Welcome to my new website
Welcome to List 36.
With great sadness the second Elizabethan age is over, our late Queen reigned unselfishly over us for a lifetime, we will miss her. Our generation have been very privilaged to have lived through this period. I was born three years before her coronation in 1953, too young to remember the event on television. But it was celebrated in many ways, one being the issuing of a Proof set of the new coinage. My grandfather presented the family with a 1953 proof set and official postage first day covers for myself and my brother. I vaguely remember in later years naughtily taking the bronze coins from the set to purchase sweets, probably Black Jacks, four for a penny at the time!
We are in a rapidly changing world, the sad and totally unnecessary war waged against Ukraine is devastating, it's impact on it's proud population must be terrifying. Economic uncertainty in general and the effects of the war have put a strain on the West, which has not helped with the inflationary situation we find ourselves in. We have enjoyed over two decades without it, so for the new generation it must be alarming.
Inflation in late 70's, resulted in a dip in the traditional markets and a hike in the collectables market as people found alternative ways to invest their savings. In April of 1980 inflation was just under 15% and by the following year it had dropped by nearly 10% this saw a rapid downturn in demand for alternatives as traditional markets recovered. I remember selling an Elizabeth Fine Sovereign in the late 70's for £16.000 and bought it back for £6000 in 1983, it stayed in the trays for many months!
However since the 90's the coin market has enjoyed an increased collector base, prices have risen steadily. In the last two years especially so, and during the Covid pandemic there has been an unparralled demand, with a huge hike in prices especially for high quality pieces. Demand has made it difficult for the trade to acquire fresh material due to a general shortage and a large proportion of what is for sale sold via auction. This shortage of supply is the reason for the infrequency of my retail lists, there are other ways to sell your coins one of which is to sell on a commission basis. I have sold many great collections over the last twenty two years and very successfully. It is a pleasant experience, working in harmony with the collector and in some instances the collections can warrant a single owner catalogue. These are some of the collections we have sold," A Fine Collection of British Coins", part 1,2,3 (List 1,2,3), "The Alan Barr Collection of Crowns" sold in four single owner lists 1-4, a collection of hammered and milled gold and silver "The Property of a Gentleman" (list 27), "The L M Noad Collection" (list 30), "The Milton Collection of Shillings" (list 31), "The late Eric Evans Collection of Charles I Provincial Coins" (list 33), a small but select collection of hammered and milled gold, "The Dexter Collection of Crowns" and "The Bletchey Collection of Sovereigns (list 35).
The ability to grade coins is something that I pride myself on, and do not feel the need to have them graded and put in a plastic holder. Most experienced collectors are also equally able to accurately grade, but this craze of having a coin encapsulated by the American companies is hurting our market due to the hike in prices, and is evidently driven solely by greed, and it is spreading fast! If it were consistant I would be more empathetic but from my own experience and other obversations it is very inconsistent right across the board. Perfectly good coins perhaps with a slight problem are marginalised, to the extent that know one wants them. Yet many highly graded coins have lots of problems that seem to be missed by the grader. Recently a 1917 London sovereign on my last list was designated false, and I with my 55 years experience knew it to be genuine, how can a grader without any real depth of experience come to such an opinion at least without seeking further professional advice. When I was at Spink, this coin would have been likely destroyed or placed permanently in the "black museum". A few weeks later an apology was offered and the coin regraded as genuine, in my opinion this is not good enough. A Richard II Noble I recently purchased from a Swiss sale was deemed by the grading company as "MOUNT REMOVED", this coin came from a well known shipwreck a large number of Nobles were recovered all in pleasing condition, I actually purchased this particular coin at the sale held in the Netherlands, apart from a rust stain it is a fresh coin and unblemished. Lastly the huge number of AU (almost uncirculated) graded coins on the market that are at a push 'good very fine' is worrying, new collectors new to hobby will assume this is a correct assesment of the coins condition. How can a circulated coin be described as almost uncirculated, can someone explain this to me! It is all very worrying for the future. I could go on but felt the need to let off steam. I think all dealers and auction houses should publish their own assessment of grade along side that of the encapsulated coin.
