The date was March 5th, 1930. Martin Coles Harman, self proclaimed king of Lundy Island, is charged with violating section 5 of the British Coinage Act of 1870. Harman lost that case, but that is not the end of the story of Lundy or it’s popular (if not official) coinage series.

The history of Lundy Island begins in Neolithic times, when the first settlers reached Lundy. Years later, 5th-6th century inhabitants leave inscribed stones, assuring Lundy’s place in history. For the next 1500 years, Lundy Island would be controlled by the Knights Templar, several British kings, William de Marisco, numerous pirates and privateers, wealthy British subjects and officials, businessmen, millionaires and a conservation group.

The modern history of Lundy begins in 1748, when member of parliament Thomas Benson leased the island from Lord Gower at a rate of £60 per year. Benson’s interest in Lundy was proven to be nefarious when he used the island to hide huge shipments of tobacco to avoid customs payments, which was considered smuggling. Perhaps the worst offense, however, was committed when Benson secured a contract to transport convicts to Virginia, but instead of embarking on a long and expensive sea voyage, he took the prisoners to Lundy, where they essentially became his slaves. To make matters worse, Benson kept the remaining funds granted to him by the contract, despite transporting the convicts just a few miles.

In 1752, Benson devised his most ambitious crime against the Crown. In deep trouble from the British authorities for continually smuggling tobacco into Lundy without paying customs taxes, Benson had his men purposely set a brigantine from his fleet on fire to claim the insurance money. Rather than be convicted of insurance fraud, he allowed his captain -an honorable man by the name of John Lancey- to take the fall for the crime. Given the choice to secure his freedom by pointing to Benson as the mastermind behind the scheme or face the judge, Lancey opted not to implicate his former employer. He was hanged on June 7th, 1754 at age 27.

Still in trouble with England, Benson fled to Portugal, where he remained (except for a brief period in which he fled to Spain when his extradition was called for) until his death in 1772 at age 64.

Yet another scofflaw to own Lundy was William Hudson Heaven, who purchased the island in 1834 as a hunting retreat. Like so many others have done, Heaven proclaimed Lundy a free island. The family’s finances soon deteriorated, however, and by the time Heaven’s grand-nephew had inherited the island (Heaven left it to his son, who in turn left it to his nephew), the Heaven family’s economic condition had further soured. Lundy was sold to Augustus Langham Christie in 1917. Christie owned the island until 1925, when it was sold for £16,000 to a wealthy financier named Martin Coles Harman.

The time that the Harman family owned Lundy is most interesting period to numismatists (and philatelists, as stamps were also issued by Harman beginning in 1929), as this was the only time that coins were actually minted exclusively for use on the island. The coins, denominated in puffins and half-puffins were equivalent in value to the British Pennies and half-Pennies respectively, were issued in 1929. Both coins featured Harman’s profile on the obverse, along with the words, “MARTIN · COLES · HARMAN” and the date. The one puffin pieces depict a full-body view of a puffin standing on a rock along with the denomination, while the half-puffin features a partial view of the puffin from the chest up along with the denomination. The depiction of a whole puffin on the one puffin coin and half of a puffin on the half-puffin coin is probably not an accident but a deliberate play on words. Both pieces also feature a lettered edge with the words, “LUNDY LIGHTS AND LEADS”. Both the one and half-puffin were minted in bronze and were struck in Birmingham, England by the Heaton’s Mint. Each denomination has a mintage of 50,000.

A second series of coins was issued to celebrate the fortieth anniversary of Harman family ownership of Lundy Island in 1965. This time they weren’t meant as a medium of exchange. These pieces were struck for collectors, Lundy inhabitants and as presentation sets. They bear the same design and denominations as the 1929 issues, but were struck in bronze, nickel-brass and gold. They boast a total of 3,000 each for the base metal pieces, and 50 each for the gold pieces.

Pattern pieces also exist. They can be distinguished from the regular 1929 issues by a thicker flan and by the fact that they have no edge lettering.

