TomGoodheart

Upmarket, yes. But a coin.... no.

Ah yes. I seem to remember Rembrandt had the same idea!

Nothing to do with naked people then?? Great work Geordie! Here's one of mine (sorry Chris, haven't got into the Photobucket thing..) The wife a few years ago - (as you can tell from the style, I couldn't find any sharks to pickle...)

Yes, she looks sort of contemplative while the lion looks like it's waiting for something to bite! My only complaint is that the shield should be curved more....

Thanks guys! Nice work too Gardth. I'd like a pic of the jacket in the Spring! (and I'd be interested in photos of your paintings Geordie!). Just shows what an interesting selection of people we have here on this forum. The knife sheath is for my friend who specialises in this sort of thing. He's adopted into the Lakota but I seem to remember him saying this pattern is closer to Hunkpapa who used this pink colour more. I think he has a knife for this sheath. He has a selection, including the last of a batch of Sheffield made Hudson's Bay blanks (sourced from the US) he had made up by a cutler back here in England. Beadwork was traditionally women's work but now it seems a scarce craft. My friend has even talked of spending some time reteaching some of the skills he's picked up back on the Res, so they don't die out. Unfortunately as he's a Mauritian Moslem travelling to the States isn't something to be undertaken lightly anymore. I'm real lucky to know one of the few people in the UK who can run you up a sinew backed bow and a quiver of arrows, or a full war bonnet. As for the beads Geordie, I think they could indeed be included in a collection of 'alternative' money, along with money cowries and other objects used for trade and barter. I think I'd draw the line when it comes to sheep and camels though!!

Still at it (burdale2) it would appear. Lucky anglo1948 to have such a devoted 'fan'.

Thanks Geordie. My understanding is that wampum is/are white beads made from sea shells. Trade beads on the other hand were glass, made in Europe (generally in Venice) specifically for trade, both in the Americas and Africa. The beads I have are 'under white' (ie have a white core surrounded by colour) and are medium size - about 5mm. They were made and exported by the tun. I understand from my friend that the exchange rate was three of such beads for a beaver skin, so you can see the profits to be made for traders!

Cool! I have some Hudson's Bay beads which would have been used for trade, given to me by a friend for whom I sometimes do some craft work since I have no time for painting and sculpture these days... Here's a knife sheath I am beading at the moment - antique buckskin and beads, sinew sewn. Just as close as you can get to an original except for using modern needles.

Sadly I suspect we'll never really know. There are insufficient records from the mint - even for things you'd think would be recorded such as the proportions of the various denominations of silver coins struck. I personally like the idea that fine work coins may have been presentation pieces, but unless someone has unearthed contemporary accounts of this I don't think there is any proof (no pun intended!). From the wear on some examples a few appear to have circulated as regular coins. Of course, the brilliant thing about such pieces is that they show us details often missing from 'currency' coins and I guess provide a benchmark to aspire to (if that's not a tautology). (And the brilliant thing about this forum is there's always something to learn! I didn't know about the earlier tun shillings, so thanks Rob!)

Fine work pieces are, as far as I know, still subject to debate. They are separate from patterns, which are example pieces produced to show how the future coin might look. Michael Sharp (British Numismatic Journal xlvii pp 102-113) suggests fine work pieces are more akin to proofs since they are clearly superior strikings. This idea is supported by the fact that almost all fine work pieces bear the first mint mark for a new portrait or reverse style. Thus it appears that when a new style is first issued a number of fine work pieces are struck. Patterns by contrast normally bear the previous mint mark to the issue. Whether they were for presentation or for reference is not known. The high premium is because they are only known in relatively small numbers and generally they are of very fine quality by comparison to the equivalent 'currency' pieces. I have a scan of Sharp's paper - pm me your email address and I'll send you the relevant page if you like. And welcome to the forum!

True - and now it's relisted it's going to sell, but sometimes people just do themselves no favours at all with their listings. Very odd as surely it has an impact on the final price..

I suspect most of us here have made a similar purchase at some time - something that looks interesting, promisingly odd or just something we haven't seen before. Sometimes it pays off, sometimes not. But each time we (hopefully) learn something by it! It makes the hobby interesting and challenging. It's how I picked up my first counterfeit coin - which incidentally I am still fond of! Please do let us all know how you get on with ebay. And in the meantime, feel free to tell us about the rest of your collection if you like! New members, particularly ones that join in the chat and exchange of knowledge, are always welcome!