My conditions of sale have been changed to include- 9. We do not accept any third party opinion on our coins from the various grading companies.
I would remind you that it is important to have your collection adequately insured. We are more than happy to provide you with a free valuation less our expenses. Lastly please feel free at anytime to call, I am always happy to give advice.
British Coins and Market Values 2023 available at a special price of £10 including second class post, limited stock.
You can order by post, e-mail or by phoning, the latter two being preferable, please expect up to 7 working days to receive your order, as the coins have to be retrieved from the safe deposit boxes. We charge £12 for UK Special Delivery and £25 for overseas.
Phones : 01306 884880 or 07798 611006 or e-mail us at mark.rasmussen@rascoins.com and the web site is http://www.rascoins.com
As always I hopethis list has something to offer you and many thanks for your continued support.
Items featured in List 36.
COINAGE of ENGLAND & The UNITED KINGDOM
Celtic 1
Early Anglo-Saxon Period, c.600-775 2
Anglo-Saxon Middle Period, c.780-973 3,4,5
Anglo-Viking Coinages, c. 885-954 6
Angl-Saxon Late Period, c.973-1066 8-20
Norman Kings, 1066-1154 21-25
Plantagenet Kings, 1154-1399 26-40
The House of Lancaster 41-51
The House of York, 1461-1485 52-53
The House of Tudor, 1485-1603 54-75
The House of Stuart, The Commonwealth, and the House of Orange, 1603-1714 76-108
The House of Hanover, 1714-1901 109-354
The House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, 1901-1910 355-364
The House of Windsor, (1910-) 365-383
COINAGE OF IRELAND
Hiberno-Norse Coinage, c.995-1170 390, 391
Anglo-Irish Coinages 392-437
Jersey and Guernsey 438-462
World Coins 465-465
Some Highligts are:-A pleasing Ecgberht Penny (3), an EF Coenwulf Tribrach Penny (4), a lovely Cunetti Halfpenny (6), a crisp Eadgar Notheastern Mint Penny (7) a pair of extremely rare Edward the Confessor Pennies (19, 20), Richard II Noble IIIC (37), another similar Calais (38), an exceedingly rare Elizabeth I gold Halfcrown 59), a Pattern Half Groat believed unique from the same reign (70), a James I Crown (76), a pair of Cromwell Crowns (86, 87), three James II Half Guineas (92-94), an attractive William III Two Guineas 1701 (97), an extremeley fine 1700 Half Guinea (100), a pretty Bristol Halfcrown 1697 (101), a superb 1714/3 Two Guineas (105) a good extremely fine "Prince Elector" Guinea 1714 (109), an extremely fine 1716 Guinea with Hanovarian arms at date, "finest known" (110), possible finest example known of 1720 (unaltered date) Halfcrown in unc (113), George III Proof Guinea 1787 (132), Oval countermarked Dollar on a Louis XVI French Ecu 1784 (138), unique 1816 Shilling struck in Gold (159), Proof Sovereign 1821 (196), an exceedingly rare George IV Pattern Farthing 1821 (222), William IV Proof Crown 1831 (232), 1831 Proof set (232), Victoria Silver Proof Set 1893 (258), a superb 1861 Bronze proof Penny (338) and 1862 "three plumes" Penny practically unc (339) a pair of Halfpennies 1864 and 1865 "ingot or die numbers scratched in the fields (343,344) an exceedingly rare Pattern 1860 bronze Farthing (350), three lovely Irish Henry VIII posthumous issue Sixpencestwo from the A Laker collection (416-418), a delightful Philip and Mary Groat 1557 from the same collection (421), World Coins a pretty Pieter d'or of Flanders (463).
