Chris Perkins

I believe the blanks are hardened, perhaps it missed that stage. Or some other stage. Please post a picture.

I see what you mean. It does look a bit base-metally, and not as detailed as it could be. Can you attach a bigger picture of just the 'head' side?

That's right, all dated 1967 and that's one of the reasons there are so many of them.

I once used a couple of bags as 'ballast', put under the spare wheel (at the front) of my rear engined MG to keep the front end on the road. Worked a treat.

Another big problem with selling them is the cost of transportation! Postage costs are high for such a heavy item and it renders them uneconimical.

Scrap them. Unfortunately the world and his aunt seem to have kept the abundant canvas bags of 1967 coinage which was all made in massive numbers. Any other year has a slight premium of scrap value (which unfortunately is quite low at the moment), but 67's are all cheap and any collectors that want one have already got one and don't need another 1199 of them.

I have a great aunt called Shiela C(lements). But she's 80 and not online, so I suspect this is another one! Please post a picture Shiela. Forgeries are pretty common around that era, but silver can tone very darkly too. In 1820 both George III and IV half crowns were made. With the 'ANNO' under the shield it does sound very much like George IV.

Yes, it probably was. I certainly wouldn't have paid that much for one. Now that the word is spreading more people are aware and searching for them. 100,000 is pretty scarce for a circulating coin though, if there are as many as that. When was the last time you saw a 1988 shield back £1 coin? And there are 7 million of those somewhere.

This is genuine, I have received an email to the same effect.

When new, the wartime compostition bronze coins were chemically darkened so that they looked more old and used. This was because the natural tone of the 'new' bronze looked different and it was feared that the public would be wary of them. Some (scarce) ones seem to have escaped without being darkened.

A mule is a coin made of a pair of mis-matched dies, not to be confused with an 'error'.

I'm involved with enough books, it's someone else's turn!

Well, either keep them for posterity or sell them to me for £70 (or someone else). Those are really the only 2 options. You'd need to be in the SE though to justify me picking them up.

That thought had crossed my mind too Geoff! I was in the UK over Xmas and didn't see any new type 20p, 1p or 50p's.

I've noticed the values have gone down a bit, but not a lot. No doubt some collectors have diverted funds to other more important things now that times are potentially tougher for people and that has led to some lower auction prices. But top grade coins will always do well and there will always be hardcore collectors with disposable incomes to spend as long as the situation doesn't go completely into meltdown! I'm certainly selling coins well on the website at the moment, perhaps people also see them as good investment opportunities with banks and stocks rolling over like dogs at the moment. And I'd certainly be interested in offering the best prices for your Maundy sets, Wreath crowns etc. I'm very thin on stock so it would certainly help!

I don't have one, but I'd like to have one. I've offered £30 in the past. Something around that figure acceptable?

In Bromley are you Dark Numismatist! I was born at Queen Marys in Sidcup and my dad still lives in the area. I dropped him off at Shortlands stn the other day before coming back to Germany.

Happy New Year everyone. I was away over Xmas until the 31st.

I gave away 1966 halfpennies on Collectors Coins GB 2008, and I may well do it again. I found a spare bag of them in Essex and paid £70 for it, so that's what I'd offer, assuming they are close to pick up. They are a very common coin and to sell individually would take more than a lifetime, hence most dealers make do with 100 or so.

The occurance of a mule is certainly rare, but there was another one, although not a circulation coin....the 1994 gold £2 coin with the BofE reverse and the wrong 'double sovereign' type obverse.

I offered someone £30 for one when it was a real unknown (also in the forum somewhere). Now it looks like there may be lots I'll abandon that offer and just look out for one.

It's listed in my book. I am always suspicious with inverted V's that they are simply A's with blocked crossbars. Especially Vic farthing obverses, the dies having already been half worn out by striking sovereigns.

Trust you to lower the tone

Good luck to you Scott, and hello after a long time away.

Initially, avoid new issues, especially those from obscure countries that most people haven't heard of (that also applies to the Royal Mint; even they are now far too commercial). To start with buy what you like the look of, i.e. a particular monarch or a particular denomination, or simply everything you like the look of. Get some books in order to learn as much as you can (see links above to my books on Amazon). And, as with gambling, only spend what you can afford to loose just in case and until you develop an eye. It is possible to pick up good things on ebay but 90% of what is offered is overgraded, overpriced rubbish being offered by private sellers that probably know less about the thing they are selling that you do! I have long since given up looking on ebay as trawling through the tosh is too time consuming.