Coin Collector

Coin Collector gives you all the information, news, expert advice, market insight and inspiration you need to build your coin collection and get the most from your hobby. Every issue features in-depth collecting guides giving you the lowdown on coins from a wide range of periods and location, from Viking and Roman coins to the latest coins issued by mints around the world. Each issue includes the unique and popular ‘British Numismatist’ section, bringing you the latest discoveries, exhibitions, theories and literature from the academic world of numismatics. Written by authors, curators and learned experts, the pages provide an academic yet still accessible take on the hobby.

Welcome

Writing in this issue

Coin Collector Editorial Board

COIN UPDATE

IN BRIEF

AUCTION UPDATE • THE LATEST COIN SALES FROM AROUND THE WORLD

LATEST INTERNET AUCTIONS • Your quick reference guide to recent online sales, in association with delcampe.net

PERFECT POPPIES • Red poppies have been sold in support of the armed forces since the formation of the Royal British Legion (RBL) in 1921, writes Paula Hammond. This year marks the centenary of the organisation and their iconic ‘Remembrance Poppy’, which still serves as a symbol of the horrors of war and desire for peace

YOUR INTRODUCTORY GUIDE TO ROMAN COINS

Celestial bodies ON ANCIENT COINS • Most ancient cultures studied astrology and developed a complex belief system which connected the astronomical events in the sky, such as meteor showers, comets and the movements of planets and constellations, with events on closer to home. Many of these events were also reflected on coinage, as Ema Sikic of A.H. Baldwin & Sons explains

GOLDEN GREATS • In his ongoing series on classic gold coins, European coin expert Sebastian Wieschowski takes a trip to Denmark and reveals how Scandinavia invented their own ‘Golden Euro’

Establishing the ROYAL MINT MUSEUM • In this special article for Coin Collector, Dr Kevin Clancy, Director The Royal Mint Museum, traces the origins of the institution back to Victorian times, revealing how money and its history have long been considered a vital part of our culture

CHANGE IN IRELAND • Ireland’s turbulent history can be reflected in the country’s coinage, which also provides collectors with plenty of scope, as our introductory guide reveals

THE COINAGE OF QUEEN VICTORIA • The long reign and stoic leadership of Queen Victoria means she is one of Britain’s most well known and widely admired monarchs. It also means there is a wealth of British coins bearing her portrait to collect, as Desmond Rainey reveals in the first part of our comprehensive guide

THE COINS OF EDWARD VI (1547-1553) • The coinage of Edward VI is one of the more interesting, and yet complicated, of the early modern period in England, a legacy of the debasement of his father Henry VIII. Its complexity lies in the many issues produced on various standards of weight and fineness and the many changes in design that occurred over a relatively short reign, as Richard Kelleher of the Fitzwilliam Museum explains

THE AFTERLIFE OF COINS • The process of adapting coins, of changing their basic function, has gone on for many centuries, writes Dr Adrian Marsden, and whilst such pieces are often looked on with caution or even disdain by collectors, they are worthy of study

AN A TO Z OF BANKNOTES OF THE WORLD GERMANY • The complex history of German paper money reflects the country’s own turbulent history, writes Jonathan Callaway, as he continues his banknote world tour

THE SPECIAL CONSTABULARY LONG SERVICE MEDAL GOOD STARTING POINT FOR NEW COLLECTORS • Official medals can be earned by members of civilian bodies such as St John Ambulance, the Red Cross and the Special Constabulary, writes James Kemp...