Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information provided, and extensive research has been carried out to this end. However, I will not and cannot accept liability for the consequences of any decisions made by readers of this site.

1. The History Pages which detail the history of the individual denominations used since before the Norman Conquest up until decimalisation in 1971. The Main Index for these is on this page. There are links to the relevant Values and Pictures pages on each of the History Pages. With hammered gold coins (such as the Angel) the changes of value over time do create a problem; they are referred to under each value that they had, with links taking you from one value to the next.
2. The Decimal Coins pages which detail the history of the change to decimal coinage in 1971, and the coins issued since that time. These are now integrated into the main History Pages section.
3. The Values Pages, which detail the values of individual coins in a range of condition grades since the introduction of Milled coins during the Commonwealth. There is a Values Index Page, at present on http://www.coins-of-the-uk.co.uk/values which will help you find the value of your coins. There are links to the relevant History and Pictures pages on each of the Values pages.
4. The Pictures Pages. This is now hosted on my alternative site at http://www.ukcoinpics.co.uk. To speed up the loading of History and Values pages, pictures are confined to the pages on this alternative site. However, links to many images can be found on the History pages. There is a Pictures Index which will help you to see the many designs of UK coins. There are links to the relevant History and Values pages on each of the Pictures pages.

first try to judge their condition using the Grading Information below, and then look up your coins on the Values of UK Coins pages. This may answer your question without adding to the several messages per day that the author receives on the subject.

Two of the rarest varieties are the 1810 ‘Large Date - Small 5′ and 1810 ‘Small Date - Small 5′ Half Eagles. These are dramatically rarer than the corresponding 1810 ‘Large Date - Large 5′ and 1810 ‘Small date - Tall 5′ varieties. Does this sound confusing? It should. Many coin collectors, including some who are very advanced, are puzzled by the rarity and significance of these varieties, and fairly wonder whether these are worth bothering with at all. The topic here is the rarity and importance of the 1810 ‘Small Date - Small 5′ $5 gold coin.

Half Eagles are $5 gold coins. An 1810 ‘Small Date - Small 5′ Half Eagle has ‘made the news’ in a big way. On Aug. 5, Stack’s auctioned one for $126,500, undoubtedly an auction record for this variety. The previous record for an 1810 ‘Small Date - Small 5′ was set when Stack’s auctioned another for $65,550 in October 2005.

It is clear that the rage for early U.S. gold coins continues. This has been one of the hottest areas of coin markets for several years. Even so, an 1810 ‘Small Date - Small 5′ has never before sold for nearly as much, and it is not a coin that many collectors seek. It is important to discuss ‘what it is’ and why it sold for so much. Such an inquiry contributes to an understanding of the values of rare varieties and of early gold coins in general.

This 1810 Half Eagle has been graded AU-55 by the Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS). Coins are graded on a scale from 01 to 70. There are four AU grades: 50, 53, 55, and 58. There are eleven MS grades, all increments from 60 to 70 inclusive. The PCGS and the Numismatic Guaranty Corp. (NGC) have never assigned a grade above 62 to an 1810 ‘Small Date - Small 5′ Half Eagle. So, a choice uncirculated example may not exist.

The 1810 ‘Small Date - Small 5′ is of the Bust Left Half Eagle type (1807-12). It is a short series. The following dates are certainly included: 1807, 1808/7, 1809/8, 1810 ‘Large Date,’ 1810 ‘Small Date,’ 1811 and 1812. Curiously, additional varieties relating to the denomination on the reverse (back of the coin) are included in most guides as if these are separate dates. As mentioned above, the 1810 ‘Large Date’ is divided into two dates, Large 5 and Small 5. Likewise, the 1810 ‘Small Date’ is so divided into ‘Small 5′ and ‘Tall 5′, as is the 1811. There is no doubt that these are additional die varieties. One die is used to strike the obverse (front of the coin) and a separate die is used to strike the reverse. An 1811 Half Eagle with a ‘Tall 5′ on the reverse was struck from a reverse die that is different from that used to strike an 1811 Half Eagle with a ‘Small 5′ on the reverse. How important is the distinction between different 5s?

