose, representing England; a daffodil, representing Wales; a thistle, representing Scotland, and shamrocks, representing Northern Ireland. The coin has been produced in Cupro Nickel Diamond Finish and Sterling Silver, Approved by Buckingham Palace, it is the first coin produced exclusively by Pobjoy Mint to carry the effigy of King Charles lll.…

A hoard of 1,056 Roman silver coins has been purchased by Heritage Doncaster, on behalf of the people of the City of Doncaster. Said to be one of the largest coin hoards found in the region, spanning approximately 192 years of Roman rule in Britain, the Norton Hoard was discovered by a metal detectorist in the parish of Norton, Doncaster, and reported as treasure to Portable Antiquities Scheme, in 2018. Now the coins have been purchased thanks to support from the Arts Council England/V&A Purchase Grant Fund, The Headley Museums Archaeological Acquisitions Fund and the Friends of Doncaster Museums, with match funding from a private bequest to Heritage Doncaster. The Norton Hoard contains coins from eighteen Roman Emperors, and in some instances their wives and mothers. Present amongst the hoard…

Before the euro was introduced in 2001, Spanish people used currency in pesetas (abbreviated Pta, Pts or Ptas). In earlier times 1 pta was equivalent to 100 Centimos, before inflation abandoned coins in centimos. In the 1990s the Spanish state mint and printers, Fábrica Nacional de Moneda y Timbre (FNMT) produced a number of special issues in the nominal value of 25 pts. They were in aluminium bronze, small sized (19.5 mm) with a weight of 4.25 grams. What made them special too, was the hole in the centre of the 25 peseta coins, which was kept until the change to the euro in 2002. Error: a missing ‘y’ In 1995, a commemorative coin honoured the Castile and Leon region. The obverse shows in the lower part four stone bulls…

Any historian will tell you that it’s almost impossible to say, with absolute certainty, that ‘this was the first’ of anything. When it comes to coinage, though, we’re entering very muddy waters indeed. Every civilisation has had its own systems of barter and exchange. Even Neanderthals traded jewellery with their homosapien neighbours. The Indus Valley Civilisation may have used fixed-weight metal pieces, for trade, as early as 1000 BCE. Chinese metal coins evolved from around 900 BCE. In Europe, objects that look like coins have been discovered at the Temple of Ephesus from the 8th century BCE. Aristotle credits Hermodike II – a Princess of Kyme – as the one who ‘cut/struck the earliest coinage’. Kyme was an Aeolian city in Asia Minor and Hermodike was related to Agamemnon, of…

Carausius and Allectus may be well-known to certain coin collectors, museum curators and coin dealers but they remain largely unknown to most people. At the end of third century AD, these two men successively ruled Britain, and parts of the Continental coast, as rebel emperors for a period of ten years. They minted their own coins, initiated Britain’s first truly integrated defence system and successfully repelled an invasion from the mighty Roman empire. These are extraordinary achievements by any standards. While elements of the incredible story of these two rebel emperors remain speculative, enough evidence remains to piece together this exciting episode in the history of Britain, shedding light on how the Romans regarded Britannia from the outset and why the secessionist empire posed such a huge threat to the…

The Royal Australian Mint have issued a commemorative $1 coin to celebrate 100 years of Australia’s Legacy organisation, which supports tens of thousands of widows who have lost their loved ones during war or peacekeeping missions. Eric Easterbrook, Chairman of Legacy Australia said Legacy was honoured to have partnered with the Royal Australian Mint to mark this special occasion. ‘Legacy has a long and rich history in Australia,’ he said. ‘For 100 years, we have been standing proudly as the only veteran service organisation in Australia dedicated solely to the care and support of our veterans’ families. We’d like to thank the Mint for helping us commemorate this important milestone as we continue to keep the promise to our veterans.’ According to the Royal Australian Mint CEO, Leigh Gordon, the…

