Why do people do these things to coins?!

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I picked up this great bulk lot of coins, heaps of amazing stuff and some amazing stuff for all the wrong reasons!  -  Might put a list on the bargain finds later.

I pulled this one out of the postage bag, seeing the reverse first I was a little bit excited to see a reasonably nice grade on an old Victorian penny.



And the other side?




Permission to kick a Victorian in the face?
(I don't really care that much - in fact I think it's pretty cool.  It's going in my collection.)
Ha! classic
Hey, that engraving is pretty well-executed!

I see it's number "4" of a set... so this is an ultra-rarity, as only 4 examples are known to have been made, right? (8
She looks like German emperor (military bust of Wilhelm II)  8)
I don't send via registered mail with very few exceptions.
Foil-hat emperor.

That proves UFOs are real people! And the government is spying on you since the 1800s because satellites have been out there since 1700s  T.T

 :~
Numista referee for the "Viceroyalty of the New Spain" (most of it).
History through coins.
Eli V
I wonder if this one was butchered by the same Victorian coin heathen?

More coin stupidity here:

http://www.trademe.co.nz/antiques-collectables/coins/other/auction-680576883.htm


Maybe we should make a serial thread?
She looks like Carol II : http://romaniancoins.org/webpoze2/10lei1930_kn_r.jpg
Quote: erdvillaFoil-hat emperor.

That proves UFOs are real people! And the government is spying on you since the 1800s because satellites have been out there since 1700s  T.T

 :~
http://www.thelivingmoon.com/49ufo_files/03files2/1680_UFO_on_Coin.html

Also, from Wikipedia:
"The Dogon talk about Nommo - amphibian deities that arrived from the sky in their fantastic sky ship. They preached to the people who assembled in large numbers around the lake that was created around the ship.[28]
Certain researchers investigating the Dogon have reported that they seem to possess advanced astronomical knowledge, the nature and source of which have subsequently become embroiled in controversy. From 1931 to 1956 the French anthropologist Marcel Griaule studied the Dogon. This included field missions ranging from several days to two months in 1931, 1935, 1937 and 1938[29] and then annually from 1946 until 1956.[30] In late 1946 Griaule spent a consecutive thirty-three days in conversations with the Dogon wiseman Ogotemmêli, the source of much of Griaule and Dieterlen's future publications.[31] They reported that the Dogon believe that the brightest star in the sky, Sirius (sigi tolo or "star of the Sigui"[32]), has two companion stars, pō tolo (the Digitaria star), and ęmmę ya tolo, (the female Sorghum star), respectively the first and second companions of Sirius A.[33] Sirius, in the Dogon system, formed one of the foci for the orbit of a tiny star, the companionate Digitaria star. When Digitaria is closest to Sirius, that star brightens: when it is farthest from Sirius, it gives off a twinkling effect that suggests to the observer several stars. The orbit cycle takes 50 years.[34] They also claimed that the Dogon appeared to know of the rings of Saturn, and the moons of Jupiter.[35]
Griaule and Dieterlen were puzzled by this Sudanese star system, and prefaced their analysis with the disclaimer, "The problem of knowing how, with no instruments at their disposal, men could know the movements and certain characteristics of virtually invisible stars has not been settled, nor even posed."[36]
In 1976 Robert K. G. Temple wrote a book called The Sirius Mystery arguing that the Dogon's system reveals precise knowledge of cosmological facts only known by the development of modern astronomy, since they appear to know, from Griaule and Dieterlen's account, that Sirius is part of a binary star system, whose second star, Sirius B, a white dwarf, is however completely invisible to the human eye (just as Digitaria has the smallest grain known to the Dogon) and that it takes 50 years to complete its orbit. The existence of Sirius B had only been inferred to exist through mathematical calculations undertaken by Friedrich Bessel in 1844. Temple then argued that the Dogon's information, if traced back to ancient Egyptian sources and myth, indicates an extraterrestrial transmission of knowledge of the stars.[37] Neither Griaule nor Dieterlen had ever made such bold claims about a putative esoteric source for the Dogon's knowledge.
More recently, doubts have been raised about the validity of Griaule and Dieterlein's work.[38][39] In a 1991 article in Current Anthropology anthropologist Walter van Beek concluded after his research among the Dogon that, "Though they do speak about sigu tolo [which is what Griaule claimed the Dogon called Sirius] they disagree completely with each other as to which star is meant; for some it is an invisible star that should rise to announce the sigu [festival], for another it is Venus that, through a different position, appears as sigu tolo. All agree, however, that they learned about the star from Griaule."[40]
Griaule's daughter Genevieve Calame-Griaule responded in a later issue, arguing that Van Beek did not go "through the appropriate steps for acquiring knowledge" and suggesting that van Beek's Dogon informants may have thought that he had been "sent by the political and administrative authorities to test the Dogon's Muslim orthodoxy."[41] An independent assessment is given by Andrew Apter of the University of California.[42]
In his book Sirius Matters, Noah Brosch postulates that the Dogon may have had contact with astronomers based in Dogon territory during a five week expedition, led by Henri-Alexandre Deslandres, to study the solar eclipse of April 16, 1893.[43] Robert Todd Carroll also states that a more likely source of the knowledge of the Sirius star system is from contemporary, terrestrial sources who provided information to interested members of the tribes.[44] James Oberg however, citing these suspicions notes their completely speculative nature, writing that, "The obviously advanced astronomical knowledge must have come from somewhere, but is it an ancient bequest or a modern graft? Although Temple fails to prove its antiquity, the evidence for the recent acquisition of the information is still entirely circumstantial."[45] Additionally, James Clifford notes that Griaule sought informants best qualified to speak of traditional lore, and deeply mistrusted converts to Christianity, Islam, or people with too much contact with whites.[46] Oberg points out a number of errors contained in the Dogon beliefs, including the number of moons possessed by Jupiter, that Saturn was the furthest planet from the sun, and the only planet with rings. Intrigue of other seemingly falsifiable claims, namely concerning a red dwarf star orbiting around Sirius (not hypothesized until the 1950s) led him to entertain a previous challenge by Temple, asserting that "Temple offered another line of reasoning. 'We have in the Dogon information a predictive mechanism which it is our duty to test, regardless of our preconceptions.' One example: 'If a Sirius-C is ever discovered and found to be a red dwarf, I will conclude that the Dogon information has been fully validated.' (OK, I'll bite—but if such a star is not discovered, Temple has risked no converse conclusions.)"
This alludes to reports that the Dogon knew of another star in the Sirius system, Emme Ya, or a star "larger than Sirius B but lighter and dim in magnitude." In 1995, gravitational studies indeed showed the possible presence of a brown dwarf star orbiting around Sirius (a Sirius-C) with a six-year orbital period.[47] A more recent study using advanced infrared imaging concluded that the probability of the existence of a triple star system for Sirius is "now low" but could not be ruled out because the region within 5 AU of Sirius A had not been covered.[48]"

