Expert: Brad Swain - 2/12/2010

Question
half anna east india company1804 with 2 lizards on the back ,
half rupee east india 1840 silver colour
one penny 1918 gold colour
conf helvitica 1883 silver colour
1 Fr. silver colour 1876
I have these 4 coins in good condition please let me know about them...
thanks..
larsen

Answer
Hi Larsen, Collector value of a coin depends on denomination (face value), date, mint mark (if any), number minted and condition of a coin, including amount of wear, any dents, scratches or cleaning as well as collector demand for it.
If you have pictures (not over 1 megabyte each please) you can email them to me at tbirde@psknet.com.
half anna east india company 1804 with 2 lizards on the back, likely a modern This seems to be a fantasy coin. A 'fantasy' piece is when someone creates or hijacks an official design and changes it to suit whatever purpose they imagine that will make the coin interesting enough to sell as a souvenir or conversation piece to someone who is unfamiliar with the genuine pieces.
You might also try a library for a copy of the Standard Catalog of World Coins for pictures, values and lots more interesting info.
half rupee east india 1840 silver, Queen Victoria (1837-1901), weighs 5.83 grams and contains .1719 of an ounce of silver. Several varieties. May be worth about $3 or more depending on amount of wear and collector demand.
one penny 1918 gold, Great Britain , probably plated for jewelry.
conf helvitica 1883 silver, Helvetia is the Latin name the Romans gave the Switzerland area over 2000 years ago. The Swiss achieved an independent confederation of cantons in 1291. What is the denomination (face value)?
1 Fr. silver 1876, Swiss?
With more info I'll be glad to help further.
You might also try a library for a copy of the Standard Catalog of World Coins for pictures, values and lots more interesting info.
Brad