After Martin Cole Harman’s death in 1954, his son, Albion P. Harman, inherited the island. Lundy Island was put up for sale shortly after Albion’s death in 1968. It was then purchased for £150,000 by a British millionaire named Jack Hayward, who gave it to the National Trust in 1969. The National Trust then leased it to the Landmark Trust. Lundy is now a popular tourist spot. Popular activities include nature walks and rock climbing. Cottages are rented by the Landmark Trust company.

The coins of Lundy Island, though few, make a very interesting base metal type set at a pretty affordable price. All but the gold and pattern issues are valued at under $20 each (that is, in MS or AU for the 1929 issues, and proof for the 1965 issues), which means a set of base metal issues can be obtained for about $100 (there are 6 issues, and some are valued at anywhere from $10-$15.) The Lundy Island coins are unmatched in design among the coinage of unrecognized countries/states, and they are an extremely interesting (but short-lived) series when you take into consideration the history of Lundy Island, it’s most eccentric resident, Martin Coles Harman, and it’s most famous inhabitant, the puffin.

By RHM22 Member CHF #169

October 19, 2009

Varieties by German State 1900-1918
This list covers 2, 3 and 5 Mark coins

Baden – Mint Mark: G
1902 to 1907 5Mark coin
I’ve not seen enough of these to know what the varieties are

Bavaria – Mint Mark: D
2Mark 1901 to 1908 and then 1912 to 1913. The variety is the open and closed hair curl on the top of Otto’s head. It is a very noticeable curl.
The 3Mark coin 1908 to 1918 has the same variety as the 2Mark coin.
The 5Mark coin 1901 to 1904 and then 1906 to 1908. Minted again in 1913. The same variety as the 2Mark and 3Mark coins.

Burnswick-Wolfenbuttel – Mint Mark: A
3Mark 1915. Some of the coins have U LUNEB added to the obverse. The coins without the U LUNEB added are the most sought after, with only 1,700 being minted.
The 5Mark coin has the same variety as the 3Mark coin, with only 1,400 being minted without the U LUNEB added.

Wurttemberg – Mint Mark: F
3Mark commemorative (25th Wedding Anniversary) 1911. The letter H on the obverse in the name Charlotte, is known to have a Low Bar H and a High Bar H. The High Bar H is the most sought after, with a mintage of 7,000.
Its is very easy to tell the difference between a LOW BAR H and the High Bar H. If the H looks normal with the cross bar in the middle,..than it is a Low Bar. If the cross bar looks to be higher up and not in the middle, than it is a High Bar.

These are the only varieties that I know of during the time period covering 1900 to 1918.

Become a specialized collector

What is a specialized collector ? A specialized collector is someone that not only has knowledge in the coins they collect, but, the collector will categorize his collection (denomination, mint mark and so on). He or she can be a variety collector, a commemorative collector, mint error collector, date or mint mark collector, low mintage collector or a type collector.
Being mainly a 16th to 19th century Austrian and German coin collector. I collect by the states that make up those countries, and have sub-groups within. I’ve categorized my collection into three categories.

Category 1: This category is for minor coins from the States that make up the country
Sub groups:
a) This would included the minor coins denomination and mint mark

Category 2: This category is coins of large denomination minted for each State that make up the country
Sub groups:
a) This would include the denomination and mint mark
b) This is set up for German Reform Coinage

Category 3: This category is for commemorative coins
Sub groups:
a) This sub group is split up into commemoratives minted for the individual States (Austrian and German States)

Now to the most important part. You must do some major research on the coins you are going to collect. If your going to buy Raw coins (not graded by a TPGS), you must learn how to grade the coin. You need to gain knowledge on how to spot a weak strike from actual wear. Learn which mint marks are the rarest and which dates are the key-dates and semi-keys. If you want to take it a step farther. Study up on which coins have known error’s and varieties. As always, the knowledge you gain is the most important aspect in coin collecting. Remember one thing. The less knowledge you have, the more money wasted. The more knowledge you have, is more money saved when starting out in coin collecting. If that statement makes no sense to you,…sit back and think about.

