Expert: Brad Swain - 5/26/2010

Question
We have several old coins namely 1.M.THERESIA DG R.Imp.HO.BO.REG on one side, other side ARCHID AVST BURG COTYR 1780.  2. SIMILAR TO 1.  3. WILHEMINA KONINGN DER NEDERLANDEN 1935.  4. QUEEN VICTORIA 1900. 5. GEORGE V 1935. 6. QUEEN ELIZABETH 1977. 7. 2 X SOLID SILVER QU. ELIZABETH 1977. 8. 3 X CHURCHILL CROWNS.

Answer
Hi Jackie, 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.
1) It's what is known as a Maria Theresia Thaler. They were originally struck by Austria and portray the empress who reigned 1740-80. The coin was used as an unofficial trade dollar in Africa and the Near East and nearly a billion were restruck with the same date by many world mints well into the later 20th century. The initials S. F. under the bust represent the two 1780 Günzburg mint officials, Tobias Schöbl (S) and Joseph Faby (F).
The Maria Theresia thaler, which in the 19th century was quite simply the thaler of the Levant, vied especially with the Spanish peso as a coin of trade and was in widespread use throughout south-eastern Europe, present-day Turkey, the Arabian Peninsula and large parts of Africa. In Greece, for example, it was taken out of circulation only in 1882.
Instrumental in the spread of the Maria Theresia thaler was the coffee trade. In Ethiopia it was in circulation by the end of the 18th century and was the official currency from the beginning of the 19th century to 1936, when the country was occupied by Italy. The Maria Theresia thaler continued to be struck even later, for example, in Rome, London (until 1961) and even in Bombay. Today the Vienna mint continues to produce small amounts of the coin.
It should weigh 28.0668 grams and would contain .7517 of an ounce of silver and may be worth a little bit above that if uncirculated depending on collector demand.
Current gold and silver values: http://www.kitco.com/market/ .
You might also try a library for a copy of the Standard Catalog of World Coins for pictures, pricing and more info. Check here for differences in originals and restrikes: http://www.jdsworld.net/article/m_theresa_thalers.html
2) same thing?
3) Netherlands, what denomination?
4) Great Britain, what denomination?
5) Great Britain, what denomination?
6) Great Britain, what denomination?
7) Great Britain, what denomination?
8) 1965 Churchill 1 Crown coins are copper-nickel and worth up to about $1.50 depending on amount of wear and collector demand.
You might also try a library for a copy of the Standard Catalog of World Coins for pictures, values and lots more interesting info.
World coin pictures and some values may be found here: http://worldcoingallery.com/index.htm ,
http://www.coinarchives.com/ , http://omnicoin.com/search/ , http://allnumis.com/ , and http://www.numismaster.com/ta/numis.jsp .
Brad