The final 50p coin in The Royal Mint’s Harry Potter collection, celebrating 25 years since the publication of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, has been released showing an illustration of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. According to The Royal Mint, the coin collection has proved popular around the world, with collectors and Harry Potter enthusiasts from 86 different countries purchasing at least one coin from the range. Now the final coin in the series has been revealed, adding the character’s school to previous designs showing the Hogwarts Express, Professor Albus Dumbledore, and Harry himself. Rebecca Morgan, Director of Collector Services at The Royal Mint said: ‘We have thoroughly enjoyed celebrating 25 years since the novel Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone was first released with a unique coin…

The Royal Mint recently unveiled a range of commemorative coins to celebrate the Coronation including a 50p and £5 coin. The commemorative coronation coin range features a crowned effigy of His Majesty The King designed by artist and sculptor Martin Jennings – the first crowned effigy of His Majesty to feature on a coin. The effigy of King Charles III for non-commemorative coins was unveiled following His Majesty’s Accession late last year and in line with tradition, The King is shown not wearing regalia. The new, crowned coin effigy has been created specifically for the Coronation, ahead of the historic event and will feature on the commemorative range produced by The Royal Mint to mark the Coronation of Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla. The crowned effigy is…

We have Harry Potter 2022 UK 50p Brilliant Uncirculated Four-Coin Collection to give away in this issue’s competition! This UK 50p coin collection celebrates 25 years of Harry Potter. Comprising four designs, the collection features Harry Potter, the Hogwarts Express, Professor Dumbledore, and Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The coins in the set celebrate 25 years since the novel Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J.K. Rowling was first published in the UK by Bloomsbury Publishing. The collection is also notable since it sees a change of portrait during the series. The first two coins feature the portrait of Her Late Majesty, whilst the final two coins feature the official portrait of King Charles III. HOW TO ENTER For your chance to win, just visit allaboutcoins.co.uk/competitions and answer…

A rare gold coin, known as the ‘Eid Mar’ (Ides of March), which celebrates the assassination of Julius Caesar, was returned to Greece in March. The coin was among 29 items, with a total value of $20 million, returned by investigators in New York, who had determined it had been looted and fraudulently put up for sale in 2020. Valued at $4.2 million, the coin features a portrait of Marcus Junius Brutus, who, along with other Roman senators, murdered Julius Caesar on the Ides of March in 44BC. According to experts, Brutus had the coins minted in gold and silver to celebrate Caesar’s downfall. Minted in 42BC, only three are known in gold, with about 100 of the silver version known to exist, including one held by the Ashmolean Museum…

A silver penny dating back to the reign of King Offa, the famous eighth-century ruler of Mercia, has been donated by its owner to Hereford Museum. The 1,200-year-old rare coin was handed to Hereford Museum on Tuesday, 28 February by Dr Jerry Davis, who bought the coin at auction in 2022. Jerry then offered the coin to the museum at minimal cost. Helped by public donations received through the Herefordshire Museum Service Support Group, the museum was able to purchase the coin. In time, the coin will go on display in Hereford’s state-of-the-art museum and art gallery on Broad Street when it opens in 2025. The ‘King Offa’ penny was found in a field in Marden, Herefordshire, by a metal detectorist in February 2022, who ensured it was recorded with…

A new exhibition, organised by Jersey Heritage and called Searching for Jersey’s Celts – Unearthing Le Catillon II the World’s Largest Celtic Coin Hoard, is now on display in Jersey. Housed in the newly refurbished archaeology gallery at La Hougue Bie on the island, the exhibition explores what might have led people to bury a hoard of 70,000 coins and jewellery in Jersey 2,000 years ago. Many items in the exhibition have never been publicly displayed before. Coins, gold neck torcs and metal ingots from the Le Catillon II hoard are on included, as well as a rare leather purse, which is the only known Iron Age example of its kind. Additionally, the exhibition also features coins from the Catillon I hoard, which was discovered in 1957. A number of…