And National Geographic.
Video.
TV.
Full episodes.
Known Universe.
Decoding The Skies.

The end.
Quote: ZuluRaptorSpace
Quote: erdvillaFoil-hat emperor.

That proves UFOs are real people! And the government is spying on you since the 1800s because satellites have been out there since 1700s  T.T

 :~
http://www.thelivingmoon.com/49ufo_files/03files2/1680_UFO_on_Coin.html

Also, ... covered.[48]"

And National Geographic.
Video.
TV.
Full episodes.
Known Universe.
Decoding The Skies.

The end.
Do you seriously think I will read all that? Specially after I just posted a "lol" reply. Although the link to the "UFO" coins is cool.

I wonder if Mexico would someday make a rectangular (would be the first) coin with this Aztec design:



It is known as the "Aztec/Mayan spaceman". He appears to be on a command chair, connected to the "machine" through the back of his neck and operating instruments and looking at a stellar map (all the symbols around the stone is the sky as seen by the ancients), and not to mention there appears to be fire (propulsion) on the back. And it is real, no hoax. It was found 40 years ago and dated to the first quarter of the 2nd millennium (1000-1250).

I usually don't take UFO stuff serious but that image is really cool. Someone back then saw something pretty strange or had an incredible imagination.
Numista referee for the "Viceroyalty of the New Spain" (most of it).
History through coins.
Eli V
I was going to say, delete and post link.
Mmm... copypasta.

I have a Nova Scotia large cent with some geometric doodles etched in... A nice reminder that while cultures grow and change, the patterns drawn by the terminally bored are universal.
Here is Zulu's Dogon aliens on coins as recorded by the very French team on site ;)  ;)  ;)  ;)  ;)



I love these "hobo nickels". I wish someone would send me one as a present:):)  ;)

I really liked the Victorian one above as well, I would not say no to that had someone offered me something like that in a swap.
:o  How upsetting that someone would drill six holes in an 1806 George III Bahamas pirates penny ...

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=291052479814&ssPageName=ADME:B:SS:GB:1120

The only "intentionally damaged" coins I have are the usual silver or huge Mexican circulation coins holed to be used with necklaces.

And a "rainbow" toned silver ounce which I got for BV and then had it tested at a jewelry store because the toning was obviously an amateur work to try to sell the 20-year old coin as a super toned rarity. But you can see how the hot salts were poured onto the coin's face as you can see concentric shapes as the salts started cooling down and making different coloring to the silver. It almost looks like the iridescent effect from a motor oil drop on water.

I have FEW 150-year-old or a bit older silver coins with rainbow-toning, and the effect just looks precious and natural.

Oh, and I remember when I was little I used to take a few 100 Pesos coins
https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces961.html
to the railroad and placed then right before the train passed so that they get thin and wide  :O  I still have one or two of those in my tin cans. With 300 Pesos back then I remember I was able to buy a bag of chips with "chile de uña" (a sliced vegetables sauce that is just delicious), a 500ml soda, and a box with 12 assorted candies and a random HotWheels car. That would be the equivalent to 30 cents todays, and you would need 38 Pesos to buy the same nowadays (38,000 Old Pesos).

