Chris Perkins

There was a little resistance to the EURO in Germany at the start, mainly in Western Germany. You see in Germany, particularly the East they have grown quite accustomed to regular currency changes, like in the East from the GDR Marks, to the Bundesrepublik D Marks in 1990 when the wall came down. So pretty much in the East nobody minded, unemployment is very high here so most of them welcomed having a single currency with the rest of perhaps richer European parts. Personally, of course i'd like to see the pound stay, instead of the stupid small generic looking Euro notes and coins, where people are even afraid to put any legend on for risk of affending 1000 people that speak a perculiar language not included in the 25 languages on the coin! But there is no doubt our future lies with Europe and probably has done since the colapse of the empire. Economically the UK is strong, there is no doubt. Wages are higher on average than most parts of Europe and even the Western German states, but we are so much stronger co operating within europe on trade and common market terms. The main objective has to be for Europe to become a larger more important ecomomy that the USA or China. You have to see the world picture, to just the UK picture. At the moment the Euro is very strong campared to the Dollar and I do believe the population, GDP and other aspects of the European economy are stronger than that of the US. I don't know why they can't somehow keep the pound but fix it's exchange rate with the Euro? Coins and notes stay the same and £1 aways = EUR1.50 (or whatever). But i'm not an economist and i'm sure i'm talking econimic rubbish there. Chris P.S. Sorry if i strayed the subject a little! Chris

Yes it is true for the 1983 'New Pence' coin. Some say there were only 20 error coins made, although I imagine the exact numbers are not known. I certainly have no intention to hide the facts from the public, and in an attempt to stop people annoying me about it (not you of course) wrote about it at length, as you'll see on this page: http://www.predecimal.com/newpence.htm Which is linked to from the top of the home page, and has been for some time. Chris Perkins www.predecimal.com

Yes! Your absolutely right, and I know who i'd rather wake up in bed next to! Chris

I know the feeling, I think as long as they are not Mainland British Edward VIII coins you're probably ok with regards to fakery! Chris

You people are so super! Thanks for coming together here. Chris

Yes! Don't you just love Dire Straits. Another one of my top 5 bands from my top 10 favourite bands in the world of which coincidently all are British. Chris

Yes horses were somehow harnessed on some kind of turnstyle I believe for the Briot and other 'French' very early milled coinages. Chris

The first Steam presses were used by Boulton in 1797 for the Cartwheels. I do believe horse power was used previously. Chris

I don't know if you can compare the very fast minting process nowadays with the minting process of those early milled coins but I imagine it would be a possibility. Chris

And of course ABBA's Money Money Money. Division Bell, is it really, well there you go. Isn't this a great place to learn about all subjects! It is truly greater than the sum of its parts! Chris

They made them in large numbers with Edward VIII on them before he abdicated. I haven't seen them on ebay but have seen other lots containing many BU examples of the west africa coins at real auction houses. They are not rare, or anything special but I would imagine they are real coins from 1936. Chris www.predecimal.com

That depends what you mean by 'milling' the edge, as it has a double and sometimes confusing meaning. Milling a coin originally meant making it with a powered machine and not hammering it by hand, that certainly wasn't Isaac Newton's idea as it was being done long before he was born. This milling process also led to the idea of putting the coin into a round collar with letters imprinted on it, so that these letters would end up around the edge after the coin was struck. This was an excellent anti forgery idea and was shrouded in secrecy at the time. This was also being done before Sir Isaac Newton' appointment as master of the mint in 1696 so I'm quite sure was not his idea. As for milling as we understand it today... ie the edge with a ridged surface, well that may well have been Sir Isaacs idea but I have yet to find mention of it in any books I have been glancing through just now to try and find out! Chris www.predecimal.com

Well it's about time a refreshingly different band came along to break the dross of one second wonders. Who likes The Darkness?

As they've made it big now, I'm sure Hawkins can afford proper dental care! Chris

Leevan, This item is a Victorian coin weight. Coin weights were produced by the Royal Mint as well as private company's (like Avery, who are still going I think?) and were, I believe sold to merchants, shop keepers etc as a way of checking is a coin handed to them was real and not an underweight forgery. Simply by putting the Sovereign on a set of scales with a brass sovereign weight on the other end you'd know if it was a genuine 7.98 gramme sovereign. Nowadays of course digital scales are far more accuarate. Because the weight you post has a young head Victoria on it, I would imagine it dates from around 1840/50. They are collectable and I have a little experience selling Georgian coin weights but I have not sold a Victorin one, so am unsure of it's value.

Leevan, Thanks, I don't really. It's just that it's all the usual stuff that people ask about! Over the years I have simply learnt about what people always ask about. The Spanish coin is currency and I certainly find it interesting. Chris www.predecimal.com

Not sure what it is but if it were gold it would be pretty heavy. Looks brass to me, and with a hole in I wouldn't have thought it would be worth a great deal (unless it is gold?!) Chris www.predecimal.com

That is a Queen Victoria Diamond Jubilee medal. The official version, and was issued in 1897. There were 3 different metals used (although that is clearly the silver version) but the value depends on the size (in mm) because there were 2 different sizes struck. Chris www.predecimal.com

That looks to be a Spanish or Spanish colonial (S America or Spanish Indies) 2 Real coin (or a quarter of a piece of 8). I don't know much about them, nor do I have books that go back that far for Spain/S America etc. Chris. www.predecimal.com P.S. For people browsing the forum Leevan, can you put more desriptive titles for the posts? Even the writing on the coin is more descriptive than No.3. Thanks mate

That is a medallion to celebrate the Coronation of his majesty King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra (of Denmark I believe) in 1902. In that condition, just worth silver content (if it has any!) Most commemorative medals were made in numerous metals both officially and un officially. I'm not sure if that is the official one or not, but whatever, it's not worth a huge amount. Chris www.predecimal.com

No.1 Is a Mother Theresa Taler from the Austro Hungarian Empire. It was at one stage the only acceptable coin for trade with eupore and arab countries and for this reason is was made continuously with the same date. It is still made to this day with the same date and has even been produced in massive numbers in London! I'm sure there must be a book on them, but they are usually worth £6-7 for silver content. Chris www.predecimal.com

Apparently some blanks in the 1670's (and possibly at other times?) were imported from Sweden. So perhaps they wanted to make sure it was proper copper and that the Swedes were not doing the dodgy. This would perhaps also apply to any outsourced blanks. (nothing against the Swedes!) Chris

Then you can have it FOC. Use the private messenger thing or whatever to let me know the address and i'll send it to you. Now, your mum can hardly object to a free coin, can she! Chris

Not sure about that DAS, I think i've heard about it. Was it simply because the coins were not the correct weight. I'm sure the flan manufacturing process was not as uniform as it is today. Not sure. Sylvester, any ideas? Chris www.predecimal.com

I stand corrected and ashamed Chris