The denomination of a Half Eagle is ‘Five Dollar Gold’ and the “5 D.” on the reverse indicates the denomination. Likewise, Draped Bust Half Cents (1800-08) have the denomination “1/200” on the reverse. All Type 2 Liberty Nickels have a Roman Numeral V along with the word “CENTS” on the reverse. Many design types of U.S. coins do not feature a denomination identifier. People who spend coins generally know their face value.

Is a minor difference in the denomination identifier really indicative of a separate date? It is true that the term ‘date’ refers to more than just the year on the coin.

Two coins of the same type and year may have different dates. An 1817 half dollar and an 1817/4 half dollar are of the same year, but are different dates. The term ‘date’ refers to a combination of the year, the characteristics of the digits, and the design type. It also relates to issues regarding Mint locations and mintmarks, but these will be ignored here as all Bust Left Half Eagles were struck in Philadelphia and none have mintmarks.

Small dates, large dates, and overdates, frequently indicate more than one date of the same type with the same year. Likewise, two different types with the same year will amount to at least two different dates. An 1807 Bust Right Half Eagle and an 1807 Bust Left Half Eagle are both different types and different dates.

Even a difference in the digits of a date, such as a fancy ‘2,’ may constitute an additional date relating to the same year. When an overdate (usually featuring one numeral punched over another) is easily seen, it is a distinct date. While the ‘year’ is part of the date, there is much more to the concept of the ‘date’ of a coin.

A proof coin is made with

By treating the die in a special way, the coins it produces have a different appearance.  Modern technology allows the high points on the coin design to be acid treated (on the die).  The background (field) design of the coin die is polished, resulting in a mirror-like look on the coin it strikes. This gives the finished coin a frosted look (frosting) on the raise parts of the design, with a mirror like finish on the background. This contrasting finish is often called “cameo”.  (See picture above.) On some older coins a cameo appearance is quite rare. The attribute “CAM”, when added to a coin’s description, means cameo appearance. “DCAM” means deep cameo, and indicates the cameo appearance is strong and easy to observe.

Proof coins are struck twice, or more!

Not only are proofs made using specially treated dies, each coin is struck two or more times by the coin die. By striking it more than once the metal is forced into all the crevices of the die, thereby giving a very fine detail to the image on the coin.  This fine detail does not appear on some non-proof coins.
Grading proofs

Today’s grading of proofs is similar to the grades used for uncirculated coins.  The attribute “PR” or “PF” stands for “proof”, and is used instead of the MS (mint state) to indicate a proof coin. Proofs (that are also un-circulated) will be graded PR 60 to PR70, with PR70 being rare or nonexistent in some cases.  Because a proof coin can be mishandled or receive wear by cleaning or handling, proof grades can extend below PR 60.  Example, a PR50 grade proof coin, is one that has had a touch of wear on the high points of the coin. Like uncirculated coins, proofs can experience toning, tarnish or darkening.

Rarity and the Cost of Proofs

Because of the extra effort, time, labor and production costs in making a proof coin, the respective government mints often sell them at higher prices.  In many instances the production of proof coins is limited.  The end result is that usually, but not always, a proof coin of the same date will be more expensive than a non-proof uncirculated.

For most United States gold and silver coins, the proofs have the same amount of precious metal in them as non-proof uncirculated coins.

The first Olympic Games took place in 776 B.C. They were organized every four years commencing on the first full moon after the summer solstice - that is in July or August. The four-year interval between two consecutive Olympic Games was referred to as an Olympiad and was used as a means of date determination and reference throughout Greece. It is more than noteworthy that all war activities ceased during the Games under the imposed “sacred truce”. Towards this end, the area of Elis was declared sacrosanct. Thus, the athletes, their relations and in general anyone whose desire was to enjoy the spectacle the Games offered, could travel to Olympia in safety. The sacred truce was to be strictly kept by all cities and its violation meant disqualification from the Games. The athletes and spectators arrived from every corner of the ancient Greek world including the most distant and remote colonies.

Athletic Events and Coins

The very first Olympic Games of 776 B.C. featured one sole event, that of the one stadium race (a stadium equals to 192,28 m.) but later more events were introduced. Such was the importance of the Games that the ancient Greeks depicted certain events on their coins.