My most precious coin and which I would never dare to modify or sell, is the one my grandfather gave me the day I was born, my mother kept it safe until I became 18 and she gave it back to me. It isn't a rare coin, it is from the early years of last century, and it is made of gold, but it is way more precious to me than its market value, and I am sure most of us amateur and pro numismatic collectors have at least one coin that it is just as precious to us as this one to me.
Numista referee for the "Viceroyalty of the New Spain" (most of it).
History through coins.
Eli V
Quote: ZacUK:o  How upsetting that someone would drill six holes in an 1806 George III Bahamas pirates penny ...

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=291052479814&ssPageName=ADME:B:SS:GB:1120

 I believe this is some type of tool.  There could be Many uses for such a thing as this, I doubt it was just boredom.
Taking a break from swapping for a while, but still interested in pre 1799 Spanish coins, I will make time for that!

Looking for pre 1783 coins
Looks to me like they were just trying out various sized drillbits
Well, I knit and this could be a very crude needle-gauge tester - although I doubt it.
Yes, there are many uses, a gauge tester is a good start. The dent in the center makes me think it was made to spin on something.
Taking a break from swapping for a while, but still interested in pre 1799 Spanish coins, I will make time for that!

Looking for pre 1783 coins
@erdvilla

oh, yes, the railway coins..... lol....
when i was little i used to do the same thing with my cousins. We put coins on rail tracks and had them made thin and wide by the passing train.
We thought it was amazing and in matter of fact we were convinced that we made these coins cooler and much much more valuable. So we "made" many varieties of each type.
Thank god, all of these coins have huge mintages. They were curretly circulating and are not rare. The coins we found that were different or older we just kept although none of us was collecting.
Quote: KartWay@erdvilla

oh, yes, the railway coins..... lol....
when i was little i used to do the same thing with my cousins. We put coins on rail tracks and had them made thin and wide by the passing train.
We thought it was amazing and in matter of fact we were convinced that we made these coins cooler and much much more valuable. So we "made" many varieties of each type.
Thank god, all of these coins have huge mintages. They were curretly circulating and are not rare. The coins we found that were different or older we just kept although none of us was collecting.
As I child the only coins I ever had in my pocket were those 100 Pesos ones. And now that I think about it, it was quite strange  :~  But that was more than enough for a kid to be happy with, they are also pretty common except if you try finding them with perfect shine.
I only remember seeing another coin as a kid, it was recently after the monetary reform, a classmate took a 50 Nuevos Pesos
https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces594.html
 coin to the school, and I just remember thinking it was huge. Never saw one of those again (until I recently bought a bulk of them 17 at BV+10% couldn't resist) because the Peso kept falling and soon Banco de Mexico noticed 50 Nuevos Pesos was about to be reached by the price of the half silver ounce on the coin, and they were discontinued and re-called as soon as they ended in a Bank to be melted and transformed into the 100 (State commemorative) Pesos coins, twice the face value, same silver content. I was so lucky to get 10 of these from the bank at FACE VALUE!! Now you have to at least pay 175 Pesos for one of them.

According to Banco de Mexico public data, from the 5 million 50 Nuevos Pesos coins that were minted, to begin with, 1 million of the 1995 mint never reached circulation, they were basically dead on arrival. 2.5 million were successfully (and sadly) recalled at banks. That leaves 1.5 million "alive" in the hands of those they were supposed to be. And they estimate a 25% of those are lost, melted for the silver or simply destroyed. So they only account 1,125,000 of these coins to be treasured by the World.
Numista referee for the "Viceroyalty of the New Spain" (most of it).
History through coins.
Eli V
How often did you guys (@ KartWay and erdvilla) find old coins in your change? Did they still use large copper centavo coins at the time?
Kenny

- Verifying your Asian and British-territorial coins everyday with the best quality photos and the best information.

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Quote: SmartOneKgHow often did you guys (@ KartWay and erdvilla) find old coins in your change? Did they still use large copper centavo coins at the time?
When I was little I think there were no cents at all, the smallest coin was https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces936.html
But I don't even remember using those, as I said, I almost exclusively was given 100 Pesos ones.

My mom on the other hand she told me she used the big 50 Centavo coins
https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces5205.html
as a child, and that was a LOT of money according to her. In Mexico the 50 cent coins are the only coins that (like in many other countries) have a "nickname". She often calls the current 50 cent coins "Tostón", but that expression is almost forgotten as we only call them by they value now.

Today Mexico's cent coins can't buy you almost anything by their own. They are mostly used by shops to get extra money of the buyers as they use unpayable fractions, like prices that end on 0.93, because 10 cents is the smallest coin, they won't give you the 7 cents, they will simply keep them. Although often ask if you want to round the price and your cents go to a charity. But a month ago all stores were informed that they must no longer use prices other than those that end in x.50 or x.00. That way they can always pay the exact change or if the person wants he can donate his 50 cents.

