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The top coin appears to be a Roman coin, although without seeing more detail it would be very difficult to ID unless you find someone familiar with this area of collecting. The text on the Reverse doesn't ring any bells regarding any of the mints, so it may be a copy...but hopefully someone will assist.

I think Rafa was swayed by the fans at the backend of last season. He's like the rest of us (loves to be loved)! Chelski hate us anyway as we are often their bogey side so it'll be nice to hear the away end bouncing to "Rafa, Rafael, Rafa, Rafael, Rafael Benitez" after we go 2 up.... Thanks re the old boy Mike. He was my best mate and saleroom sidekick so I'm a bit lost at the moment TBH. The write up was my tribute to him and the picture was taken on the most expensive day of my life (I should have said "I don't" but you live and learn). He was always torn between the 2 denominations but in the end he would always take a halfcrown over a penny. I'll lose money selling via auction but it was the only way I could put his mark in the numismatic history books and raise enough cash quickly enough to buy his house (if all goes well). Feel free to bid away......

Great idea. I get so brassed off with blatant dishonesty. As you say, e bay seem unwilling to get involved.

You're lucky to have a manager with Rafa's pedigree, especially as he did the decent thing and stopped after Newcastle were relegated in 2016. I hope the Newcastle fans chant his name loudly at Stamford Bridge next season, after the appalling treatment he got from Chelsea's fans, during his time there. Anyway, sorry to learn of your Dad's passing. Some great pennies in his collection, which I notice has now got its own section "The Frank Stephenson collection of pennies", as well as a section for the halfcrowns, and a really nice write up. Good to see you back anyway.

Andy's ok. He likes his gold.

Not anysort of expert on these but looks gen - if its a fake its a really good one

It looks absolutely fine to me. Without handling it I would agree that it's a genuine mint issue and grades at VF or a touch better. If it is a fake it is a very old one as it is virtually impossible for the fakers to get the difference in colour into the legend and the bits of dirt into the edge milling in the field. What was the source of the purchase?

I was thinking that also. It has a similar look of a Hadrian Britannia issue coin. There quite rare though. Also i think they where struck only in bronze. As colin says it could be reproduction.

There isn't anything that screams fake. The obverse looks ok to the extent that the distance from the legend to the linear circle looks ok (i.e. variable) on the obverse compared to the illustration in Marsh. The image of the reverse isn't good enough to pass comment. What does the edge look like as I can't see any trace of the milling?

Not so well versed as you might imagine - I had to write down the dates to get the regnal years correct. Should be able to recite those just as you would the times tables or mental arithmetic. The edge is the regnal year, i.e. the twelve month period following accession to the crown and every subsequent anniversary. So in the case of William III, PRIMO will be 12 months from 13th Feb 1688/9 to the 1st anniversary in 1689/90; SECUNDO the following year to 13th Feb 1690/1, etc. Don't forget the years are old style, with New Year's Day falling on March 25th, hence the use of 1688/9 etc

I'm not sure why anyone would say it should be a SEPTIMO edge because that would equate to the year ending 13th Feb 1695/6. The existence of the OCTAVO edge on a 1698 dated coin is therefore a case of the wrong collar used because up to 13th Feb 1697/8 should be NONO and 1698 DECIMO or UNDECIMO. The edge is always likely to be DECIMO, though the overdate could have the UNDECIMO edge if the reverse die was used during the 6 weeks after 13th Feb 1698/9. This is unknown, but not impossible, as old dies were brought out of retirement and repaired/recut. William ascended the throne on 13th February 1688/9, so that only leaves a 6 week period for the later edge to be used for any date, hence the book price differential for 1698 Decimo (VF £225) and 1698 Undecimo (VF £1000). Looking at the coin, I cannot see any reason for an estimate as high as 800-1200. I would have put the estimate at no more than 200-250.

I pointed out the other day to a seller trying to start an auction at £49.99 for a Elizabeth I shilling that it was a replica and marked WRL. His response was "Oh yeah so it is thanks for telling me" That was at 10am. Anyway it was still listed at 4pm as being a heavy silver Elizabethian 1500s coin so i msged him back telling him to change the listing or pull it as I'd told him it was a replica and he'd acknowledged it was. Got no response so i msged him again telling him i was going to post his item on the coin forums i use with a screengrab of my dialogue with him showing people that he was a crook trying to sell a replica coin as a genuine one to unsuspecting members of the public. 10 minutes later it was listed as a WRL coin although he still expects bidding to start at £49.99. From now on i am taking this approach with people as reporting it to Ebay does bugger all.

I remember when Radio 2 had a phone in about sexuality.A chap phoned in and said he was gay but mentioned he had a very small penis.BBC didn't even pick up when he said his name was Justin Sidebottom. I nearly crashed my car.