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I don't really get all this, if I'm honest. I can cope with F, VF, EF & UNC. How can something be nFDC, aFDC or one of the 6 different levels of FDC? How can MS70 be CGS 97, or 3 points higher at 100? I've given up and adopted Rob's two-point grading system: acceptable or not.

Just for information - my article on the new pound coin is due out in the April edition of Coin News.

Lighting is immensely important - I'd say the most important ingredient for taking good coin images. The type of light bulb (LED, incandescent, fluorescent) you use is less important, but understanding how to use that light source is key. For example, being able to set a custom white balance in your camera for your particular lights is key to getting realistic colors. The size of the light source (small bulb vs. large bulb) or the apparent size of the light source (e.g., a small light source diffused acts like a larger light source) is also important for fully lighting the coin's surface. The angle of the lights changes the appearance of the coin's surfaces a lot -- and your lights should always be placed above your mounted camera lens, if not even higher. With regard to lighting (in particularly angle), I wrote up a little article on the NGC forums some 3+ years ago, and I think it may be helpful. Keep your lights at a high angle to the surface on which the coin is placed, and diffuse them enough or use large enough light point surfaces to avoid hot spots on the coin. See my little schematic below of what my photography rig looks like. Second to lighting, I would say that mounting your camera on a solid copy stand or tripod is very important. Images taken with a hand held camera will be a bit "shaky" or lacking in detail. I have seen hand-held images of coins that get the message across, but the ability to zoom in and see details or inspect surfaces is very limited. Not only is mounting your camera on a sturdy surface important, but it is also important that your camera is aligned to the flat surface of the coin properly. By that I mean, the camera's detector (a small rectangular flat surface at the back of the lens where the image is focused) needs to be perfectly parallel with the coin's surface (i.e., in parallel planes). This is important for focusing reasons. The easiest way to make sure your camera is mounted parallel with the surface on which the coin is placed is to use a little mirror. Place the mirror where you would place the coin, and adjust your camera in the x, y, and z planes as needed until the center of your lens' reflection is perfectly centered in the camera's viewfinder. See the little schematic I created below. Lastly, practice, practice, and practice some more. I have now taken somewhere around 20,000 images of coins over the past 7 years. I have only been happy with my images for the past 4.5 years. It takes a while to get up to "happy" quality -- and I'm still improving my images and tweaking things today. I try to take at least some coin photos 2-3 days of every week. It just keeps me in the "zone". I hope some of these hints help a little. Best, Brandon

There is no reason for any grading system to be considered better than another, its all down to individual preference. As a beginner grading is difficult to get your head around and having a limited number of options is a benefit. If we only had the Sheldon scale most would just give up and call it a day. If however you are buying and selling for profit then I can see the logic in having a system that allows for a wider spread of grades which give a person more opportunities to differentiate between grades especially at the higher end. For me its just horses for courses, I am just an average collector and have no interest in buying and selling to make money, so using the standards of F, VF, and EF etc works for me and sticks to the KISS principle that I like to work with. If on the other hand you are a more serious collector then maybe the Sheldon scale is for you. There's room for everyone

Ditto

1870 Penny according to Mr Gouby date sub type D 12.5 teeth center of 1 to center of 0 (probably not seen) well now you have seen

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/UNCIRCULATED-GEORGIVS-V-1933-ONE-PENNY-COIN/292475220412?hash=item4418e1b1bc:g:H14AAOSwaVRaoIGR As i was saying above the place is full of RANG.

Mainly i feel because ebay is such a huge coin market people are looking for something for nothing and think everything is cheap.The coins you mentioned the average person (inc.me ) would not have a clue about and will just buy it for £+++ think they have got a bargain ,put it away and look for another coin thats cheap. Sad and pisses me off , if you look at anything on ebay not just coins its full of sellers trying to have people over Well spotted though and thanks for posting them. Although not my thing you have some lovely coins for sale on eBay......Your obviously one of the decent sellers so HAT OFF to you Pete.

Hello! I can not find any similar and nothing in varieties. Is it interesting coin?

Great - thanks for the clarification, I will now report.

One short of a Court Martial was "Tea with the Brigadier" in my time - no tea, no seat - you just stood there and had your fortune explained to you!

I reported both of these coins. Another I reported it's not even a good fake if there is such a thing.https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VICTORIAN-SILVER-CROWN-1892/323114460538?hash=item4b3b1f657a:g:PGoAAOSwLWZamv79

Until recently little is known that the author of Sherlock Holmes, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is an avid coin collector. Reading some of the articles here http://fourthgarrideb.com/2014/10/05/holmework-assignment-arthur-conan-doyles-coin-collection/ it appears at one time ACD collected Anglo Saxon to Charles II but auction the lot in 1913 at Sotherby because he decide to devote exclusively to ancient Greek and Roman coins. His collection of ancients were eventually broken up and sold by Manfra in 1968. I suspect coins with tickets with ACD writings would command a premium. Here is a tray from a cabinet that belong to ACD

It looks like the right coin for the slab ,but its not a vip proof .Its just a normal proof as far as I can see . the seller is saying its one of 6 minted and possibly the finest known , but pcgs say its 9th out of 26 slabbed by them . The seller should / would know this . either the buyer has received a fake coin and slab ,or his issue is it is not as described .

The rules are: Don't list anything over graded, badly described, with fraudulent hopes, dodgy in any way. In other words, don't make it look like eBay! Nothing non numismatic either, it's not bric-a-brac. Private individual sellers only please. You will need to have a minimum of 30 posts in order to be able to create or reply to a thread in this section. Try to keep it to items valued from £1 - £250. I know a lot of the members, so if anyone isn't sure about the credentials of a seller, please ask me. I provide no guarantee, all risks are down to the buyers and sellers involved in the transactions. I know you lot are all very sensible, but if I do see anything and think to myself 'You can't do that' or 'Bloody hell!' then it'll be removed. I'm very flexible as you know.