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Since finding this place I've very much appreciated the wisdom and knowledge on display here. I'm hoping that in due course that I might be able to contribute some of my own! I started collecting in the last years of pre-decimal coinage, and with my dad put together a collection which gave us a lot of pleasure. I like to think that most of the good ones I found when I slipped behind the scenes at the Post Office where my mum used to work a couple of days a week; truthfully most of them probably came via my dad's Civil Service colleagues and friends! But I do vividly remember finding my 1950 threepence, completing the date run - not at all easy towards the end. We moved on to stamps, which was also fun but I never loved them in quite the same way. Following the demonization of our historic coinage our collection spent almost 50 years hidden away, but when I officially retired (kind of) I began to think about reinvigorating it. There were some easy quick wins, such as filling date sequences we hadn't really been committed to (or perhaps were raided by me when my pocket money was proving inadequate 😧). Our pre-1920 silver collection was particularly threadbare, and I was lucky to acquire examples of many of the types while the silver price was still reasonably sensible. But for me nothing in the coin world beats rummaging through boxes and bowls of coins. Although sometimes it's quickly clear that I'm not going to find much, I'm often surprised at some of the coins that dealers are ready to throw into their bargain bins. Enhancing the collection has also proved to be a fine way of remembering my dad (d.1997) in a very meaningful way. The collection definitely remains "ours".

Thanks for all the kind words. @Paddy I've never actually bought a bulk lot of coins, and I'm thinking it's something I need to experience! Doing your hunting at someone's shop you don't risk being saddled with stuff you don't want, but perhaps I'm playing things a bit too safe. @Peckris 2 I have a comparable tale from much earlier this year. I was at one of my local antiques centres where I'd been rummaging the lower grade pennies for a while, finding very little. I moved on to some of the other offerings and gathered together a nice little group. Before I left I thought I'd dip my hand in the pennies one more time, and out came a 1951. You can't beat that moment of disbelief!

Phew, thank goodness you don’t, this fella may have been a little too much for you!

I remember switching from bags of pennies and halfpennies from banks to looking through brass 3ds. There was a 1949 in the first bag I looked through!

When I started working in 1974 I could afford to buy a few pennies from one of the mail order coin dealers. In those days you did not get a nice colour photograph of the coin you wished to buy, but rather just a brief description on a typed list. I bought this penny for a few pounds. I was a little disappointed when it arrived because of the black spots on an otherwise good looking coin. I was, and still am puzzled as to what caused these marks. The uniform pattern looks like marks left from a pierced metal tray

https://headsntails14.wordpress.com/ Ah. I got the name wrong, didn't I !

Hello and welcome. Ive been here only a short while but learnt loads, its a great place to be 👍

Welcome @Avocet! I too like nothing better than sorting through a big box full of old coins, both British and foreign, finding the few gems and identifying them in the appropriate books. Sadly these days the bulk lots in the auctions go for quite a lot of money, so more difficult to get them at an affordable price. Good luck with your future hunting.

I told my wife this looked great and she suggested I was losing it....

I have to say I was very happy with the result of the earliest sale in LC. Found in a lot of pennies covered in soil bought locally. I paid £10 including flower pot on the grounds I wasn't going to clean all of them up for him just to find bugger all. I overpaid for the soil though. :)

Several of the his claimed discoveries (e.g. the 1875H and VIGTORIA pennies) have turned out to be not what he thought, so maybe it's just newbie enthusiasm.

In another post he mentions he’s a beginner, 12 weeks into the hobby. Fair play that he’s navigating all the auction archives, retrieving past sales, in-touch with all the literature, and holding his own in the variety conversations, all in such a short window. You simply have to take your hat off to him/her, that’s very, very impressive!

I had thought the same - one great rarity would be very lucky, two would be incredible, more than two seems ... odd?

