Indholdsfortegnelse for Issue 39 i Coin Collector

There are a large number of coins in the care of Lincolnshire County Council’s Cultural Service, including coins that were struck in Lincoln itself. The focus of this article is a coin from the Sir Francis Hill collection that was struck in the early-11th century and issued by King Cnut (ruled 1016–35).With a diameter of 19mm and a weight of 1.29g, the coin (Coin 370, SCBI 27, 407) is a Pointed Helmet type, which was in circulation in the 1020s (Figure 1). DESIGN OF THE COIN The Pointed Helmet was the second design issued by Cnut, with the first being the Quatrefoil type. In contrast to the crowned bust of the king depicted on the obverse of the Quatrefoil type, the Pointed Helmet pennies depict Cnut as a military leader…

The first medal in a group awarded for service in the North African campaign in World War II is the Military Medal (Figure 1). Since this is an award for ‘acts of gallantry and devotion to duty in the field’, the vast majority are awarded to the army. However, that is not always the case. Since the criteria is ‘in the field’, there are men and women of other services who have displayed gallantry on the ground and been awarded the Military Medal. In World War I, many men of the RAF served in various capacities close to the battlefront and were rewarded by receiving the Military Medal. In World War II, there is the well-known example of three members of the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) receiving the award…

To mark the 200th anniversary of the publication of Samuel Pepys’ famous diary, a special four-coin brilliant uncirculated £2 set has been issued by Jersey. The diary is an invaluable historical document that provides a detailed account of life in 17th-century Britain, detailing many significant events that happened at the time. Each coin in the set features a design inspired by key moments from Pepys’ remarkable life, which saw him become one of the most influential eyewitnesses in British history. The coin titled Famous Diary shows Pepys seated at his writing desk, with the 17th-century London skyline behind him. The design is inspired by a 1666 portrait by John Hayls. Other coins in the set depict the Restoration of the monarchy in 1660, the Great Plague, with a design drawn…

First auction of the Traveller Collection On 20 May, the first auction of the Traveller Collection was held in Zurich by Numismatica Ars Classica, in association with David Guest Numismatics. Focusing on 220 machine-struck British coins from the period 1663–1937, this auction realised a total of CHF6,341,200 (£5,730,574), doubling its initial estimate of CHF2,989,700 ($2,701,807). The Traveller Collection is the most valuable collection of coins ever sold at auction (with an insurance value in excess of $100 million). Buried in Europe for over 50 years by its anonymous collector to prevent it from being looted during Nazi invasion, the collection is made up of over 15,000 coins spanning all geographical areas, many of which are exceptionally rare and in a state of preservation never seen in modern times. Due to…

SOLD FOR £1,512 France, 1865 5 francs Napoleon III Paris gold coin, SUP SOLD FOR £192 Turkey, 1917 25 kurush Sultan Mohammed VI Constantinople gold coin, VF SOLD FOR £168 Germany, 1751 1/8 thaler Reuss-Untergreiz Heinrich III silver coin, VF SOLD FOR £414 Romania, 1917 1,000 lei banknote, UNC SOLD FOR £462 Belgium, 1955 20 francs Mercure silver coin SOLD FOR £182 Roman Empire, Maiorina Decentius (351–53) Lugdunum copper coin, SUP SOLD FOR £147 Netherlands Batavian Republic, 1800 1 rijksdaalder silver coin, XF SOLD FOR £332 Japan, 1915 5 yen 1915 banknote, fine BUY AND SELL ON DECAMPE, MORE THAN 80 MILLION COLLECTABLES ARE WAITING FOR YOU!…

The Industrial Revolution shifted Britain from a largely rural economy, where goods and services could still be bartered and traded, to an urban economy, which required a ready supply of money. While banks and businesses may have been happy to handle large denomination currency, ordinary workers needed small change for everyday transactions. And the Royal Mint quickly realised that they couldn’t keep up with demand – so they took themselves out of the equation entirely! In fact, they struck no copper coins at all between 1773 and 1821. Tokens – official and unofficial – were the stop-gap solution that would run and run and run. In Britain, the first officially sanctioned tokens were made between 1613–42 at the request of James I, who ordered farthing tokens to be made ‘exactly…

In this article, we will honour one of the women that appeared on American coinage, the iconic Double Eagle featuring a triumphant Liberty modelled by Hettie Anderson (Figure 1). This design is celebrated as one of the most famous and beautiful coins ever produced by the United States Mint. There are a lot of great women who have appeared on or inspired American coinage. Before women appeared on American coins in their own name, with their own identity and accomplishments, they were muses of famous sculptors and engravers, an inspiration behind depictions of Liberty. Women on American coins contributed to the designs that are considered among the most important achievements of American numismatics. The story of Hettie Anderson and the Double Eagle is one of the most significant. One of…

In the May 2024 edition of Coin Collector, we covered encased US stamps that served as currency, largely because of the need for coins during the American Civil War (1861–65). In European countries, the use of postage stamps as money started decades later, when reserves of coins and metals, even copper and brass, were at their lowest, and several states no longer produced any or too few coins with low face values. THE SITUATION IN FRANCE In France, using postage stamps as money occurred two years after World War I. Faced with the shortage of coins from the Banque de France, private or semi-public initiatives multiplied. So, a stamp contained in a cellophane pouch, closed with an advertising strip, on cardboard or in a booklet, was used as a currency…

80th anniversary of VE Day A new 50p brilliant uncirculated coin from the Royal Mint celebrated VE Day on its milestone 80th anniversary. Following years of hardship, adversity and uncertainty, Victory in Europe (VE) Day stood as the culmination of a six-year struggle, as World War II was finally declared over in Europe. The reverse features a remastered version of John Mills’ ‘dove of peace’ design, which has been updated to include the words ‘IN PEACE GOODWILL’ as written by Winston Churchill. The original design was created by British sculptor John Mills (1933–2023) in 1995 for a £2 coin to mark the 50th anniversary of the end of the war. Among his other coins was the 50p from 1994 marking the 50th anniversary of D-Day, while his public sculptures include…