TomGoodheart

You managed to start separate topics for each page Michael, so I merged them for you. Hopefully it reads more easily now! Richard

Toning is a natural process. It can be attractive, or not. However, cleaning coins to remove it will generally ruin them from a collectors' point of view. Best left alone! Welcome by the way! What other coins have been handed down to you?

I shan't add long lists (I tried, unsuccessfully, to edit the pyx dates list to make it smaller!) but if you do decide you want to specialise on the period, there are a few auction catalogues and a book that have a good number of illustrations of coins of the period and which I find helpful for reference. Just let me know Sword.

Yes, as Rob says about the issue date. All pyx listed as follows: Lis 7 Jul 1625-29 Jun 1626 Cross Calv 29 Jun 1626-27 Apr 1627 Negro Head 29 Jun 1626-27 Apr 1627 Castle 27 Apr 1627- 3 Jul 1628 Anchor 3 Jul 1628-26 Jun 1629 Heart 26 Jun 1629-23 Jun 1630 Plumes 23 Jun 1630-30 Jun 1631 Rose 30 Jun 1631-21 Jun 1632 Harp 21 Jun 1632-11 Jul 1633 Portcullis 11 Jul 1633-27 Jun 1634 Bell 27 Jun 1634-18 Jun 1635 Crown 18 Jun 1635-14 Feb 1636 Tun 14 Feb 1636- 8 May 1638 Anchor 8 May 1638- 4 Jul 1639 Triangle 4 Jul 1639-26 Jun 1640 Star 26 Jun 1640-15 Jul 1641 Tri in circ 15 Jul 1641-28 May 1643 (P) 29 May 1643-15 Jul 1644 (R) 15 Jul 1644-12 May 1645 Eye 12 May 1645-10 Nov 1645 Sun 10 Nov 1645-15 Feb 1647 Sceptre 15 Feb 1647- mid 1649 Charles I is both a good reign to start with (in terms of volume of output and variation of designs and denominations) and challenging (like all hammered coinage, finding a decent strike on a nice round flan, with little wear when, by their very nature hand struck coins were of variable quality; the sheer number of different designs (including some real rarities) if you want a comprehensive collection ...) However Michael Sharp's article Rob mentions is a very good start. You can read it here as a pdf: BNJ 1977 Sharp Article. The scanned plates aren't brilliant but will give you an idea. The (Sharp) group F coins are illustrated in Plate VII, nos 44- My example is #52 And... welcome to the dark hammered side!

Looks a decent purchase Sword. These aren't the easiest coins to find with a pleasing portrait. Very often the King's face has some weakness. And it's always nice to have some provenance for a coin too. I've bought quite a few times from Lloyd and several of those coins were ex Alan's collection. I've not been disappointed with my purchases.

I think it's a 'simple' problem of multiplicity. So many different devices and operating systems (Windows in various incarnations, Apple OS's, Android, Linux and probably others) it's perhaps not surprising that it's a challenge to get a site to work on all of them. However I no longer use my phone to access the site at all (due to the problems Coinery mentioned) and it's slightly annoying to miss out on some of the features ... including some of the administrative powers I used to have on the old site. I don't know if it's poor programming or just the best compromise that can be reached, given the difficulty. But I suspect it can only get worse with time ... and if it does I shall probably just give up. Hopefully that's an incentive for the designers to get a grip on things, though I'm not holding my breath on that.

LOL Not sure I'd use it either Rob. More a case of FOMO!

Thanks Ian. After all that I finally managed to get Photobucket to work. It's been a frustrating day. I've spent most of it on the phone trying to get an appointment at my GP surgery. I feel like my Waiting XP have gone up by about 1000!

For illustration, the small number of last year's acquisitions. Shows the sort of grade / condition I might be interested in.

I know I don't post on here very much these days, so most people are probably unaware I collect the above shillings. And sadly I have reached a stage in my collecting where my fussiness about 'eye appeal' makes adding anything new a challenge. However I'm always interested in new dealers, sites or potential acquisitions, so if anyone spots a nice looking example of a Chas I shilling, I'd be happy to hear about it. Particularly as I don't have the research skills to track down all the current owners of coins that might improve my collection and people seem (to me at least) to be hanging on to nicer examples at the moment ... So though I know it's outside the interests of most members, there's no harm in mentioning it I thought! Don't ask, don't get ... as someone irritatingly said once! Thanks!