You seem to be talking about this coin on two threads , it really only needs one. How about photos so it can be verified and included on the database, which will make it more attractive. It really is quite hard to believe that you have found all these great rarities in only a couple of weeks when hundreds of highly knowledgeable collectors are looking out for them - you haven’t just bought someones collection? Are you a collector or a dealer? Most of us on this forum know a fair bit about each other (including in many cases our actual names) as members of quite a small community. At the moment you are just a moniker. Jerry

Here you go @Coinery! Sorry for the delay.

Love that book and film.

That picture is much clearer and yes Gouby BP1898 Ba

Hello. Wondering if this 91 die has been recorded for an 1873 One Schilling

I concur. As you might guess, I do like Victorian silver (certainly including shillings) but have no real interest in die numbers or "micro-varietals" for that matter. Nothing against those that do, and more power to them. Now, some die numbers and their associations do interest me - like the DRITTANIAR issues of 6d that went to Cyprus & die number 6,etc.

I have been looking at Rod Blunt for some time, the link you attached has directed me further on the web page, how did I miss this? Doh, Many Many Thanks Im indebted to you. 👍

Did you know it's the 'bisect lines' 2nd numeral 8? Gouby marks as RARE in his latest pages. Looks like a Ba.

First, welcome! I've been interested by coins my whole life - there would be an "International" party at the local uni and many of the students would give away coins from their home countries. I have lots of things in my db that I put "gift" into the list for the price! Many of those coins are in my collection to this day. I got serious about 2 years ago and I've got a thing for shillings. That can be ... interesting ... as an American but I've got coins from 1663 to 1970 and am enjoying filling the blanks. I hope you have fun here as I've found this place brilliant.

Hit the nail on the head.

So I received the coin, I regret to say its not what I thought. Here is the sellers image; It really did look there is a crossbar in the V. When in hand there is nothing but a faint partial anomaly line when viewed from certain angles. All is not lost though because it turns out the coins is a different type......... Which is unquestionable and rare. Quite lucky really I am. See if you can spot the type when I upload my images, pretty clear however in the sellers images as you will see the actual type is hidden quite well. I mistaked the coin for the same die pairing as the 1860 Jb (V over inverted A) I have alot to learn. Given the V over inverted A is a "novelty" type maybe the one I have found is a better find. Images to follow.

Personally I would not pay that amount for the coins but I must admit there are very few around in that grade and getting any sort of decent grade shillings or sixpences and half-crowns is a right struggle , go with your heart .

If you wanted to be really fussy a full set would include the 1887 Arabic 1 and Roman 1 variants and the 1888 and 1889 Inverted 1 (or is it a die-filled normal I serif or broken punch?) for second I in Victoria variants. All three variants are listed in Spink so I think it's reasonable to include those in the set. I did anyway...

While I can understand being worried about fakes, the wreath I am considering is from a UK seller with 100%/22286 transactions and accepts returns. Price is consistent with what I see on londoncoins. Seems about the best I can do from this side of the pond.

It might be worth checking out UK auction houses that do still ship to the US. This one doesn't preclude US and has a few shillings in the current auction: https://www.easyliveauction.com/catalogue/60e4343a274a32c193156da1ff265135/0af8d24542e81eb9357e7ef448a6646f/general-auction-silver-gold-coins-sets-numismatics-meda/

For me in the midwestern US, auction houses are ... difficult... at best. Both do have best offer listed. I know there is a web site with current auction results tabulated, I'll have to look see.

Yes, as Coys says, 10cf2a, the same as the coin I posted in ‘coin acquisition’ recently. The 2 is for the Crown, and the ‘a’ is because the left ornament of the crown remains intact. It’s ’b’ when the ornament breaks and disappears. Here’s the ‘b’ version taken from Blunt’s website. https://www.rodblunt.com/edwardian-pennies-group10s

??

Many thanks for that, very much appreciated. Think I’m going to get the camera out, though, CGS haven’t captured the lustre or golden tone at all

!!