Prooflike World Coins from the 18th and 20th centuries are as much sought after as PL Morgan dollars are. The biggest difference, is that PL World Coins are so much more affordable. These are the coins that World coin collectors should be searching for. World coins from the 17th and 18th centuries with proof like surfaces are rare and only a fraction of the World coin collecting community are taking advantage of seeking them out. As World coin collectors start to find out how rare these coins really are, then and only then, will these coins start to take a huge jump in price. So until this starts to happen, take advanced of the opportunity to start collecting them while the prices are still low.

What makes these coins so rare you may ask ? Just like PL Morgan dollars, these coins are first strike coins. Only a few hundred coins will have PL surfaces. Even if the coin has a large over all mintage and is considered a common date. The PL surfaces have to be taken into account as to why the coin carries a premium price tag. One other thing to look for, is a prooflike coin with Cameo. What do I mean by Cameo ? The raised portions (designs) on the coin will have a frosted look. The deeper the Cameo is, and the deeper the mirror (prooflike) surfaces are, the rarer the coin is. Remember we are talking business strike coins here,.. and not actual Proof struck coins that are made using special dies.

On another note, lets talk about what to look for in a coin to add to your collection. My advice is to look for a coin with nice clean surfaces with minimal contact marks. Look for strong strikes and if you like toned coins, mark sure the toning does not take away from the coin. Avoid dark looking silver coins if its not in the very rare category. By all means, if you find a high grade common date coin with prooflike surfaces with cameo, and its in your price range, do get it. If it’s a low mintage coin that is also not considered rare, but has prooflike surfaces, then jump all over it. Advanced collectors love low mintage coins in high grade be it rare or not. Why buy if its not rare ? My take on this question is this. As US coins keep getting higher in price, world coins are becoming more popular with collectors. The investors have not jumped into the World coin market with both feet like they have with the US coin market. Once they do,…well I think you can figure out from here.

We are hosting a World Coin contest on our forum. You just join the forum and post what World Coin Series you collect and why you still collect them, in 80 words or less. It’s totally FREE! Click the link below to enter.

World Coin Contest

This is the realm of the low mintage and most sought after super coins.

Quite some time ago when I was just getting into collecting. I was always amazed at the coins that were never within my means. So, I write about them. Most collectors do not know that there were coins in circulation that were as large as 100mm being minted in Germany. That’s correct, 100mm. The design work on these coins are amazing. The Thalers (Taler) in circulation during the 17th and 18th century were not small coins by any means (40+mm). And, some of the Thalers from this time period fall into that super coin category. There are a small numbers of books wrote on these coins (most in German), and are of great value to own, as a good book is a must. If you can not afford these coins, at lest find on book on them if you’re a world coin collector.
These coins are collected by investors and coin collectors alike. Anyone that buy’s one of these super coins, will never have to worry about ever thinking if they made a bad choice. Now, there are many fakes on the market. Only buy one that’s has been looked at by an advanced collector, or that has been graded by a well trusted TPGS. I would recommend PCGS, NGC and ANACS only. As these companies have a very good knowledge base on these coins. I will say also, that I’ve never seen one of these 100mm Thalers in a slab.

On the other end of the spectrum, there is what I would call a series of coins that are super coins in there own right. These are my all time favorites, known as the Swiss Shooting Thalers of the mid to late 1800’s. The German Shooting Thalers from the same time period will also fit within this category. While these coins are more sought after by advanced collectors, these coins are affordable for the beginning collector that can spend $400 to $5,000+ dollars on one in mint state 65 and better. The mintage figures for these very sought after coins are from 1,000 to 30,000 pieces, and are not easy to find in MS-65 and above. The reason being, is that they are bought up very fast when one does hit the market. The other good thing I should mention, is do not overlook buying one in AU,($250 to $1,000) as the prices on these Shooting Thalers do not go down. The Shooting Thaler is a sleeper coin that the Advanced collectors have known for some time. Now is the time to jump in and get a few while you can before the prices are out of reach.