This will of course have the effect of the 10 and 20 cent coins fall in disuse and eventually be discontinued just like the 5 cent one which got R.I.P. 2002. The cent coins have already been reduced in size, the 10 cent ones are even smaller than the 5 cents were, so it is only a matter of time for them to be forgotten.
Numista referee for the "Viceroyalty of the New Spain" (most of it).
History through coins.
Eli V
@SmartOneKg

I didn't find any of these, when I was a kid I was in Estonia, hence I used Soviet kopeks, mostly 5 kopek coins because their value wasn't too high for us kids. Anything higher than that if I ever had any went to ice cream and chewing gum fund, and 1 and 2 kopeks were too small to make proper "cool" railway coins.
Later it was new Estonian Kroon, but barely used these as we started to grow up (and because we already had a huge stash of railway coins, haha).
I still live in the middle of the Albertan boreal forest, so train tracks are a long walk away... but once I did try to flatten a nickel on the LRT tracks in town.

It went flying into the sunset! I never saw it again. There must be some technique to it, because my first attempt didn't get crushed at all as I had put it on the wrong part of the tracks.

In Canada we have yet to experience much inflation (my biggest annoyance: $1 candy bars are now $1.25 in some vending machines and $1.50 in others!), and I'm still young so the coins I used as a kid are still around today. However, the Mint is taking out the old nickel coins from the 1960s to about 2000, so looking through your change is now much more boring. Soon, they will be rare enough that we will set them aside when we find them - I remember assembling a set of 1992 Provincial commemorative quarters a few years ago (1992 was the 125th anniversary of Canadian Confederation, but we had only been in charge of our own Constitution for 10 years before 1992: the British didn't want to let it go!!), but now they are very hard to find.
My father used to do that as a kid with pennies, he put one of them through several times and it ended up absolutely huge and paper thin.
Quote: nalaberongI still live in the middle of the Albertan boreal forest, so train tracks are a long walk away... but once I did try to flatten a nickel on the LRT tracks in town.

It went flying into the sunset! I never saw it again. There must be some technique to it, because my first attempt didn't get crushed at all as I had put it on the wrong part of the tracks.

In Canada we have yet to experience much inflation (my biggest annoyance: $1 candy bars are now $1.25 in some vending machines and $1.50 in others!), and I'm still young so the coins I used as a kid are still around today. However, the Mint is taking out the old nickel coins from the 1960s to about 2000, so looking through your change is now much more boring. Soon, they will be rare enough that we will set them aside when we find them - I remember assembling a set of 1992 Provincial commemorative quarters a few years ago (1992 was the 125th anniversary of Canadian Confederation, but we had only been in charge of our own Constitution for 10 years before 1992: the British didn't want to let it go!!), but now they are very hard to find.
Minting houses in every country expect their coins to have an average lifespan, just like with Bank notes. Often they instruct banks to return coins from 15 years or older to the mint to be melted and made into new ones. To most consumers it is better to have a shiny 2014 coin in their pocket than a dirty and scarred coin from 20 years ago. Here that happens with the "Nuevos Pesos" coins, the 10, 20 and 50s were of course recalled right away as they have silver, but the 1, 2 and 5s remained circulating, but now after 22 years they are getting scarce by the day. Many are removed right away by banks as they are already flat and can't see the images at all, but also often those that are in decent condition are being removed as well. In an average you get one N$ coin for every fifty normal ones.

Inflation here in Mexico was horrible when I was still a child, it carried new coins but also implies that you can no longer buy the same for your work pay. My great grandfather once told me that with 1 Peso from 1920 he could buy the same as with 1480 current Pesos. The blame of this inflation came from corrupt economic policies, almost what is happening right now in Venezuela. The government controls how much dollars can be bought so that the Peso remains artificially valuated, as any country that needed them had to contest for them, and bid a bit more than the others so that they could mainly buy Oil from Mexico.
 But then the government saw that scheme wasn't gonna hold longer, and instead of gradually letting the interest rates grow like they should and loosen up the tide on the exchange control, they decided that if the country was going down they wouldn't. So they rushed and bought billions of dollars, solicited huge unpayable credits at banks and bought gold on December 1991. It of course didn't took a day for the World Bank to detect the huge "red light" at Mexico's economy and the next morning the Peso was worth only a 35% of the previous day, and then only 5% the next month.

