December 2008.

Next club meeting - Monday 5th January 2008.

Meetings are held at the Abbey Baptist Church, Abbey Square, commencing at 7.00 p.m.

December meeting

The hoi-polloi.As last year, twenty-six members braved a cold December evening to attend the members’ meeting and everybody appeared to thoroughly enjoy it. Several of the members brought along their own bits and pieces to trade and augmented the usual run of dealers.


Our host for the evening. Once again Henry provided the food, this year including smoked salmon in addition to the usual mince pies, cheese, biscuits and other goodies. Henry received a round of applause for doing such a good job.


Four members provided interesting displays.

Michael had a range of older banknotes of differing denomination, issuer and signatures.


Neil talked about a Franklin Mint halfpenny.


Graham talked about paper tokens.


Gavin had a display of two common countermarked Napoleon III 10 Centime pieces (Pears and Empire Immense Success Theatre) and one very rare with both countermarks.


As last year, there was a quiz which Gavin Scott had organised, details given below and answers to follow in next month’s newsletter for those of you not there on the night. It was a close competition and came down to a tie-break between Neil Beaton and Frank Milward. After five tie-break questions Neil finally got his nose ahead of Frank and won the competition.

A very entertaining evening and one firmly fixed in the Club’s calendar.

Future Meetings

The next meeting is the annual Short Talks evening. If any member is willing to talk on any numismatically related subject to try and win the Marc Myhill Memorial shield for this season, please contact a member of the committee.

The club auction is due to take place at the February meeting. Please bring along your coins, medals, tokens, banknotes and any other numismatic material to the January meeting and hand them to any committee member. If we all put in just a few lots we can make this an enjoyable and successful evening. The auction commission charge will be 10% of the hammer price.

Numismatic Quiz

  • What does SC stand for on Roman coins?
  • Who issued a Roman coin reading DIC.TUR? (Clue – NOT Dick Turpin)
  • Which country issued the denomination Sucre?
  • Which West Indian country other than French colonies has issued Francs?
  • When were round farthings first issued?
  • Who was the first English king to be portrayed wearing a laurel wreath?
  • When was the name of a denomination first given to an English regal coin?
  • When was a leek first shown on British coins?
  • Copper coins were issued dated 1860 – true or false?
  • What is the significance of the date of the first St Helena coinage?
  • Which country issued the denomination Gourde?
  • What is the origin of the nickname Tanner for 6d?
  • How long did Pistrucci work on his Waterloo medal – 2, 5, 21 or 30 years?
  • What was the nickname of the Britannia Groat?
  • When was the Royal Mint moved from the Tower to Tower Hill?
  • What mint is represented by the letter R on French coins?
  • What mint is represented by the letter J on German coins?
  • Why were gold coins issued by South Africa in 1953 called pound / ˝ pound not sovereign / ˝ sovereign?
  • The English word “cash” is derived from the Indian and Chinese coins of the same name – true or false?
  • “Eagle” is the nickname of what coin?

    Future Events.

    Past Events.

    In December 1978 Michael Broome spoke on "Islamic Coins".

    In December 1988, we had Short Talks by Members.

    Ten years ago in 1998, Paul Jenkins talked on the Role of Coins in Archaeology.


    Last but not least - A Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all our readers.