Coins | What Steven Cousley Does

I’ve been busy, now it’s time to Squidoo

Oct 042008

I don’t know why I’ve been putting it off for so long but at least now I’ve gotten around to havng a look at Squidoo. Here’s my first “lens”, based on one of my favourite niche topics, australian coins. http://www.squidoo.com/rare-australian-coins-values

Once I bit the bullet I was surprised at how easy it was to plug modules together and create a page. My first attempt is probably a little rushed but now that it’s up and running I can get to work on tweaking. Who knows, maybe it will even help to make a little money. For a free site with the potential to make some income, Squidoo appears to well worth some effort.

Values and Performance of Rare Australian Coins

Australian, Coins No Responses »

May 052008

Performance of Rare Australian Coins

It’s well known that rare collectible coins have great investment potential and Australian rare coins are no exception. In fact some examples, such as the famous 1930 penny, are among the rarest and most valuable collectible coins to be found. In times of economic instability, investors look towards precious metals and coins for security. Coins can be volatile in the market but are often regularly seen to outperform precious metals.

While uncirculated coins will naturally have the highest value, there is plenty of value to be found in coins of lower quality. For example, a coin that is fairly common in the marketplace, such as an 1889 gold sovereign of average condition, will probably attract a price around 10% higher than the gold it contains. The value will certainly increase with the quality of the coin. Find the same coin in near mint condition and you can expect a return four or more times higher than the intrinsic gold value. In the market for Australian sovereigns, there are around 250 known different date and mint mark combinations, 150 of these are considered common, the rest are scarce to rare.

Gold coins are not the only ones of value to astute collectors. If you can manage to come across an average 1930 penny, expect a return in excess of $20,000. Only around 2000 of these coins made it into circulation and are now very rare. Even more so the proof edition of this coin, only six were produced. Three of these are now in private collections and are valued at over $1,000,000.

It’s not age that has the greatest influence on the value of coins, but rarity and demand in the marketplace. Australian half sovereigns can be more valuable than ancient coins. In the last 5 years some uncirculated half sovereigns have more than doubled in value. In the same period, uncirculated type 2 Adelaide pounds (not as rare as the type 1), have increased from $28,000, to $120,000.

The table below lists some examples of the investment performance of some Australian coins in recent years. For more up-to-date information on coin values, please visit the Australian Rare Coin Ready Reckoner.

	Value 1965	Value 1999	Value 2005
1813 – NSW Holey Dollar… VF/EF	600	37,500	125,000
1852 – Type 1 Adelaide Pound… EF	90	20,000	95,000
1855 – Type 1 Sydney Mint Sov… aUNC	230	25,000	45,000
1923 – Australian Half Penny… VF	16	1,650	4,5000
1930 – Australian Penny… VF	180	18,500	45,000
1915 – Australian Shilling… BrUNC	42	8,500	15,000
1938 – Australian Proof Crown… FDC	150	16,500	40,000
1932 – Australian Florin… BrUNC	650	17,500	24,000
1933 – Australian Shilling… BrUNC	80	9,500	17,500
1923 – Australian Halfpenny… gEF	47	7,500	27,500
1919 – Aus. Sixpence… BrUNC	70	1,950	3,500
1893S – Victoria Proof Sov… FDC	300	21,000	55,000
1914 – Florin… BrUNC	34	4,500	8,500

Australian Rare Coins, Values and History – Sixpence

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Apr 302008

Brief History of the Australian Sixpence Coin

The Australian sixpence series of coins are unusual in that the same reverse design was used for the entire production of the coins between 1910 and 1963. It’s believed only three master dies were used. The sixpence is second only to the florin for popularity among collectors.

The first sixpence coins were struck in London from 1910 – 1914. In 1915 the coins were struck in Both London and Birmingham with the Birmingham coins identifiable by a small “H” mint mark. After this coins were struck in Melbourne until 1920 and carry an “M” as the mint mark. From 1921-1926 both Sydney and Melbourne mints produced coins but there are no identifiable mint marks. From 1927 the coins were struck almost entirely in Melbourne except for a period during WWII and also in 1951. No coins were struck in the years 1929-1933. Denver and San Francisco mints assisted with production in 1942 and can be identified by “D” and “S” mint marks. In 1943, the coins were struck in just the two US mints and in 1944 they were produced only in San Francisco. After this production resumed from Melbourne mint, assisted by the London Mint in 1951. The 1951 London coins have a small “PL” mint mark.

Example Values of the Australian Sixpence

The following prices are for some of the most sought after examples of sixpence coins. Coins minted in other years are also of value, those listed below are simply the “cream of the crop”. These prices are only a guide to possible marketplace values. There will be fluctuations in the actual marketplace. Prices will also vary depending on the condition of the coin. All values are listed in Australian dollars. For more up-to-date information on coin values, please visit the Australian Rare Coin Ready Reckoner.