The monetary system of the Edo period – specifically Tokugawa Shogunate which yielded some of the largest and most stunning gold coins in the world in that period. After the victory of Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543-1616) in 1600, in the battle of Sekigahara, the country was united under one ruler who formed the Shogunate system. Tokygawa Ieyasu thus became the first Shogun. He was one of the three Great Unifiers of Japan, along with his former lord Oda Nobunaga and fellow Oda subordinate Toyotomi Hideyoshi. For over 250 years, from 1600 to 1868, warlords known as Tokugawa Shoguns ruled over Japan which was divided into fiefdoms, each controlled by a local daimyo, or Samurai lord. Above mentioned Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1537-1598) took upon himself the unification of the country’s coinage and exchange…

During the Classical Period (c. 500 BCE to 326 BCE) there were approximately 2,000 of Greek states, most of which issued their own unique coinage. Sparta alone resisted the fashion, preferring to use iron, doused in vinegar, and cast into ingots. These were called pelanor, and were virtually valueless as the vinegar made the lead too brittle to be useful when melted down. This, apparently, discouraged the accumulation of wealth, which the rigid Spartans associated with soft living! Coin designs varied across the region, with every state favouring its own gods, goddesses, rulers, animals, and legendary figures. The result are coins in which the everyday stands alongside the magical and the mysterious, from bulls and bees, to the Pegasus and mythic mazes (Cnossus). Thanks to the mines of Laurion, which…

Almost any object can be used as currency and, long before the arrival of metal money, every culture had its own system. Many were based on the barter and trade of everyday items, bales of cotton, linen, sacks of grain or animals, which had a locally agreed exchange rate. Coins evolved slowly but, once established, these little tokens became the backbone of national and international trade. Coins are described as ‘flat discs or pieces of metal with an official stamp, used as money.’ However the question ‘who were the first people to make and use coins?’ is difficult to answer. Chinese historians state that they had coinage as early as the Third Millennium BC. Stone ‘mudras’ coins have been found in the Indian city of Dwaraka, which was said to…

The Iraq Levies can trace their history back to 1915 when a local Arab scout force was formed. After the Cairo Conference of 1921 to discuss the increasingly complex issues in the Middle East, the Arab elements of the Levies transferred to the newly-created Iraq Army and it was decided to enlist Assyrians. Recognised for their discipline, loyalty and courage, they made up over half the total force. When the Colonial Office transferred control of the Levies to the RAF in 1928, it had become manned entirely by Assyrians. The force, sometimes referred to as the Assyrian Levies, expanded rapidly and was tasked with guarding the numerous RAF bases in Iraq. They gave excellent service during the various actions in Kurdistan during the 1920s, and this was recognised with the…

Liechtenstein mint CIT have created a series of coins celebrating Mont-Saint-Michel, the well known landmark off the coast of Normandy. The gold, silver, and copper coins have been issued on behalf of the Cook Islands, and show a stylised image of the French landmark on the reverse, with an engraving of the landmark from a different angle on the obverse, together with a profile portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, and a small map of France. Surrounded by wide sandbanks or, at high tide, by sea water, the unique silhouette of Mont-Saint-Michel crowns the secluded mount off the coast of Normandy. Recognised as a famous landmark, place of pilgrimage and UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979, it is a captivating photo subject and popular visitor attraction in France. Since the first…

The indigenous Hawaiian composer, custodian of native culture and traditions, Edith Kanaka’ole, is the latest subject to be honoured on a US coin as part of the American Women Quarters Program. The Edith Kanaka’ole quarter is the seventh coin in the four-year series that celebrates the accomplishments and contributions made by women who have shaped our the USA’s history and helped pave the way for generations who followed. The reverse (tails) of the coin, designed by Emily Damstra, features a portrait of Edith Kanaka’ole with her hair and lei po’o (head lei) morphing into the elements of a Hawaiian landscape, symbolizing Edith Kanaka’ole’s life’s work of preserving the natural land and traditional Hawaiian culture. The inscription ‘E hō mai ka ‘ike’ translates as ‘granting the wisdom,’ and is a reference…