And what did the government do after the crisis finally settled? They "rescued" the banks that gave away the credits so that those who took them wouldn't have to pay out or have their properties repossessed. I wish the internet was as big back then, Wikileaks would have had a fantastic time revealing all those names that remain classified today. If Iceland was bad I can imagine the chaos that would surge here, a bunch of politicians would run to Switzerland the next morning.
Numista referee for the "Viceroyalty of the New Spain" (most of it).
History through coins.
Eli V
As an answer to initial question "why do people do these things to coins?" - i think its because any coins they use for something like his are so common for them that they think they do something cooler or more useful with them. Be it buying something, throwing a coin to a fountain making wish or use it for some other purpose ruining the coin. We dont think twice about spending most of coins that are in our pockets today, do we? And yet some of these may become rare in years to come for any reason.
Quote: erdvilla...return coins from 15 years or older to the mint to be melted and made into new ones...
Here in the US, you can still easily find 60's coins. (non-silver) I've found like, 10 1960's quarters before.
Quote: ZuluRaptorSpace
Quote: erdvilla...return coins from 15 years or older to the mint to be melted and made into new ones...
Here in the US, you can still easily find 60's coins. (non-silver) I've found like, 10 1960's quarters before.
That is the advantage of a coin that hasn't changed at all in the last 50 years. But I'm quite sure that if really worn quarters reach a bank, they might separate them to be sent back to the mint houses for destruction. But as long as they remain on the hands of people then they might avoid the execution just long enough to end in the hands of someone who just wants to keep them safe for decades to come.
Numista referee for the "Viceroyalty of the New Spain" (most of it).
History through coins.
Eli V
Quote: thespis26Here is Zulu's Dogon aliens on coins as recorded by the very French team on site ;)  ;)  ;)  ;)  ;)



I love these "hobo nickels". I wish someone would send me one as a present:):)  ;)

I really liked the Victorian one above as well, I would not say no to that had someone offered me something like that in a swap.
I bloody want that ET coin. Like, a LOT.
A six year Numista absence makes the heart grow fonder... ?
Quote: nosouvenirsI bloody want that ET coin. Like, a LOT.
http://www.ineffableisland.com/2013/02/alien-coins-revealed-what-money-will.html

 
Quote: ZacUK
Quote: nosouvenirsI bloody want that ET coin. Like, a LOT.
http://www.ineffableisland.com/2013/02/alien-coins-revealed-what-money-will.html
For Crazy Coin Week I found out a lot about hobo nickels... and I LOVE them. I would love to collect some. Of course, that's a long-term goal, since hobo nickels tend to cost quite a large amount of money. I did recently buy a Lincoln cent where he's smoking a pipe, though... XD
A six year Numista absence makes the heart grow fonder... ?
At least the others have been relatively artistic.



I've posted this before. Someone added a pipe and hat to Kruger's bust. :/ I was really distraught over this! At least i got it for essentially free. A new non-defaced one is on my to-buy-list.
https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces4789.html
Quote: nosouvenirs
Quote: ZacUK
Quote: nosouvenirsI bloody want that ET coin. Like, a LOT.
http://www.ineffableisland.com/2013/02/alien-coins-revealed-what-money-will.html
For Crazy Coin Week I found out a lot about hobo nickels... and I LOVE them. I would love to collect some. Of course, that's a long-term goal, since hobo nickels tend to cost quite a large amount of money. I did recently buy a Lincoln cent where he's smoking a pipe, though... XD
There is also this one on there ...

and that page also includes a video on how they are made.
 As does this page...
http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2014/01/watch-a-nickel-transformed-into-a-tiny-intricate-sculpture/

 :love:   My favourite is this which sold for $380
http://www.hobonickelart.com/2012/08/12/hobo-nickel-waiting-to-be-kissed-by-aleksey-saburov/
Quote: ZacUK
Quote: nosouvenirs
Quote: ZacUK
Quote: nosouvenirsI bloody want that ET coin. Like, a LOT.
http://www.ineffableisland.com/2013/02/alien-coins-revealed-what-money-will.html
For Crazy Coin Week I found out a lot about hobo nickels... and I LOVE them. I would love to collect some. Of course, that's a long-term goal, since hobo nickels tend to cost quite a large amount of money. I did recently buy a Lincoln cent where he's smoking a pipe, though... XD
There is also this one on there ...

and that page also includes a video on how they are made.
 As does this page...
http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2014/01/watch-a-nickel-transformed-into-a-tiny-intricate-sculpture/

 :love:   My favourite is this which sold for $380
http://www.hobonickelart.com/2012/08/12/hobo-nickel-waiting-to-be-kissed-by-aleksey-saburov/
I saw that and I ADORE it.

Also, that coin with the carving of the woman is seriously beautiful.
A six year Numista absence makes the heart grow fonder... ?
Do you have a defaced zar coin mate ? I want one !!
Quote: Mark240590Do you have a defaced zar coin mate ? I want one !!
https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces21288.html  made in 'hobo' style to >>>
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1897-ZAR-South-Africa-sterling-silver-2-1-2-shillings-coin-14-1g-Trench-Art-/161262135336?pt=UK_Coins_World_RL&hash=item258bf8e828