Hoplitodromos

The earliest of events was the stadium race but gradually more races were introduced such as the hoplite race (hoplitodromos), which was a 2-4 stadium race and the athlete competed in full copper armour - helmet, shin protection and shield. 25 such shields of the same weight were kept in the temple of Zeus in Olympia and were given to athletes to ensure competition on equal terms.

Wrestling

Wrestling is one of the most ancient events, also mentioned in Homer, in the “Funeral Games for Patroclos” (Athla epi Patroklo). As an individual event and part of the Pentathlon it made its first appearance in the Olympic Games of 708 B.C. The event took place in the stadium, inside a specially coated square sandpit. There were two distinct versions of the event: the Upright Wrestling (Orthia Pale) which required that the athletes stand up and the winner would be the one who managed to bring his opponent to the ground three times. There was also Ground Wrestling (Kato Pale), which went on until one of the two wrestlers admitted defeat.

A gold coin is a coin made mostly or entirely of gold. Gold has been used for coins practically since the invention of coinage, originally because of gold’s intrinsic value. In modern times, most gold coins are intended either to be sold to collectors, or to be used as bullion coins — coins whose nominal value is irrelevant and which serve primarily as a method of investing in gold.

History

The first gold coins in history were coined by Egyptian Pharaohs around 2,700 BC. These gold coins, of variable purity, were used primarily as gifts and not for commerce. Several centuries later, King Croesus, ruler of Lydia (560–546 BC), began issuing gold coins, with a standardised purity, for general circulation. King Croesus’ gold coins follow the first silver coins that were minted by King Pheidon of Argos around 700 BC. The Ying Yuan was another gold coin minted during this time by the Chinese in the 6th or 5th century BC. Larger units of monetary value and exchange such as the talent were the ancient equivalents of the modern 400-troy-ounce “good delivery” gold bullion bar.

Gold coins then had a very long period as a primary form of money, only falling into disuse in the early 20th century. Most of the world stopped making gold coins as currency by 1933, as countries switched from the gold standard due to hoarding during the worldwide economic crisis of the Great Depression. In the United States, 1933’s Executive Order 6102 forbade the hoarding of gold and was followed by a devaluation of the dollar relative to gold, although the United States did not completely uncouple the dollar from the value of gold until 1971.

Gold-colored coins have made a comeback in many currencies. However, “gold coin” (in numismatic terminology) always refers to a coin that is (more or less) made of (real) gold, and does not include coins made of manganese brass or other alloys. Furthermore, many countries continue to make legal tender gold coins, but these are primarily meant for collectors and investment purposes and are not meant for circulation.

Collector Coins

Many factors determine the value of a gold coin, such as its rarity, age, condition and the number originally minted. Gold coins coveted by collectors include the Aureus, Solidus and Spur Ryal.

In July 2002, a very rare $20 1933 Double Eagle gold coin sold for a record $7,590,020 at Sotheby’s, making it by far the most valuable coin ever sold to date. In early 1933, more than 445,000 Double Eagle coins had been struck by the U.S. Mint, but most of these were surrendered and melted down following Executive Order 6102. Only a few coins managed to survive.

In 2007 the Canadian Mint produced a 100 kg gold coin with a face value of $1,000,000, though the gold content was worth over $2 million at the time. It measures 50 cm in diameter and is 3 cm thick. It was intended as a one-off to promote a new line of Canadian Gold Maple Leaf coins, but after several interested buyers came forward the mint announced it would manufacture them as ordered and sell them for between $2.5 million and $3 million. As of May 3 2007 there were five confirmed orders.[1] Austria had previously produced a 37 cm diameter 31 kg Philharmonic gold coin with a face value of €100,000.

In October 4, 2007, David Albanese (president of Albanese Rare Coins) stated that a $10, 1804-dated eagle coin (made for President Andrew Jackson as a diplomatic gift) was sold to an anonymous private collector for $5 million.

Silver coins are possibly the oldest mass form of coinage. Silver has been used as a coinage metal since the times of the Greeks. Their silver drachmas were popular trade coins.

Many factors determine the value of a silver coin, such as its rarity, demand, condition and the number originally minted. Silver coins coveted by collectors include the Denarius and Miliarense.