For those who are interested in ancient coins I thought I should bring to your attention a posting from englishhammered@yahoogroups.com. This was written by a reputable dealer with some 13 years experience in the business. I have edited the post slightly. > Dear All, > > I just want to make as many people as possible aware of the following site selling fake Anglo-Saxon coins and fraudulently offering my coins for sale: http://www.anglosaxoncoins.net/ > > The fakes are well known fakes openly sold as `replicas' on e-Bay etc. There are also three coins of mine offered for sale. > > Unfortunately, the individual selling the coins, who goes by the name of Michael Millard, has already conned one collector I know of, out of over $4000, he has an English accent and sends the coins from an address in Texas. The fakes themselves are not a concern to the collecting community as they are well known ones; it is his method of operation that poses the greatest danger. I have been in contact with the ANA, Mr. Millard claims to be an ANA member.> Please note. I have in the past bought coins from a chap called Keith Chapman who trades as anglosaxoncoins.com I know of no reason to think that he is at all associated with the above company.

Like this? Although this is the same coin/seller as your link but it didn't sell on that occasion.

Here you go - I finally found mine. The obverse an early period Hibero-Norse 'St Peter' penny dating from 919-925 muled with an obverse from one of Aethelstan 'King of all Britain' (924-939) (See Spink 1093). An unlikely but interesting pairing given that Ethelstan, Aethelstan, or Edelstan (the son of Edward (Aedward) the Elder, and the grandson of the famous King Alfred the Great) actually took York from the Danes in his thrust to capture the Viking held areas of Northumberland in 927. I hope you didn't pay over the odds?

WOW!!!!!!! What a rarity! A 1941 Charles II shilling That surely MUST be unique - especially with the portrait of George II on it......... (where did the crying smiley go..?)

I believe what you have is a modern souvenir. During the excavation of viking York some coin dies were found for the reverses of two coin issues. Copies were made and now you can go to the Jorvik centre and a 'moneyer'will strike you a coin from these. (In the 'old' days you could do it yourself...). What you appear to have therefore is a mule of two coins. I do have a Jorvic 'coin' myself but can't put my hands on it at the moment to double check but from memory it looks the same. They are made from lead-free pewter (except I believe the first one given the the Queen or whoever opened the place which was silver.). Oh, and welcome to the forum Gardth!

A central hole in later hammered coins is also evidence that the coin was 'withdrawn' during recoinage (normally that during the reign of William III). In theory the coins were the supposed to be melted down and recoined but many seemed to escape the fate.

Good find Rob!

Hmm.. very interesting Rob. I've only seen two others, neither of which had these features (although I have seen a Tun im coin without the reverse stops). The contraction stops however really are very odd indeed! By the way - do you think the obverse mint mark looks a bit peculiar? The right hand side of the tun isn't quite clear - I am aware of the existence of a Tun reverse coin with obverse Tun over Crown over Bell mark (!!) - you might want to take a high power lens to it with this in mind! I love this series - always something new!! Richard Ah, now one of those I have seen - not sold as 'fine work' but without the provenance of course!

I can't imagine a time they weren't!

Please note. I have in the past bought coins from a chap called Keith Chapman who trades as anglosaxoncoins.com I know of no reason to think that he is at all associated with the above company.

I thought it was but it isn't listed on their website. I'm waiting for the latest Numismatic Circular and I'll let you know if there's anything there about it. Then again, the Circular used to be posted to arrive on the first Saturday of the relevant month but hasn't been for a while now. Maybe they just aren't as organised as they used to be?

Not at all Chris. I hadn't got round to checking if he was a member yet. He brought the post to my attention and I did think I'd not been fair. Besides, I may want to buy something from him again! (Hi Antony! )

Rereading my posts (which I should obviously do more often!) I am concerned I may have done Antony Wilson a disservice! What I meant to say is that, for the sort of coin I buy, I have found MV's prices generally lower than AW's. But then one is based in New York, the other in Norfolk etc, etc. What I didn't mean to say is that AW's coins are overpriced which, upon revisiting my post, I feel could have unfortunately come across. So just to clarify, I have bought from York Coins in the past on more than one occasion and was happy with the coins and with the prices I paid. I was also more than happy with the service I received, which was excellent. No two dealers are likely to ask exactly the same for a coin. What's important is to find a dealer you can trust to give good service and whose coins are as described. Hope that's clear and sorry if there was any misunderstanding.