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Not flippant when you look into the history behind the differences - for example, the Mint had enormous problems with the early bronze coinage, which is why there are so many varieties for the first few years. Many of these varieties are 'significant', in that different designs can be seen (lighthouse, leaves in wreath, signature present somewhere or other or absent, beads vs teeth, die letters below lighthouse, position of bust, lettering, shield, etc) - some are very common, others very rare, added to which there are common obverses and reverses which are rare in particular combinations. One thing which varies a great deal is the position and angle of the final punched digit in the date. These correspond to different individual dies being used, there being no other difference to note. They of course might be of interest to a (very small) number of collectors, and those same collectors might equally wish to pursue a collection of different die numbers used on silver coins, and good luck to them - as has been said, it takes all sorts... However, the small collector base for these means that although certain dies may be rare, you'd have to search out an interested collector to get any premium over the listed price for - e.g. - a common variety of 1861 penny. Where it becomes more interesting (i.e. a greater number of potential collectors) is where you get a deliberate design difference in the spacing of date numerals, as can be seen between 1875 and 1879. A few varieties are rare, and though some collectors wouldn't be interested in the slightest, there are enough others to raise the premium on a particular variety by quite a large amount. HTH

I will hide under my rock (peter is the rock) I've never sent diddly to a TPG who know much less than I do...unbelievable why or how they exist....People need a pat on the back I suppose.I won't ever entertain these shysters...much rather put a coin up on Predecimal when at least you have some sharp eyed knowledge.Back to my chow main had a bit of a bonus this afternoon...the Gees came in I'm not just a coinie.

That phrase still fills me with terror 58 years on!

The obverse looks a bit weaker than the norm, and there seem to be a few small scratches on both sides (although they could be on the slab). Nice lustre though. However, there are going to be nicer ones around with a number less than 66. It certainly is not £290 worth of coin.

Here's the link for the 1917 sixpence: http://www.londoncoins.co.uk/?searchlot=2972&searchtype=2&page=Catalogue I can't see any wear, so I wouldn't have a problem calling it UNC. Whether or not it is actually lustrous remains to be seen, but I wouldn't be surprised to see it fetch £120 or maybe a bit more.

a) because conjecture is fun and c) who wants to wait 6 months for the Mint to be bothered to reply (that's even if they did, and assuming they know the answer)?

Honestly, I don't think it looks like a great sixpence and certainly not a lustrous UNC. LCA photos tend to flatter the coin and this one does not which suggests to me that it is not as described. The reverse is better than the obverse. The coin might make EF in my opinion. The estimate is very light. A top quality 1917 would go for anywhere from 90 - 130 pounds. I think the LCA estimate reflects the quality of the coin. They do tend to be weakly struck and the snub nose lion on the reverse is typical. Other years in the George V sixpences, you can find a much nicer nose on the lion.

They're not, not really. They're the scarcest of the Ed VII sixpences but they're not hard to come by compared to halfcrowns. The 1905 gains a small premium by a reputational 'drip down' effect of that date. In average condition they're not even scarce. Sometimes you have to factor in things that aren't directly connected to a particular issue, such as 1905 for silver.

Hi Irene there is a rare variety for 1976 the rare version being reverse C Probably the easiest way to spot the difference is the number 1 on the reverse on reverse C it is much closer to the border beads also the 1 itself is larger . I think there is a grammatical error as the picture in the book says rev C has larger serifs on the N's of PENNY and Longer legs. but the opening description for reverse C Which is found on the 1972 proof issue describes it completely the opposite. So I am kind of confused how to work out which is which. I would use the 1 being closer to the border beads as an obvious starting point. Hope it helps. Perhaps David could chime in on this as he wrote the book

So, how much would you be willing to pay for it if bought from a dealer? Or perhaps the question ought to be how many dealers are likely to stock things like this, and correctly identified? If you ask a customer what they are looking for, they will inevitably say just browsing, so it is always going to be difficult to know how popular a niche is. I say with a large measure of confidence that individual areas are inhabited by a very small number of specialists, with the type collector far surpassing any specialist group. Just maybe, the tidal wave of 50p, £1 and £2 collectors are closing in on the type collector, but suspect that is transient and driven mainly by the tabloids.

Hello all, As the title suggests, I am looking for ANY pre-1947 British Silver coins. Crowns to 3 pence and everything in-between. ANY condition sought. Happy to purchase large quantities or single items. Will pay by Bank Transfer or PayPal, sellers choice. Do let me know if you have anything you would like to move on. Cameron

Bought this a few days ago just waiting for it to arrive through the post. Not listed as far as I am aware. Anyone have 1? 1864 Half Penny stop between H and A and it is a very prominent stop as well. Makes up for some indifferent buys lately

Ah but Rob, researching a coin, trying to estimate the coins value and then bidding on it is half the fun! To me, buying coins that have been professionally assessed and priced is not so much of a hobby (though perhaps one I would pursue if I had deeper pockets!). Plus the dealers have added their ~50% commission plus VAT. But point taken - eBay is a big risk and disappointments abound. Yes I want to visit some coin fairs when I can :-)

This is the example i mentioned, still with the mud from the welsh marches intact.

The Latin more correctly translates as "to be feared from every side". Timenda is a gerundive (anyone remember them from their schooldays?!) which conveys a sense of obligation. Sorry... Classics teacher talking here!