Other than collector’s silver coins, silver bullion coins are popular among people who desire a “hedge” against currency inflation or store of value. Silver has an international currency symbol of XAG under ISO 4217.

Before 1797, British pennies used to be made out of silver while the ancient Persians used silver coins between 612-330 BC.
Silver bullion and pre-1965 U.S. 90% silver coins are popular ways to invest in silver.  Silver—along with gold—has a 6,000-year history of surviving wars, economic chaos, and financial disasters.  Silver can be expected to do the same in the future.  In something like 14 languages, the words for silver and money are the same.

Since 1973, CMI has sold both silver bullion and pre-1965 U.S. 90% silver coins. CMI also buys silver bullion and bags of circulated 90% coins from investors.

Silver bars, also called ingots, have emerged as the most popular way to invest in silver.  Silver bars are uniform in size, making them easy to handle and convenient to store.  Additionally, they are compact, which enables investors to secure a great deal of wealth in a relative small storage area.  Bars with recognized hallmarks are readily accepted for resale, making them easy to convert to cash.

The silver bars offered by CMI are 999 fine (99.9% pure), which is the industry standard.  100-oz and 10-oz sizes are the most common.  Yet, 50-oz, 25-oz, and 5-oz bars, which were produced in the early 1970s, will surface occasionally.  1-oz silver rounds are popular, and 1-oz bars (often referred to as 1-oz ingot or 1-oz rectangles) are available.  1,000-oz bars can be had but are not recommend, except for IRA investments.  (See more on 1,000-oz bars below.)

100-oz investment silver bars dominate the bullion market.  Investors who buy 100-oz silver bars generally ignore the survival aspect of owning silver, which comes with owning pre-1965 US 90% silver coins and 1-oz silver rounds.   10-oz silver bars offer investors a compromise between 100-oz investment bars and survival forms, e.g., circulated 90% coins or 1-oz rounds.  There are numerous brands of 100-oz silver bars, many of which are pictured on this Website. Use the dropdown menu at the top or the table at the bottom for links to photos and information on silver bullion items sold by CMI.

Most old coins dealers do not provide free valuations, it’s usually an offer to buy. That is what they are willing to pay you for an old coins.

In modern numismatics are the study of the coins of the mid 17th to the 21st century, the period of machine struck coins.  Varieties, mint-made errors, the results of progressive die wear, mintage figures and even the socio-political context of coin mintings are also matters of interest.
The term numismatist applies to collectors and coin dealers as well scholars using coins as source or studying coins..

You want as much as you can get, dealers want to buy for as little as possible. It’s how they make a living! So, Caveat emptor with your old coins!

Start with your local library. They have many books on old coins and paid staff to help you — staff that you pay for with your tax dollars. They can’t provide a valuation, but if they just help you find an old coins catalog you’re likely to find some prices.

Don’t expect to get quality information on the valuation of old and antique coins over the telephone or via e-mail. What takes two seconds to do in person, can take 20 minutes by telephone and dealers don’t have that much free time.

Some Bad News — Most are not valuable!  They were generally produced in millions and nobody ever throws them away!

Condition, or state of preservation, is most important.  “Mint Condition” is tops, but don’t think for a second coins that look really good are in mint condition. Mint Condition means not in any way distinguishable from new!
Most old coins aren’t worth all that much.

I admit, it’s exciting to find an old coin from 50 or 100 years ago, and it seems like something that old should have increased in value a whole lot. The truth is it has, but the amount it was worth was so little before, increasing by several hundred percent doesn’t make it worth all that much in the end.

I love their experience when a judge asked them to appraise a coin collection and they guessed (correctly by the way) that the appraisal would end up being more than the price of the collection.

Let me hasten to add that while the news that old coins aren’t worth much may be saddening to those of you who have found old coins and were hoping to retire on the proceeds, it’s great news for those of us who collect old coins. It means we can add items from years gone by for much less than you’d think. That is very good news indeed.

Coin collecting  is the collecting or trading of coins or other forms of legally minted currency. Frequently collected coins include those that were in circulation for only a brief time, minted with errors or especially beautiful or historically interesting pieces. Coin collecting can be differentiated from numismatics in that the latter is the study of currency, though both are obviously closely related.