Others:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1897-South-Africa-Paul-Kruger-2-Shillings-0-925-Silver-Coin-POW-Trench-Art-/141238629319?pt=UK_Coins_World_RL&hash=item20e27a73c7
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/South-Africa-Engraved-Coin-Florin-dated-1896-Boer-War-Trench-Art-/181363104398?pt=UK_Coins_World_RL&hash=item2a3a155a8e
Also:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/South-Africa-Old-Penny-Ship-Coin-Snuff-Box-Stash-Pot-Pill-Box-Trench-Art-/141206813973?pt=UK_Coins_World_RL&hash=item20e094fd15

   https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces2877.html  cut out to make >>>
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/South-Africa-Birds-Eng-Sparrows-Cut-Coin-Pendant-1-dia-/260818148476?pt=Fashion_Jewelry&hash=item3cb9f91c7c

   https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces9968.html  cut out to make >>>
https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/183677642/1957-south-africa-12-penny-coin-ring?ref=sr_gallery_9&ga_search_query=coin+art+africa&ga_order=most_relevant&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=GB&ga_search_type=all

   https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces5151.html  cut out to make >>>
https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/129358288/coin-guitar-pick-handmade-with-a-vintage?ref=sr_gallery_15&ga_search_query=coin+art+africa&ga_order=most_relevant&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=GB&ga_search_type=all

   https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces5015.html  cut out to make >>>
People often deface coins hoping to make them unique or for a political statement. I have a Lincoln 1964 penny that has a talk bubble.  The bubble says "War or peace?"

I also saw an old belly dancing dress made of coins. It was worn and one of those coins came off when I was a child.  I either was given or stole it.  I found the coin again in my collection. The one hole was at the very top of the obverse. I wonder what will happen to the rest of the noisy outfit? I have a feeling that the person who made the outfit perhaps got a discount as the one franc coin was the last year it was made.
Quote: lbillowsI picked up this great bulk lot of coins, heaps of amazing stuff and some amazing stuff for all the wrong reasons!  -  Might put a list on the bargain finds later.

I pulled this one out of the postage bag, seeing the reverse first I was a little bit excited to see a reasonably nice grade on an old Victorian penny.



And the other side?




Permission to kick a Victorian in the face?
Isn't that the coin from the Wikipedia page for Hobo coins?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hobo_nickel
Quote: erdvilla
Quote: ZuluRaptorSpace
Quote: erdvilla...return coins from 15 years or older to the mint to be melted and made into new ones...
Here in the US, you can still easily find 60's coins. (non-silver) I've found like, 10 1960's quarters before.
That is the advantage of a coin that hasn't changed at all in the last 50 years. But I'm quite sure that if really worn quarters reach a bank, they might separate them to be sent back to the mint houses for destruction. But as long as they remain on the hands of people then they might avoid the execution just long enough to end in the hands of someone who just wants to keep them safe for decades to come.
Yeah... I spent most of them.
Quote: BrittaniaIsn't that the coin from the Wikipedia page for Hobo coins?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hobo_nickel
Yes it is, the same picture.
I also reckon that lbillows (on Numista) and Swollib (on wikipedia) is the same person.  ;)

Edited to add:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Swollib
http://www.facebook.com/NumismaticsUK
I'm not an expert in any kind of coins, but I reckon I'm good at research and will do my best to help. Feel free to tell me my identifications/valuations/gradings are wrong. It's the only way I'll learn.
If it is he's better update his info.  It says he collects postage stamps but nothing about coins.  Tut tut tut, get with the programme man!
Quote: neilithicIf it is he's better update his info.  It says he collects postage stamps but nothing about coins.  Tut tut tut, get with the programme man!
Ha yes, I used to edit Wikipedia quite a bit back in the day.  That penny picture I uploaded was the first thing I have put on there in ages.  I also took the main picture for the article "Coast" "and  "Land" way back in 2005
Quote: lbillowsI also took the main picture for the article "Coast" "and  "Land" way back in 2005
Beautiful Photo of the coast. It makes me want to come visit.

I have been sick today, only worked a part day, this thread has been a great waste of time. Very cool stuff.
Zac that video you posted makes me want to carve coins.
Taking a break from swapping for a while, but still interested in pre 1799 Spanish coins, I will make time for that!

Looking for pre 1783 coins
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Antique-Filigree-Ladle-Made-From-Early-Silver-German-Coins-/171197675770?pt=Antiques_Silver&hash=item27dc2d38fa

IS THAT A 1600'S THALER IN THE CENTER!?!?!?!??!
Here's another reason for holes in coins ...

? Format  Format  Format ?   ?
Do not argue with ignorant people .. !! They will drag you down to their level, then pulverize you with experience ...
Quote: erdvilla
Quote: nalaberongI still live in the middle of the Albertan boreal forest, so train tracks are a long walk away... but once I did try to flatten a nickel on the LRT tracks in town.

It went flying into the sunset! I never saw it again. There must be some technique to it, because my first attempt didn't get crushed at all as I had put it on the wrong part of the tracks.