Year	Average Condition	Uncirculated Condition
1910	20	1600
1911	20	1600
1912	40	3000
1914	15	1450
1916	25	2400
1917	25	1700
1918	75	4500
1919	15	1350
1920	20	1850
1922	25	3000
1924	20	2350
1925	10	750
1935	10	1100
1939	1	400
1952	2	500
1953	1	325

Coin Collection Software, Free and Shareware

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Apr 252008

Free Coin Collection Software and Shareware

Any budding collector will soon find that once their collection begins to grow it helps to have some way to keep track and catalogue the coins in their collection. As well as helping with your inventory, coin collection software can also provide up to date information on the coins in your collection. You will easily be able to store images, information and history of every coin. When it’s needed, you can recall all of your stored data with just a few clicks of your mouse.

I’ve listed some examples of software that is either free or low cost after a free trial. You can easily find the download links for these and other software by doing a search on the net. Some are completely free to download and use while the others offer a free trial period.

WorldCoins from ArteCode Software includes a database of over 10,000 coins from various countries including Australia, USA, Great Britain, Spain and many others. It’s cataloging features allows you to store up to 4 images and complete history of every coin, including valuation, purchase history and specifications. See the value of your whole collection or individual pieces at a glance. Generate and print reports in many formats. Import or export collection data easily. Powerful in-built search features allow you to use up to 18 search filters when exploring your collection data.

Find Coins Viewer is a completely free program used to easily view the database from www.findcoins.eu. You can easily find information on thousands of world coins. The coin database is updated daily. You will also be able to contact and swap coins with other users, making this a great resource for building your collection. Find the coins you need and swap out those you don’t.

Coin Collector is a low cost shareware program that will help with inventory management. Try it out for free and decide if it meets your needs. Store as much or as little information as you need using the many data fields, or customise the fields to personalise your database.

Coin Collection Wizard is another low cost shareware program to catalogue and manage your coin inventory. Store all of the important information and images of your coins, retrieve it with ease and create reports on your collection.

CoinManage2008 comes with a database of over 12,000 US, Canadian and UK coins. Store manage and retrieve information on your entire collection easily. This software also links to ebay allowing you to search the auction site for the coins you need in your collection.

Australian Rare Coins, Values and History of the Sovereign

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Apr 232008

Brief History of Australian Gold Sovereigns

Sovereign coins have been minted since the time of Henry II in 1429. In Australia these coins were struck between the years of 1855 and 1931. Unlike other coins, no value is imprinted on the sovereign. Although the coins represent one pound in value, they term “sovereign” is more commonly used as a reference to the image of the monarch on the obverse die of the coin. The sovereign is the official coinage of the British Monarchy.

The sovereign is not the first gold coin to be minted in Australia. The “Adelaide Pound” coins were struck in 1852. A serious die crack was noticed after the pressing of the first 50 coins. A new die was cut and around 25000 “type II” Adelaide pounds were struck. Due to the rising value of gold, it wasn’t long until it was realised that the actual value of the gold used was higher than the face value of the coins. Due to profiteering, very few of either version of the Adelaide Pound have survived.

All sovereign coins are struck from 22 carat gold. Australian sovereigns minted between 1855 and 1870 carry a unique Sydney Mint design. After this all coins minted in Australia were of the same Imperial design used throughout the British Empire, although they do carry a mint mark indicating whether they were struck in the Sydney, Melbourne or Perth mints. Due to the rising value of gold, production of sovereigns ceased throughout the Empire in the early 1930′s.The Australian coins are much rarer than the English versions and are highly collectible.

Nine distinct types of Australian sovereign can be identified, and many of those can be divided into a number of series based on different obverse and reverse combinations. The types include the early series one and two of the Sydney Mint coins, produced from 1855-1856 and 1857-1870 respectively. These were followed by the Imperial design coins as follows: Victorian Young Head Shield Reverse 1871-1887, Victorian Young Head St. George Reverse 1871-1887, Victorian Jubilee Head 1887-1893, Victorian Veil Head 1893-1901, King Edward VII 1902-1910, King George V Large Head 1911-1928 & King George V Small Head 1929-1931.

Example Values of Australian Gold Sovereigns

These prices are given as a guide only. They are examples of some coins currently found in the marketplace. Actual coin values will vary depending on quality. Coins from other years are also of value. Prices are listed in Australian Dollars. For more up-to-date information on coin values, please visit the Australian Rare Coin Ready Reckoner.

Australian Sovereign Coins	Grade	Estimated Value
1855 Sydney Mint Type I	EF	16000
1856 Sydney Mint Type I	gVF	6750
1857 Sydney Mint Type II	gEF	3950
1858 Sydney Mint Type II	EF	8000
1860 Sydney Mint Type II	EF	6000
1870 Sydney Mint Type II	UNC	4000
1878 Victorian Young Head Shield	UNC	2750
1881 Victorian Young Head Shield	UNC	4000
1887 Victorian Young Head Shield	UNC	2500
1871 Victorian Young Head St. George	EF	1750
1877 Victorian Young Head St. George	UNC	3000
1879 Victorian Young Head St. George	UNC	4750
1887 Victorian Jubilee Head	UNC	1850
1893 Victorian Jubilee Head	UNC	950
1893 Victorian Veil Head	UNC	1200
1895 Victorian Veil Head	UNC	375
1905 King Edward VII	UNC	325
1910 King Edward VII	UNC	325
1924 King George V Large Head	UNC	3250
1928 King George V Large Head	UNC	4750
1929 King George V Small Head	UNC	4950

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