AUCTION HOUSE HIGHLIGHTS
COINS AND BANK NOTES Rick Parrish introduces some notable lots that came up for sale this April at Ripon-based auctioneers Elstob & Elstob
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oin collecting has been popular for over 2,000 years. The ancient Roman emperors collected and gifted coins issued by earlier Greek kings, and the practice of coin collecting was revived by 14th-century European monarchs, earning it the nickname ‘the hobby of kings’, explains expert numismatist Rick Parrish. Today coin collecting is no longer reserved for the elite, with collectable categories to suit every whim and budget. The Royal Mint now issues large numbers of celebratory and commemorative coins that can be found in circulation, and these coins are hugely popular because of the nostalgia they offer.
Recently coin collecting has seen something of a boom, and sale records are regularly being broken. With bank interest rates so low, collectors have looked to diversify their savings and investments. And thanks to the advent of third-party grading and authentication, even novice collectors can now buy a rare coin and have no doubts about its authenticity. Coins offer something tangible that other investments such as alcohol in bond or stocks and shares do not. It is this link to the past, combined with good financial performance and an ever-growing demand, that has taken the hobby from strength to strength. Dales Life | SUMMER 2022 |
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