In Canada we have yet to experience much inflation (my biggest annoyance: $1 candy bars are now $1.25 in some vending machines and $1.50 in others!), and I'm still young so the coins I used as a kid are still around today. However, the Mint is taking out the old nickel coins from the 1960s to about 2000, so looking through your change is now much more boring. Soon, they will be rare enough that we will set them aside when we find them - I remember assembling a set of 1992 Provincial commemorative quarters a few years ago (1992 was the 125th anniversary of Canadian Confederation, but we had only been in charge of our own Constitution for 10 years before 1992: the British didn't want to let it go!!), but now they are very hard to find.
Minting houses in every country expect their coins to have an average lifespan, just like with Bank notes. Often they instruct banks to return coins from 15 years or older to the mint to be melted and made into new ones. To most consumers it is better to have a shiny 2014 coin in their pocket than a dirty and scarred coin from 20 years ago. Here that happens with the "Nuevos Pesos" coins, the 10, 20 and 50s were of course recalled right away as they have silver, but the 1, 2 and 5s remained circulating, but now after 22 years they are getting scarce by the day. Many are removed right away by banks as they are already flat and can't see the images at all, but also often those that are in decent condition are being removed as well. In an average you get one N$ coin for every fifty normal ones.

Inflation here in Mexico was horrible when I was still a child, it carried new coins but also implies that you can no longer buy the same for your work pay. My great grandfather once told me that with 1 Peso from 1920 he could buy the same as with 1480 current Pesos. The blame of this inflation came from corrupt economic policies, almost what is happening right now in Venezuela. The government controls how much dollars can be bought so that the Peso remains artificially valuated, as any country that needed them had to contest for them, and bid a bit more than the others so that they could mainly buy Oil from Mexico.
 But then the government saw that scheme wasn't gonna hold longer, and instead of gradually letting the interest rates grow like they should and loosen up the tide on the exchange control, they decided that if the country was going down they wouldn't. So they rushed and bought billions of dollars, solicited huge unpayable credits at banks and bought gold on December 1991. It of course didn't took a day for the World Bank to detect the huge "red light" at Mexico's economy and the next morning the Peso was worth only a 35% of the previous day, and then only 5% the next month.

And what did the government do after the crisis finally settled? They "rescued" the banks that gave away the credits so that those who took them wouldn't have to pay out or have their properties repossessed. I wish the internet was as big back then, Wikileaks would have had a fantastic time revealing all those names that remain classified today. If Iceland was bad I can imagine the chaos that would surge here, a bunch of politicians would run to Switzerland the next morning.
  :O I agree with the lifespan thing. In the US there was legislation in Congress to do away with $1 banknotes.There are millions of dollar coins sitting in the vaults of the Federal Reserve because of the resistance to use dollar coins instead bills. Lifespan on the average $1 bill is 2 years while the dollar coins go 10+. Costs of production for the average $1 coin is lower because of the longer lifespan - saving the government money. :°
If you don't stand for something you'll fall for anything
OWWWWWWWWWWW!
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1845-BRITISH-HALF-CROWN-LOVE-TOKEN-1900-MARGRET-ID-K230-/230995260370?pt=US_World_Coins&hash=item35c863f3d2
What about this 8 reales 1801 from Mexico?
Is it nice or ugly?
Quote: kommodoreWhat about this 8 reales 1801 from Mexico?
Is it nice or ugly?
I most definitely do not enjoy that coin. :|
A six year Numista absence makes the heart grow fonder... ?
Quote: kommodoreWhat about this 8 reales 1801 from Mexico?
Is it nice or ugly?
Slap whoever did that. At least Carlos IV 8R are common. At least he didn't do it on older ones.
Numista referee for the "Viceroyalty of the New Spain" (most of it).
History through coins.
Eli V
Hmm it doesn't look that bad to me 8.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Austro-Hungarian-Empire-3-Kreuzer-Coin-Brooch-1660-1763-/121036988712?pt=US_World_Coins&hash=item1c2e5de128
Do you consider paint or airbrush to raise or lower value of the coin ?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Lot-Of-Two-2000-US-Silver-Eagles-Painted-1Oz-Silver-Eagles-1-Oz-Silver-Eagle-/131191537401?pt=US_Bullion_Coins&hash=item1e8b9ffef9

Jonathan
Quote: GeothermalBajaDo you consider paint or airbrush to raise or lower value of the coin ?
Well, considering they've gone for just above melt value, I'd say it lowers the value.

I've seen a number of painted/enamelled coins, and some can be very tastefully done. But I don't think that I'd paint on any coin that's uncirculated, or worth more than a couple of pound.
http://www.facebook.com/NumismaticsUK
I'm not an expert in any kind of coins, but I reckon I'm good at research and will do my best to help. Feel free to tell me my identifications/valuations/gradings are wrong. It's the only way I'll learn.
Quote: lbillowsI picked up this great bulk lot of coins, heaps of amazing stuff and some amazing stuff for all the wrong reasons!  -  Might put a list on the bargain finds later.

I pulled this one out of the postage bag, seeing the reverse first I was a little bit excited to see a reasonably nice grade on an old Victorian penny.