Thanks. Now if only there was a 'like' button!

Thanks Ian. Have done!

Nope. And because I can't upload images I can't even show you a screenshot of what I do have!

I don't get 'choose files' any more. In fact the forum is becoming increasingly difficult to use on my pc. As for my phone .. that's even worse. All I get is the option to load an existing upload or via a link. I also have no idea how to 'like a post' or various other features other users seem to have ... Anyone any ideas because it's pissing me off. Matt?

Oh, I'm not complaining, though I'm still not quite sure how they managed to pick such a contrasty image, it does highlight all the flaws. But it made it a difficult call, given I wasn't going to get a chance to see the coin in the hand as to how high to bid. In the end I suspect it being unslabbed helped me more than a little. Shame the obv is a bit weak, but the reverse is a bit better and it was a chance to get a NH coin within budget. Same dies as Brooker 407.

On the left, photo used by Stacks in their auction listing. On the right, coin I received. I think I got the better of the two...

Are you going to get it slabbed Dave? You know, .. to keep it shiny?

Are you sure Clive? I don't see an arrow in Harold's eye. Something FAKE about that I feel. Bad. Very bad.

I guess as beginners, most of us like the feel that the collection is growing so picking up what's available is a way to ensure that. Of course, those expensive gaps will need filling eventually. But I know for myself there was also reticence to spend serious money and I'm pleased that in some cases that meant I waited until I had more knowledge. Generally my more expensive coins will be the last to go because I know how difficult it would be to replace them!

Not always, at least with hammered. Scarce coins that are listed as scarce will attract attention. But some are very difficult to find and not recognised by most people as rare and so command low prices. And condition (unlike I believe 30, 20 or even 10 years ago) beats rarity all the time. A very rare battered coin will never reach the price of a common coin in uncommonly good condition. A recent sale (Lyall) had rarities flounder unsold and yet a £500-£600 coin go for £2000+ (Might have been useful if I'd realised that a decade ago!) Edit: I've just remembered that, for me, there was a vast difference in perception when I first started collecting from today concerning rarity. If I could not find an example of a coin I'd noticed in a catalogue for a few months I was keen to snap up the first example I could find. Now I've realised that it might be years before I see a particular variety or type and even then it might be so unappealing I can't bring myself to buy it! People have heard of the '34 Wreath and it's 'rarity'. Maybe (lack of) patience and beginners over-enthusiasm comes into play more than we (I) realise in these things?

Spink Coins of England does not list a silver proof issue for 1985. I therefore guess the answer is no. Hope that helps.

People who don't have a huge amount of money might only want one example of a reign. That's how I started with shillings. I aimed to find the first issue of a monarch and then first issues of any major design changes. That might in part explain the 1821? Yes, condition and scarcity affect prices. But so do other things. Such as breadth of the potential collector base. As happens with Newark (hammered) shillings. They appeal to shilling collectors, those interested in the Civil War, they have a romantic aspect (kept as 'souvenirs' by survivors of the siege). Makes them far more popular (and so sell for far more) than you'd think, based on how many examples survived.

Only other thing is that the Royal Mail collect charges on behalf of HM Customs & Excise for which they charge a bit under a tenner. Which is small on a £2000 coin, but annoying if you buy a low value item for which duty was not payable and can't reclaim it! I've had very few problems over the years, although sometimes things get through without any charge and sometimes they try to claim 20%. But you can reclaim for an overcharge. Only real issue was something posted via USPS which then became a package when it got to the UK and was given to Parcelforce. Wouldn't have been a problem but that the address I gave the seller was a PO Box. To which Parcelforce don't deliver. Fortunately the dealer tracked it for me and I got my coin in the end! Good service from York Coins!

Well, you can always post a pic here for opinions! You'll find a fair few Chas I here Lloyd Bennett in various conditions and might find it interesting to look through to get an idea of how they vary in condition and price. Lloyd sold the Alan Morris' collection of coins (mostly shillings and half crowns) of Charles I over a number of years and it's a good representative selection I think. There are also auction catalogues with a high proportion of Chas I shillings, but unless you wanted to specialise it's easier to use an online reference.