Coin collecting is one of the oldest of all hobbies. Hoards of ancient coins found in excavations indicate that coins were one of the first collectibles. From earliest times, people valued coins not only as a means of trading and storing wealth, but also as miniature works of art.

Coin Collecting software should be for the study of coins, not the study of software manuals. It should be a tool that enhances your enjoyment of your collection rather than forcing you through the drudgery of endless data entry. It should help your collection “Come alive” as it immerses you into a world of imagery and information. It should instill a feeling that this coin in your hand is a piece of history, not just a chunk of metal to be catalogued. Exact Change is based on a vision that is far beyond anything that coin collecting software has ever attempted before. Whether you collect a single type of U.S. coinage, or you collect coins from around the world, Exact Change provides you with the tools you need to accurately track and enjoy your collection. There are no add-ons or accessories to purchase; Exact Change includes everything you need no mater what type of coins you collect. We don’t track bean-bag dolls or beer cans; we are a group of professional programmers with a life-long commitment to numismatics.

Coin collector is an organizer program designed for the coin enthusiast. The program tracks multiple fields for each coin including Coin name, Category, Date, Grade, Denomination, Material, Size of coin, Edge, Designer, Location, Mint, coin ID#, Estimated Value, Weight, Buy Price, and Buy Date. Each field name can be customized to fit your coin collection and organizational needs. The user interface has been designed to be easy to use and to allow you to view all the information on each coin on one screen. You can also browse through your coin list, search for coins, and create print outs of your coin collection.

Collecting coins is a lot of fun, and it can be profitable, too. Learn how to get started with your own coin collection, whether it is for yourself or for a youngster. Get ideas on what to collect, how to organize a coin collection, the best way to store and display your coins, how to find honest and ethical coin dealers, and some thoughts about coin investing and selling your coin collection. You can also learn how to grade coins, whether you should clean your coins, and get information about the best places to buy, sell, and trade your coins with other coin collectors and dealers.

Begin a Coin Collection

There are many different ways to begin collecting coins. You can start your collection right from your pocket change, or you can build a collection of classic coins or bullion by buying from dealers. Learn how to get started with a coin collection for yourself or for your children with these easy to follow articles and suggestions.

Find a Coin Dealer

Learn how to find honest coin dealers who will help you appraise and sell your current collection, or start a new one. Not all coin dealers subscribe to industry standard codes of ethics. Find out which qualifications to look for in a coin dealer, and what red flags you should avoid in the mostly unregulated coin dealing profession.

Learn About Coin Grading

Grading coins is an essential skill to have if you want to make the best use of your limited coin collecting funds. Grading systems are based on simple concepts that are easy to learn, especially for circulated coins. Although grading services do some of the work for you, having a basic understanding of the criteria used by these services will empower you to make better coin buying decisions.

How Do I Start a Coin Collection For My Children?

Many people like to start a coin collection for their children, or grandchildren, as a sort of investment for them. These collections are typically held by the parent or grandparent on the child’s behalf, with the intention of giving them to the child at a certain age, or as an inheritance, although sometimes the coins are given directly to the children.

Before you start collecting coins on behalf of your kids, you should take a moment to consider a couple of points. First of all, like all investments, collecting coins costs money, so you need to determine how much you can afford to spend each year for this. Secondly, you must decide what the ultimate goal of this collection is. Are these coins meant to help put the child through college, or are they just meant to be a nice gift that hopefully has some greater future value? Is this coin collection meant as a monetary investment to be cashed in someday, or do you mean for the coins to become family heirlooms which will be passed down through the years? Or perhaps your hope is that the child will take up the coin collecting hobby someday. Depending on what your collecting goals are, and what your budget is, you’ll want to buy different types of coins.

Starting a Coin Collection on a Tiny Budget

For the sake of this discussion, we’ll consider a tiny budget to be between $50 and $100 a year. This is the type of collection where you buy something at Christmas and for the child’s birthday, and usually not at any other time. The typical coin gifts of this type are the national Mint Sets, such as the U.S. Mint’s annual Uncirculated Coins set, or the annual Proof set. These sets typically cost less than $25 for the Uncirculated sets and less than $40 for Proof. Fancier Silver Proof Sets run $50 and up.