December 24th  2019.

Next club meeting Monday 6th January 2020.

 

Notices

·         Henry asked for volunteers for short talks by members for the January 2020 meeting. Four volunteers put their names forward but more are sought. If interested please contact the Hon Secretary.

·         Please continue thinking about Auction lots for March. All lots should be given to Ian Pratt, preferably at the January meeting or the February meeting at the very latest.

·         Apologies were received from John and Michael.

 

December Meeting

 

The Club meeting in December is a members evening: buying and selling, a buffet supper, a quiz, and presentations by members about interesting coins.

 

The buffet supper was organised once again by Henry and was much appreciated by the 30 or so members attending the meeting.  Gavin devised the quiz. As usual it was a bit demanding, nevertheless, the result was a draw – the winners being Neil and Tony.  The Club Treasurer was delighted to increase his typical score by 50% - by getting three correct! The answers to follow next month.

 

Two presentations were given.  The first, by Gavin, was a novel countermarked cartwheel penny he had recently acquired.

BIGGER

CUTLER

5. N KING. ST.

DUBLIN

 

John Bigger was a cutler at 36 Bolton St (later 41), Dublin, from 1836 to 1843, moving to N King St between 1844 and 1849.  Countermarks are also known on Irish pennies and penny tokens.

 

Graham gave the second presentation essentially about the small ancient Greek silver coinage.  The smallest displayed was a Ό obol of the city of Phocaea, the most northern of the Ionian cities on the Mediterranean coast of modern-day Turkey.  This minute coin (0.18 grams) was minted during the 6th Century BC.  The coin, also called a tetartemorion, was equivalent to 1/24 of a drachm. Next to it were coins of varying denomination – from minute to small.

The coinage of Ancient Greece has produced a large number of denominations under the Attic weight system. Weights ranged from the Dekagram (43 grams) down to the 1/8 obol (0.9) grams. Graham displayed a range of the smaller denominations under the banner – ‘Small is Beautiful’.

 

Members thanked Gavin and Graham for their most interesting presentations.

 

Members are advised that the meetings: Jan, Feb and March will be held in the Sanctuary (the Church) as the Abbey Baptist Church provides a home for the homeless during the winter months.

 

Xmas Dinner

 

Once again we returned to the Cunning Man for our December dinner where 17 current and previous members and partners enjoyed a sumptuous meal, accompanied by fine wines and plenty of entertaining conversation. People are already putting a reminder in their diaries for this prestigious event for next year! Well done to Peter for organizing such an excellent event and we all look forward to doing it all again next year.

 

Gavin’s Quiz (answers in the next issue)

  1. DEI GRATIA – first appearance on English coins – who or when?

2.      Which monarch issued English coins in 1557?

3.      Name 3 mints other than London used in the Great Recoinage of 1696-7

4.      Before 1707 what was one shilling Scots equivalent to in English currrency?

5.      What is the date on Dorrien and Magens shillings?

6.      What tokens were issued in Token House Yard in the City of London?

7.      What do the provenance marks elephant or elephant and castle signify?

8.      Scottish shillings were issued dated1938 – true or false?

9.      The office of Governor of the Mint of Scotland was abolished when - 1603, 1707, 1817 or 1837?

10.  When was the first English silver crown issued?

11.  Copper farthings were issued dated 1860 – true or false?

12.  What is the diameter of the pre-decimal bronze halfpenny?

13.  Young head farthings were issued dated 1895 – true or false?

14.  Black finish farthings were issued dated 1896 – true or false?

15.  Which monarch issued British coins in 1829?

16.  In which British territory were French coins current until 1830?

17.  Where were Perpers issued?

18.  Where were Sapeques issued?

19.  Who issued the first zinc coins?

20.  Where were Skars issued?

                                                                                         

Future Events.

Past Events

Finally a Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year to All Our Members.

Club Secretary.