TomGoodheart

Why? That's what we are here for. Exactly. All the posts about pensions and the state of cider are just to kill time until someone puts up some more photos of coins for us to look at! ... though that might just be me... .

Happy Birthday! I hope it's a good one! .

Afternoon Tim and welcome! Any nice Tower shillings of Charles I amongst your collection? .

I also feel I have nothing to add to most threads, The underlying die doesn't have to be a shilling Ah. Now that's a useful observation Rob! Perhaps a groat?..

I tend to view, but not to post in, such threads because I don't feel I have anything to add! Though it's very interesting (and I shall keep my eyes open for a shilling with retrograde Ns)

Hmmm ... Looks good P! Maybe I ought to consider it ... providing I don't have to resign my membership of Indolent Tendency* to get it to work.. ..actually I seem to remember it's Indolent Tendancy as my friend couldn't be bothered to check the spelling before getting the stuff printed .. sort of appropriate really.

Not sure. I find Clive's absence (work and recent incapacity) means I tend to flounder a bit on the classes of such as Edward pennies without the reassurance he'll confirm or deny my guesswork! I also find there are days when there seem to be no new posts until late evening ... maybe people are just busier? I suspect the membership is in continual flux. When I first joined there were loads (well, four or five) youngsters, Chris posted pretty regularly and Geoff (who knew how to spell 'definitely') and I don't remember as much discussion about bun heads etc. Farthings though .. they seemed very popular. But then CC was still around, which I'm sure made a difference. Now? I see Geordie has popped in a bit more regularly of late, but as Paul says, there are members who aren't currently posting much .. I suspect it will pick up again after the summer. And hopefully some of the people that come there to ask about coins will stay and post. But I know forums aren't for everyone and interests can change ... as Lao Tsu said.

Bloody 'modern' cider. I quite agree about the ginger. Similarly blackberries, raspberries or any other additional fruits that aren't apples. As for perry, well, it's like cider but made with pears not some stupid kids version of WKD. Whoever dreamed up these awful concoctions ought to be sacked. As for Apple, as a complete outsider (OK, I admit Wifey does have an iTunes account) I've always been bemused by their popularity. Sure the hardware looks nice. But as far as I can tell the software works precisely as Apple want it to and users need to like it or lump it. As a business model it seems more like a cult, though, like most cults, the number of enthusiasts shows it does have its appeal. But for people like me who want our products to work in the way we want them to, rather than the other way around, other makes seem to have a little more flexibility... And that's on just one cup of coffee. Perhaps lightening makes us ranty!

Hi there! Firstly ...as Azda just said, for most (95%) coins, condition (the amount of wear) is everything in terms of 'collectable value'. Cleaning (even a light wipe with a thumb of damp cloth) can reduce the value of a coin, so please don't! Then a list as also suggested. Do you know yet what you want to do with them? Do you want to keep them, as the basis of a collection? Sell them off? Or just see what you have? Whichever, members here will be happy to advise! .

No idea Peter! I've three years on you and done nothing. I have a frozen pension from my earlier employment, one with my current (and a top-up from when I was able to put in additional lump sums), my State pension (maybe) .. Wifey is in a similar position. But what to do with it all? I suspect we'll do what most people do. Leave it to the last minute and then be grateful we have a couple of properties we rent out. .

Hmm .. Dansco type albums aren't common here I'm afraid. Whitman used to make them but I believe they are out off business and I don't know if similar products are available any more. Personally I keep better grade coins that aren't part of my main collection (which are in a coin cabinet) in acid-free envelopes in a drawer. Of course, you can't admire them like that! I know some people keep coins in 2x2 flips which then go in albums. You could leave gaps (as I do in my cabinet trays) for dates/ varieties you don't yet have?. But the 50c Dansco sounds like a better solution if pennies fit and that's your sort of thing! .