While this is a more advanced area of collecting, it is a very interesting and important part of collecting. I’ve thought about starting a small collection of what is called Pieforts. These coins are the most interesting and largest coins made. They are double the thickness of the regular series coins they represent. These pattern coins are massive and have very, and I mean very low mintages. They are very much sought after. The designs are truly works of art on metal, and show that an engraver is a true artist. My favorites are the French 50 and 100 Franks. While these coins are not cheap, they are very good investment pieces to own. The first thing to do, is to buy a good book and study the designs and then make up your mind which ones you would like to collect. Make sure you also checkout Auction prices on the ones you may be interested in.
As with any coins you may be interested in buying, make sure you do your studying up on them first. Do not start to spend your money on coins you do not know anything about. Checking the market on the up swing and down swing in pricing is very important. Again, make sure to go for coins that are collector driven in pricing and not investor driven. This is where an advanced collector can be your best friend, as they know which coins will do you the best in the long haul. But, do not use Advanced collectors as your only learning tool. Buy books and study. As with anything, it will take some time to become educated, and you will at some point and time, make a bad buy on a coin. This not only happens to beginning collectors, but also Advanced collectors. So, if you can, buy a few of these for your collection.

German 2 Mark Commemorative list with Krause catalog numbers
1900 to 1915

 

 

 

 

 

 

 German State:

Baden

1902: 2 Mark commemorative of 50th year of Reign KM# 271
1906: 2 Mark commemorative of Golden Wedding Anniversary KM# 276
1907: 2 Mark commemorative of Friedrich Death KM# 278

Bavaria

1911: 2 Mark commemorative of Prince Regent Luitpold 90th birthday KM# 997

Brunswick – Wolfenbuttel

No 2 Mark commemorative coin minted

Hamburg

No 2 Mark commemorative minted

Hesse – Darmstadt

1904: 2 Mark commemorative of the 400th birthday of Phillip the Magnanimous KM# 372

Mecklenburg – Schwerin

1901: 2 Mark commemorative of Grand Duke coming of age KM# 330
1904: 2 Mark commemorative of Friedrich Franz IV Wedding KM# 333

Mecklenburg – Strelitz

No 2 Mark commemorative minted

Oldenburg

No 2 Mark commemorative minted

Prussia

1901: 2 Mark commemorative of 200th Anniversary – Kingdom of Prussia KM# 525
1913: 2 Mark commemorative of 100th Anniversary of Victory over France KM# 532
1913: 2 Mark commemorative of 25th year of Reign KM# 533

Reuss – Obergreiz

No 2 Mark commemorative minted

Saxe – Altenburg

1901: 2 Mark commemorative of Ernst 75th birthday KM# 144

Saxe – Coburg – Gotha

No 2 Mark commemorative minted

Saxe – Meiningen

1901: 2 Mark commemorative of Duke’s 75th birthday KM# 196
1915: 2 Mark commemorative of Georg II death KM# 206

Saxe – Weimar – Eisenach

1903: 2 Mark commemorative of Duke’s first Marriage Y# 172
1908: 2 Mark commemorative of Jena University 350th Anniversary Y# 174

Saxony

1902: 2 Mark commemorative of Albert’s death KM# 1255
1904: 2 Mark commemorative of Georg’s death KM# 1261
1909: 2 Mark commemorative of 500th Anniversary of Leipzig University KM# 1268

Schaumburg – Lippe

1904: 2 Mark commemorative of Prince Georg’s death Y# 203

Schleswig – Holstein

No 2 Mark commemorative minted

Schwarzburg – Rudolstadt

No 2 Mark commemorative minted

Schwarzburg – Sondershausen

1905: 2 Mark commemorative of 25th Anniversary of Reign KM# 152 Thick Rim
1905: 2 Mark commemorative of 25th Anniversary of Reign KM# 153 Thin Rim

Waldeck – Pyrmont

No 2 Mark commemorative minted

Wurttemberg

No 2 Mark commemoratives minted

Early Swiss Minor Coinage (silver)

