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.

Coin Collector

Welcome

Writing in this issue

COIN UPDATE

IN BRIEF

BURIED TREASURE • As the new Hoards exhibition opens at King’s Lynn Museum, Dr Adrian Marsden takes us through the exhibits, and explains some of the reasons why the hoards were buried in the first place

AUCTION UPDATE

GETTING BACK TO BUSINESS • ‘Coin shows are back’ exclaims European coin expert Sebastian Wieschowski as he revels in the return of the World Money Fair and other numismatic events which had gone into hibernation during the pandemic

HEROES & VILLAINS • England can boast a long and fascinating history, with many of the chapters represented on our coins. Yet these proud portraits of our leaders only tell half the story, as our guide reveals

TAKE YOUR TIME • In the past, most rare coin collectors chose a series or area of interest and spent decades building their collection, writes coin expert Jeff Garrett. Modern life moves fast, but sometimes it’s better not to rush

COINS OF THE FATIMIDS • Ema Sikic, coin expert at Baldwin’s, explores the rise and fall of the dynasty behind some of the most popular and collectable Islamic coins

THE FIRST IRISH COIN? • Years of trade without any form of coinage and a complex trading system with its neighbours, means that Ireland’s coin history is both fascinating and a challenge for the collector. David Collins, of the Numismatic Society of Ireland (Northern Branch), explores the origins of coinage in the nation

BRITAIN’S LAST STERLING CURRENCY • The sterling standard gave users of British coins confidence in their currency, and the system survivied for hundreds of years. But, as our guide explains, by 1920 and the reign of George V, rampant inflation called for desperate measures

BEFORE THE EMPIRE • In the days before Rome ruled vast expanses of the world, the blossoming dominion issued crudely produced coins that did not match those of other empires, as our introductory guide explains

THE LAST OF THE LARGE BRONZES THE AES COINAGE OF POSTUMUS, AD 260-9 • In this expert guide to Roman coinage, Dr Adrian Marsden, Numismatist for Norfolk’s Historic Environment Service, considers the large bronze coins of the Gallic emperor Postumus (AD260-9) and the diversity of the series as a whole

F IS FOR FAKES • Fakes, forgeries, and counterfeit coins have been produced for as long as there’s been coinage to copy, writes Paula Hammond

Coin DETECTIVE • A small, sixpence medallet with the figure of Cupid handing out roses, this issues’s mystery numismatic item is a wedding souvenir with an intriguing background, as our regular examination of a mysterious coin reveals

AN A TO Z OF BANKNOTES OF THE WORLD KENYA • The notes of the East African country are a visual guide to its changing history through colonialism to ecological awareness, says Jonathan Callaway

CASUALTY OF WAR • Collecitng medals is so much more than simply obtaining and showcasing the items. In this issue’s spotlight, Will Bennett explores the history attached to a Crimea Medal that demonstrates what happens when a medal is a soldier’s only...