Edward and London for the first. Coinery will no doubt appreciate a chance to hone his skills narrowing it down further! Second, Henry II or III (?) Moneyer ILGER ON LVN (London) so my guess is Henry III. Looks like a possible Class 6c (Spink 1355) to my untutored eyes but more likely Class 8, Spink 1357 ... Maybe Clive can confirm or deny? .

Nah. You just need to know how to read the legends. Then a quick search and .. .

Tell him. People need to learn. .

Aethelred II (978 - 1016) Long cross Moneyer Ælfric Mint Huntingdon Spink 1151 Similar: https://www.spink.com/lot-description.aspx?id=14006000113 .

Looks decent to me (though not my area I'm afraid). Good detail and nice lustre. Are pennies your main collecting interest? Oh, and welcome! .

Very pleased to meet you then! I have a few catalogues myself, although no really early ones since Tower shillings, being so common, were rarely illustrated unless 'fine work' and my collecting is limited to circulating coins. My interest is primarily provenance, though there is a certain enjoyment in just being able to browse through a publication that's survived relatively unscathed for 20, 50 or 70 years! .

Yeah, welcome Kal. Interesting observations. Can ask if that's what you collect? And of course remind you that pictures of member's coins are always welcome!

Very acceptable. And with good provenance I believe. .

As I understand it, the Victorians had quite taste for the 'romance' of the Civil War period, re-creating through electrotype and other methods coins and medals which might be of interest to collectors of the time. Whether it's possible to declare an entire issue to be later concoctions, I'm not sure. Very interesting points though! .

Hi DSL Certainly eBay isn't what it one was and is generally overloaded with lower value items. But it's difficult for sellers to sell at higher levels too. I guess it's a vicious cycle, people see stuff selling cheap so don't want to pay any more than car-boot prices. The items that sell are the 99p starters so people only see stuff selling cheap .. I had an item sell for 99p and I had to ship it to the US. Needless to say I didn't make a profit on that one! With things that should sell for more I've used BIN/Make an Offer as you've done ... however it's a bit hit and miss with those too! The listings look OK to me. Only comment on some of the coins are the photos on my laptop look a bit lacking in contrast. Are they scans as those can look a bit washed out/flat? I sometimes use a simple photo editor to increase the contrast/ colour balance. Not to fool people but to make the coin look (on my laptop at least!) more like it does in real life .. Beyond that it's luck maybe? Anyway, welcome to the forum! Do you collect coins as well? (He asks hopefully!) As to grading, well you could do worse than post pics here and ask for members' opinions .. it might help you feel more confident in that area. .

See Original sculptures and statuary section... I've certainly claimed for reduction of VAT on coins. There's a form you can download and complete and then it's a matter of waiting for a decision.. .

Oddly, if it were an antique or individually made and signed by the maker ceramic Buddha, it would have been cheaper. Only 5% VAT in those cases. .

Mmm .. Looks as if they have charged VAT (20%) on the full cost (value of item plus postage costs). Sadly I believe that's correct. Or rather, that's what they are supposed to do. Because it's clearly pretty daft. Guidelines here, in case you want to look them over: https://www.gov.uk/goods-sent-from-abroad Ah, just seen. The VAT is also levied on the duty payable(!!) (in this case 2.5%) so that's been added to the value of the item and postage costs too. And which accounts for the odd amount I guess.

I know Lawrence Chard used to stock silver medals and Bob Ilsley of Dolphin (now Three Counties Coins) some South African coins etc. Might be worth contacting either of them? However, my guess is that however much the medallions were marketed or sold for originally, if you can't find much evidence of demand for such a set then close to bullion would be a reasonable starting point. You don't say if you're looking to buy or sell, but if the latter maybe add on a bit to the BV for the fact its a set and no doubt looks nice and see what interest you get? As it says on Chard's website: The secondary (secondhand) market prices for silver medallions is usually quite competitively priced, and for connoisseurs of medallic or numismatic art, previously owned medallion sets often represent a bargain especially compared with the original new prices. In other words, these things cost a fortune when issued with promises of 'investment potential' but when it comes to selling they don't realise anything like as much. .