14 September 2018
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We speak to Martin Roberts of AMR Coins to find out how he became involved in coins and what advice he has for coin collectors
When he was just six or seven years old, Martin Roberts of AMR Coins discovered some old coins at his grandparent’s house and he was soon hooked.
Like many of us, Martin quickly wanted to have his own collection and gradually became more serious about the hobby.
‘I was fairly committed as a youngster,’ he explains. ‘My mother took me to Seaby’s in London in about 1981 where I bought an Edward IV groat for £30, a lot of pocket money went into that! English coins have always been my passion, and I am particularly fond of hammered and early milled coins.’
Fast forward to today and Martin runs the highly regarded company AMR Coins, offering a range of services and helping collectors in many different ways.
‘We buy and sell outright,’ Martin says, ‘but we believe a good dealer is so much more than this and we enjoy helping collectors to put together a collection, advising along the way. We can sell coins for clients on a commission basis, view and bid for clients at auction, help with valuations, identification, advice, grading etc.’
‘Our customers always speak highly of our website and photographs, and we see this a strong point of our business. We also try to offer generally good quality material and are reasonably conservative with our grading. These latter points are not necessarily unique to us, there are a number of good specialists out there but there are a number that fall short too.’
Like many numismatic professionals, there is great pleasure in helping fellow enthusiasts and seeing beautiful pieces find a new home, and Martin is also keen to help newcomers. ‘I love helping people get established with the hobby’ he smiles.
‘The appeal is different for different people, some like to get one of every type, variety or date, others collect coins of a certain period, yet others for the aesthetic appeal. My starting point would be to find out what interests them, their expectations and budget and then I could advise accordingly. Also like any hobby, one can meet some fantastic individuals and make some great friends.’
So what advice does Martin have for the collector of British coins?
‘This might sound predictable,’ he says, ‘but don’t ignore your coin dealer! Many tend to assume that the best bargains will be at auction and this certainly isn’t always the case. Furthermore building a relationship with a good dealer can pay off in many ways from getting help and advice to being offered good material as it comes in. Another tip would be to still buy the best you can afford. Reasonably priced attractive coins will always find buyers and will always be easier to sell again when the time comes.’
Find out more at: www.amrcoins.com