And the other side?




Permission to kick a Victorian in the face?
The one who has done this great crime is to be arrested and sentenced to be locked in the Tower of London for five years and then "hung from the neck till dead" (as would have been said in the good days).
Here's another interesting political statement, from WW II. It's being auctioned at the moment:
http://veiling.catawiki.nl/kavels/854919-nederland-1-gulden-1940-wilhelmina-in-londen

Just today my other half asked for a few coins from certain years to drill a hole through them and use them as keyring.

Honestly, I am hardly to say no, considering that they were minted in millions, they are badly worn and every collector has a decent grade one in their collection. Yes maybe they become valuable about 3000 years from now, but i even doubt that.
So that is the best use these fee coins can ever get.

Here is a 1899 Liberty V. The face was so slick when I picked it up for $1 at the LCS. That was probably too much for a nickel in that condition but I was able to turn her around with a copper feather and a 24k tooth.
Wow - brilliant - very nice !! :love:
Welcome to the site. :)
cool beans, welcome guitar, thanks for digging up this very interesting thread, I never would have found it.
Jamais l'or n'a perdu la plus petite occasion de se montrer stupide. -Balzac

thanks. I've been many times to this site as a reference but never took time to explore this far.
that is amazing! How is it done?!
That 100Fr is a particular favorite design of mine, I have almost a full set.
Jamais l'or n'a perdu la plus petite occasion de se montrer stupide. -Balzac
Quote: "Mr. Midnight"​that is amazing! How is it done?!
​That 100Fr is a particular favorite design of mine, I have almost a full set.


If you are looking for a full set I have a rare one if you are interested.

1958 Owl They go for around $65.
Quote: "myguitarismymistress"
​thanks. I've been many times to this site as a reference but never took time to explore this far.
​Nice craftmanship, but why for peacesake a skull and bones thing, is there not anything else, a little more positive, where you can put your energy in?????
...you can run,  but you can't hide...


Mr Midnight, it's done with an engraving setup. It doesn't have to be expensive but putting money in to buy tools helps with the headache of learning. You'd need some gravers, a vise to hold the coin and some magnification. The flame on the 100F is copper. I dug the flame out and made a small swimming pool. I prepped the bottom with teeth and there is inlay wire in different metals. You pretty much squishy he wire side by side to fill the area and the teeth hook the bottom side of the wire. Shape it and carve it how you like after that.

yvon: I got into it to carve skulls, so I have been doing what I like.
Marvelous! thanks for sharing.
the deaths-head moth is stunning
Jamais l'or n'a perdu la plus petite occasion de se montrer stupide. -Balzac
The farthing resembles something out of Pan's Labyrinth... awesome work!
I have a lot simpler one. Someone did not like coins, so my 10 penniä coin 1905...Someone made a big X on the middle of the coin, I dont know why. Guess someone hated that little coin.
Quote: "Monninen1"​I have a lot simpler one. Someone did not like coins, so my 10 penniä coin 1905...Someone made a big X on the middle of the coin, I dont know why. Guess someone hated that little coin.
​Was it done on the side with the monogram? Maybe someone hated the Tsar.
Quote: "CassTaylor"
Quote: "Monninen1"​I have a lot simpler one. Someone did not like coins, so my 10 penniä coin 1905...Someone made a big X on the middle of the coin, I dont know why. Guess someone hated that little coin.
​​Was it done on the side with the monogram? Maybe someone hated the Tsar.
​No, but on the side with everything else

Its actually 1900. I have too much of these to remember the dates. Also notice, someone has cut pieces from the edge/ rim. Quite weird
In the past few months at least there has been a floof of hobo coins that are being sold on Ebay with plenty of different designs and it seems again and again they are selling the exact same coin.
It seems that chinese mass produced copies are now being sold there, many using fake Morgan Dollar designs.
If you like coins, medals and tokens with ship motives follow my new instagram account with regular updates @numisnautiker
From time to time I sell some coins on Ebay make sure to follow me @apuking on Ebay.
Quote: "apuking"​In the past few months at least there has been a floof of hobo coins that are being sold on Ebay with plenty of different designs and it seems again and again they are selling the exact same coin.
​It seems that chinese mass produced copies are now being sold there, many using fake Morgan Dollar designs.
​Yes, the Chinese have caught on the interest in hobo coins and now fake them too. I wonder what's next...
Nice coin... The engraving looks really cool, though it’s a bit distorted!
I saw recently an eBay seller that does great work on old UK 1 Penny coins ...

Sold for £35

These are the current ones ...
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/163956063706



At least they are not made from valuable coins.
Quote: "ZacUK"​ I saw recently an eBay seller that does great work on old UK 1 Penny coins ...

Sold for £35

​ These are the current ones ...
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/163956063706



​ At least they are not made from valuable coins.
​Some of thoose are really nice. I would buy the puzzle without doubt (but for less money)
Se queres ca muller che queira, ten diñeiro na carteira

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