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Managed to pick up a quite decent 1919H. Nice crisp strike to the reverse, with breast plate complete, and although not brilliant hair detail on the obverse, not absent either. Minor marking to the obverse devices at 2 o' clock and 8 o' clock, but that apart completely problem free. About GEF both sides. Still got that annoying problem with colour variation, although only slight this time. Reverse colour spot on. Left hand fingers not present, unfortunately.

This 8 over 6 variety is one of the harder ones to spot - there is only a little of the 6 visible usually. The wide 2 is also a clue as all the examples I've seen are from this die with the wide 2.

The printed word is far more practical when it comes to flipping between multiple pages, and as a reference volume, that will be what happens most often. The book every time for me.

Except I forgot to say it was George V so obverse 5 used 1928-1936.

A website is such a great resource to work with; I can update it at will and make the simplest or most complex of changes without having to print out pages etc.

Its seems to me that though I have been collecting for what seems like forever and now I have what i would consider a decent coin collection I still struggle identifying the varieties.

Though a later book, if you get the chance, pick up a gilt-edged copy of Noel Humphrey's, The Coinage of the British Empire (1854). They turn up occasionally at auction, usually in job lots, and can be purchased for a few pounds. I'm sure most have been butchered as the plates are perfect for framing and the binding did leave a lot to be desired so most copies are in tatters. Photos don't do them justice, they are very vivid.

Having used the two different mediums, as well as a kindle, I have to say that I much prefer an actual hard copy, hard back book. It will never mysteriously vanish or become corrupted, and you can just pick it up and look at it whenever you choose. Not to mention scrawl notes in the margin.

1860 Gouby T missing colons . my best find for a while

It's just a regular Tower 3a sixpence (S2813). The shape of the crown mark is not important as there were many punches of varying size covering the six silver denominations, not to mention the gold as well. Sold as a Dovey Furnace 6d? Yet another demonstration of the unfailing ability of people to identify only the rarest possible option. Despite the Tower 6ds occupying a full page in Spink's tome, there being no plume above the shield on the coin in question and virtually all priced in the low pounds (for this type £50 fine, £200 VF), the vendor remarkably manages to pick out the one priced at £1350 fine and £4500 VF, which although not illustrated, is described as similar to the shilling as is the 4d which is illustrated. With no example in John Hulett's collection nor Lord Stewartby's, and the number known can be counted on one hand, why anyone would think they have one is beyond me. Brooker had one, but if the vendor had taken the time to look, they might have noticed the bust is the wrong size, the crown mintmark is the wrong shape, there is no plume in front of the bust, there is a plume above the shield, which in any case is a different shape, size and has different garnishing. On the plus side, there IS a VI in the field behind the bust and the legend does start CAROLVS D G, but it all goes tits up at MAG. Never mind, hope springs eternal. FYI, yours is the sixpence equivalent of the shilling shown below, which similarly exists with mms. bell, crown and tun, i.e. it has the same basic constituents for layout and design features.

1909 F169 The one that went unsold in the last LCA.

Think your correct paddy. I have one very similiar of Constantine I Details as follows for mine Roman Follis Constantine I as Augustus Reigned 307 - 337 AD struck c.Mid-310 AD Londinium mint ( London) Obverse IMP CONSTANTINVS P F AVG Laureate, cuirassed bust right Reverse SOLI INVIC_TO COMITI Sol, radiate, standing facing, head left, chlamys across left shoulder, right hand raised, globe in left T | F across fields PLN in exergue

It suddenly started in 1911, when the deep profile portrait of GV came in. For comparison, the portrait of Ed8 is sufficiently shallower that ghosting is less pronounced and Britannia suffers much less. As the ghosting was an accidental effect, it is neither intentional nor invariable so there are good strikes out there, but they're hard to get hold of. As for the poor hair detail on some, that's purely down to the overuse of dies - note how the increase in penny mintages was sharp and dramatic, and "there was a war on" too. Bear in mind that the obverse 'sucked' metal from the reverse even when the die was worn; the hair detail was simply the icing on the cake, not the priime cause of ghosting. I think you're probably right about the war ending the recessed ear experiment.