Valuation

The coin is a half guinea of William III, which is dated 1695 on the reverse. Most early milled gold coins that come out of the ground are not in good condition. This specimen has a few marks on both sides but has only slight wear and would grade about VF.

As the market for gold coins is still strong a pre-sale auction estimate on this find shouldn’t be any lower than £1,200.

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The coin is a groat of Henry VI. Most of the obverse legend is unclear but within the inner circle on the reverse the legend reads VIL LA CALI SIE; there is a mascle before LA and a rosette after SIE. Therefore, this groat was struck at Calais during the rosette mascle coinage (1427 to 1430). Calais was captured by Henry V and was an English possession until it was lost during the reign of Mary Tudor.

Valuation

Unfortunately, the overall condition of this groat isn’t good. It would grade only Fair to nearly Fine and the flan is an irregular shape due to clipping. As it stands, my price range would be only £25-30.

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Firstly, the coin measures 12mm in diameter so it is a halfpenny of Henry VIII. On the obverse the legend reads h D G ROSA SIE SPIA and on the revere it reads CIVI TAS EBO RACI. To the left of the king’s head on the obverse is a letter E and to the right a letter L.  The letters stand for Edward Lee, who was Archbishop of York when this coin was struck.

Coins as small as this one used to be very scarce until improvements in the performance of metal detectors led to them becoming quite easy to find. Today there are many types and varieties that were unknown only a few decades since.

Valuation

This halfpenny is listed as number 2361 in the Standard Catalogue. It would grade good Fine and to a collector is should be worth around £60.

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A number of types and varieties of potin units are presently on record. All were cast in strips and then broken up into individual coins.  This is why they are irregularly shaped.

Whether or not you find any potin coins depends on where you search. In the south-east you would be far more likely to locate examples than anywhere else. On the other hand, you could search Yorkshire for decades and never find one.

Valuation

ABC lists number 171 as very common. It might be common but Roger’s find is a nice example so my minimum valuation figure would be £60.

Should you ever dig up two or more that are still joined together then do not break them apart. I once heard of a detectorist who unearthed a group of about 8 coins, all still joined together. Thinking it was the best thing to do, he broke up the group into 8 separate coins. Only later did he find out that had he left them in their ‘as found’ state then they would have been worth a figure more than ten times higher than the one he received for eight individual specimens.

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Firstly, the coin measures 20mm in diameter and weighs 2.63 grams so it is a half angel of Elizabeth I. It’s a product of the fifth issue (1578-82) and the mint mark on both sides is a sword. In the Standard Catalogue it is listed as number 2526.

Valuation

After doing some research I managed to trace only two coins that match this one so it is obviously very rare. The edge is slightly ragged in places and the flan is a little uneven but the coin is otherwise in VF condition. Therefore, after being in the soil for hundreds of years the coin has survived quite well.

This is the sort of coin that might lead to a bidding battle between specialist collectors. If I was cataloguing it for sale at auction then I would set the pre-sale estimate at £3,200 but would expect it to sell for more. Quite how much more would depend on how fierce the bidding was in the saleroom.

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This is a coin of Trajan, whose dates are AD 98-117. On the obverse the legend reads IMP CAES NERVA TRAIAN AVG GERM around the laureate head of the emperor. On the reverse is the seated figure of Abundantia (the personification of abundance) and on this side the legend reads PONT MAX TR POT COS II.

This type is not included in volume II of David Sear’s Roman Coins and Their Values but it is number 11 in Roman Imperial Coins. It was struck at Rome during AD 98 and 99.

Valuation

Experienced detectorists will have seen silver coins come out of the ground close to their natural colour but soon become much darker. This doesn’t happen every time but does happen quite often. Most detectorists are not particularly bothered if coins darken but collectors prefer specimens that are more obviously silver. Therefore, the dark surfaces of this denarius would deter some collectors from bidding for it.

The obverse is well struck and looks as if it would grade about VF. On the reverse the figure of Abundantia is weak and would grade about Fine at best. In its present condition a likely pre-sale auction estimate would be £50-60.

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On the obverse the legend reads EDWARDVS REX AN and on the reverse we have CIVI TAS LON DON. This is part of a huge issue of farthings struck late in the reign of Edward I and extending into the reign of Edward II. In terms of its type, I would suggest 11, 13 (Standard Catalogue number 1474).

Valuation

This example is partly weak but is otherwise better than Fine for the issue so my price range would be £25-35.

Many, many dies were used to strike these farthings and a number of errors have been recorded. The obverse legend should start after the cross above the King’s crown but some start in the wrong place. For example, instead of being positioned at 12 o’clock, the cross can be (for example) at 4 or 6 o’clock. Collectors will pay far more for error coins than for standard examples so if you are selling one of these tiny coins do check the legend on the obverse.

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On one side is the base of a tree-like object and on the other side a wheel below the bottom section of a horse. Therefore, the obverse and reverse point towards the design that appears on uninscribed and inscribed staters of the Dobunni. However, as only the bottom section of the reverse can be seen I cannot pin it down to a type.

Valuation

The images show that the coin has a base metal core with a covering of gold. It would be disappointing to find only half a stater and even more so to then discover it was plated rather than solid gold.

This is quite an unusual find, which should be of interest to specialists in Ancient British coins. In terms of market value, I’d suggest a price range of £150-180.

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The coin is obviously Roman but for whom was it struck? On the obverse a laureate head can be seen but it could be that of more than one emperor. At first sight the legend isn’t much help as the lettering is blurred and difficult to make out. However, I eventually managed to put together a full ID.

If the full legend on the obverse was clear then it would read ANTONINVS AVG PIVS P P TR P XIIII around the head of Antoninus Pius. On the reverse is the standing figure of Genius and a legend reading COS IIII.

In volume II of David Sear’s Roman Coins and Their Values denarii of this type are listed as number 4069.  They were stuck at Rome during AD 150 and 151.

Valuation

Sadly, the state of preservation of this denarius leaves much to be desired. The obverse is only Fair and the reverse is Poor. On the plus side, it has at least been identified and it is not far short of 2,000 years old. Pricewise, in its present condition, I’d say £12-15.

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The coin was struck for Ecgberht of Wessex, whose dates are AD 802-to 829. On the obverse is a diademed head facing right and a legend reading +ECGBEORHT REX. Within the inner circle on the reverse is a cross crosslet and this is surrounded by a legend that reads +SIGESTEF. Therefore, the moneyer is Sigestef, who was an official at the Canterbury mint.

In volume I of J. J. North’s English Hammered Coinage pennies of this type are listed as number 562. In the Standard Catalogue they are number 1033.

Valuation

The coin would grade better than Fine but there are weak patches on both sides, it is dark in colour and there is an edge chip. It has a few negative points but on the plus side it is very rare. After taking into consideration its plus and minus points, if I was cataloguing this coin for sale at auction then I would set the pre-sale estimate at £1,200-1,500.

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