Swiss minor coins from the 1820s are very affordable in mint state grade. I collect the denomination called Batzen. The 5 Batzens are my favorites. I’m working on a set collecting one 5 Batzen coin from each Swiss Canton that minted that denomination. They are a nice size, and can run in price from $125 in MS-63 to $400 in MS-66, depending on which Canton it was minted for. If you’re a variety collector, then the 5 Batzen coins will not disappoint you. The main varieties are in the spelling of the denomination Batzen. Some are spelt Batz and some are Baz. This is were the price difference comes into play. Try to make a set that would include all varieties.
If you would like to put a specialized set together. Then go with the following denominations. Batzen, 2½ Batzen and 5 Batzen. I would also include all the verities as that would make your set a very specialized one. Also, you do not have to buy each coin in mint state condition. But, I would not buy them in grades lower than AU.

One important thing I should point out. If your going to buy raw coins than study this series very good. You will need to build your knowledge base. Most coins within this series can look very crude even in MS-66 condition. Look at the photos included within this article and you will understand what I mean. Having a good knowledge base with these coins will be a pulse for you. How is this ? Most dealers do not have a good knowledge base on these coins. So you could buy a mint state coin for AU or EF prices, due to the fact that most dealers do not know how to grade these coins. I’ve looked at many Swiss 2½ Batzen and 5 Batzen pieces. It seems as though the Swiss mints used the dies until they fell apart. Now, it was common in those days to use the dies until they were so worn down that the coin strikes were very weak. Most of the minor coinage struck in the Canton of Bern, can look very crude. I’ve seen strong strikes with PL surfaces and graded MS-65 (by PCGS & NGC), that have parts of the design missing, very strong strike through, strong letter and date doubling….ect…ect.. This is very good for variety collectors. I have a 5 Batzen minted for the Canton of Bern, that is graded NGC MS-65 PL. Most of the obverse design of the bear’s back leg is missing. It has strong doubling of the obverse lettering. Now, this takes me to the next part of this subject at hand. PCGS and NGC do not state the mint errors or PL surfaces on most world coins. I’ve seen world coins sent in with very obvious mint errors and PL and DMPL surfaces, and the errors or PL surfaces are not shown with the grade (such as MS-65 PL). This is also good for the collector. Why ? Most advanced collectors know that PL surfaces with a strong strike, can bring a premium when sold to another advanced collector that knows a coin like this is highly sought after. I do feel that PCGS and NGC will sooner or later, start to include and mark it on their slab’s the mint errors and PL surfaces a world coin may have. This will happen, as high grade world coins are becoming very popular with US collectors.

US coins are to much investor price driven, and most collectors can not afford to pay $3,000.00 for a common date MS-66 or MS-67 Morgan dollar. Even the MS-64 and 65 grades are becoming high in price do to investors.

In closing this article, I have a thought I would like to share.
What most collectors do not know, is that 16th to 19th century world coins are affordable, and some of the coins have very low mintages (a lot lower than Morgan dollars and US gold coins). Also, there are hundreds of coins for the variety collector. Within the last ten years, I’ve seen a growth in world coin collectors. There are more rare and affordable scarce world coins than US coins. There is one bad out look with the growth of collectors of world coins. The investor will start to jump in and push the prices up as they do with popular US coins. So, before its to late, take a good look at world coins. My list to look at would be the following.

1) Austrian/ Hungarian and German ¼ Taler, ½ Taler, Taler and 2 Taler, from the 1500’s to the late 1800’s.
2) Early 1700’s to 1800’s Russian Rubles. These are very hot sellers now, but are very pricy.
3) The ever so popular Swiss Shooting Thalers from the mid 1800’s. These are sought after by advanced collectors specializing in Swiss coinage. These Thalers never go down in value and should be in every world coin collectors collection. Do to there low mintages, never pass up an AU.
4) English and French coins from the 13th to 19th centuries. Can be very pricy.
5) Coins from 16th to 18th century Spain. Very, very pricy.