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Just 7 Kempson's Birmingham Buildings to go! Prices are getting higher every week it seems ... latest addition

Yes - I suspect there may well be a proceeds of crime hearing to follow on from their sentences. This could result in them being ordered to be detained for an additional period of time if they do not repay the proceeds or reveal the location of the missing coins. I agree with the harsh sentences and am pleased that they will send out a clear message to others considering or practising illegal detectorism, but I also feel for some of the defendants. It would seem there were two career criminals, who got what they deserved, and two foolish/rash/greedy conspirators who have seen their lives torn apart for their foolhardiness. They must be in a pretty dire state of mind now, and I can empathise with that whilst not suggesting they should have got any less.

@PeterI would value your opinion?

They do turn up, I bought this set a couple of years back and all the coins in it do have a strong cameo appearance .

Exactly what I was thinking - plus GBH. After all if they hadn't found it, it might have lain there for who knows how much longer. In the annals of really serious crimes which hurt others, I truly don't think this is up there with them. Moreover, as I said earlier, I bet lone detectorists have made major discoveries which they've never declared - and who would ever know? ETA: just to emphasise the point, these two bastards ('scuse my French) just got 7 years each for rape - link

Could almost be a CuNi one from the DNW photography! Though I suppose that would be even less likely to get into circulation.

That is a rare find! It has the hard to acquire "circular counting machine scratch" above the Queens ear!

That's better

Yes, die clash. You get the same in early Jersey pennies. The lines are from the background of the shield. http://jerseycoins.com/pen13/Intel/misc/striations.htm

I can't believe nobody noticed and collected this 1865 coronetted head pattern penny (F272) before about 80 years of wear. Incredible - link

There's a clear message. You can be the vilest person alive toward your fellow man but do NOT take liberties with the Property of the Crown (including your taxes, unless you earn so much that you don't have to pay any). Her Maj doesn't mess around...just look at gloomy Andrew these days.

Only $10 Bernie. I remember once doing a big double take when I saw a 1928 penny with a large portrait .. after some investigation I found the same seller was offering a 1927 penny with a small head.

Indeed. Going back to this question, I'm wondering to what extent Court's estimates on several early 20th century scarcities, are accurate. For those who are unaware, V.R.Court ran a short series of incredibly useful (and to this day still referred to) articles under the heading, "Major varieties of UK pennies 1902 to 1967", notably in the August and September 1972 editions of Coin Monthly. Court's opinion on the mintages for these varieties (pre melt), are as follows:- 1902 low tide = 1,212,600 (sounds about right) 1903 open 3 = 37,300 (possibly slight underestimate?) 1905 F160 = 3,231,350 (sounds about right) 1908 F164 = 1,166,550 (sounds about right) 1908 F164A = 55,550 (yes, but see F176) 1908 F165 = 3,370,000 (sounds about right) 1909 F169 = 23,200 (sounds about right) 1913 F175 = 1,733,500 (given current availability, maybe an over estimate, or just not collected) 1913 F176 = 948,750 (as above) 1915 rec ear = 5,404,200 (maybe over estimate) 1916 rec ear = 16,129,850 (sounds about right) 1918H = 2,465,658 (probably about correct, but reported degree of scarcity in the immediate pre -withdrawal period may have been due to collector uptake) 1918KN = 1,195,142 (as above) 1919H = 4,787,556 (probably about correct) 1919KN = 422,044 (as above) Mostly correct I'd say, but with a major discrepancy (in my view) between open 3 & 164A on the one hand, with F175 & F176, on the other. If Court's figures on the 175 & 176 are correct, then it would suggest the vast majority met their fate in the melt, having not been specifically collected, except by default. Actually, that could well be the case given that there are a fair number of the extant population of 175's and 176's that are in high grade, whereas conversely that is manifestly not the case for the open 3 and the 164A. Post melt, probably all four types are of roughly comparable rarity.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/English-Penny/382949337069?hash=item59298f27ed:g:XDYAAOSwngRc2REW Genuine English Penny embossed with her magesty queen elisebeth the 2nd head. Including nose. Including nose?