Peckris 2

I've sent her a polite message explaining that unique "cud" die errors are worth little above face value as there are few collectors of them. I added that if it was a genuine die error causing a number of coins (e.g. the undated 2008 20p) they would have much more value. But perhaps she enjoys spending hours looking through thousands of coins for errors - she needs to get out more!

Agreed - there are traces of lustre in the odd place on my 1940 penny. You sometimes see this on the other dates too.

That makes sense. Halfpennies from the early 1940s wear to a lighter and redder colour than previous.

That's what Michael Gouby speculated .. but I thought all published mintage figures from 1953 on were for coins minted with that year's date?

Does anyone know why wartime pennies were toned by the Mint? Farthings from 1897 to 1918 were toned to avoid being passed off as half sovs but that doesn't apply to GVI pennies.

It arrived today, and I'm 98% sure it is Mint toned. Has all the characteristics and it would also make sense that they'd test the procedure out before they introduced it full time the next year they minted. I've also 'swiped' the eBay pictures for my own records.

Respectfully .. too much wear for EF. GVF seems nearer the mark.

And the abrasion below the 'g' of gratia.

Ah, that makes sense.

Can you change feedback? Didn't realise you could.

That's very strange - instead of a genuine feedback it just describes what was bought! Almost as it the seller had their own suspicions about her and decided to make sure that any subsequent buyer looking up the seller/item would spot the word "restrike".

You know, perhaps they could! I don't know which Ptolemy it is, but the whole Macedonian / Egyptian succession thing is a can of worms.

These are a few reviews of the Paul Ross canvas print (copied and pasted so hopefully I won't get a "Forbidden"): 1. WOW I've been looking for a 20 Inch Box Canvass of Paul Ross since my (completely inferior) 18 Inch Box Canvass of Paul Ross was damaged during a Barium Enema. Thankfully this Canvass really is excellent. The quality of print complements the sheer majesty of Paul's cherubic face. For a while I considered mounting a large number of these on my ceiling to create a Paul Ross canvass ceiling but unfortunately I realised that this is what my wife would be staring at during our frenzied horizontal moments, and what kind of a man can compare to Paul Ross in the bedroom? "No-one" I hear you cry! I've ordered four of these now: One of them is above the fireplace and is naturally the pride of our entire home. On the second canvass I've cut out the section where Paul's face is, and when I drive to pick up the kids I wear the canvass and pretend that I'm a famous celebrity dad, the kids simply love it. The third is purely for recreational purposes, I've cut a whole where Paul's mouth would be because my wife has demanded that we French kiss through the hole (I want to point out that I wear the canvass for kissing, not her! Although I'd gladly turn for just one of Paul's tender mouth hugs.) The fourth is a backup. 2. Yesterday I was a bed ridden, drug addled alcoholic with no hope, no future. Then I bought this. Now I'm a bed ridden, drug addled alcoholic with no hope, no future, but with a 20" Canvas of Paul Ross. You just never know what lies around the corner. 3. I used to be a very successful insurance salesman at xxx. I had riches beyond belief: some friends at the country club let me in on this secret that all the old money had canvas printed photos of Paul Ross, so I bought one at auction. There was something wonderful and majestic about it, some people say the enigmatic smile is a knowing reference to his Merovingian ancestry. It hung for 3 years above the alabaster fireplace in my drawing room, replacing Munch's Scream, which I borrowed from a friend who was also in the insurance business. But over time there was something unsettling about the picture. At first it sounded like it emitted a high pitched, almost imperceptible, tone, like an old TV set. Then it started whispering things to me. After a while it started telling jokes and then giving me stock tips. Eventually it recommended I invest all my money with a guy called Bernie Madoff. Now I have nothing, I get high by sucking anti-freeze from car windscreen washers, and even had to take public transport. My only possession is this picture of Paul Ross. It is my love, my life. He completes me. 4. Don't buy this picture. It looks fine on the website, but the one they send you is upside-down. My wife hasn't stopped crying for a week. I got "Forbidden" again but discovered what the problem is - Review 3, after "riches beyond belief", contained a long list of luxury items to illustrate the point. Chris P's software obviously searches for trade names and bans them as spam.

On the topic of pens, these reviews are a must! https://www.amazon.co.uk/Retractable-Medium-Point-Black-FHAP21-Black/dp/B005PFESMG/ref=pd_sbs_229_1/254-8039283-2715401?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B005PFESMG&pd_rd_r=69b31c70-639a-11e9-beb5-5715658d5e47&pd_rd_w=VjmdR&pd_rd_wg=BRyfI&pf_rd_p=18edf98b-139a-41ee-bb40-d725dd59d1d3&pf_rd_r=P09TQZV6CJG1GJRR0C1J&psc=1&refRID=P09TQZV6CJG1GJRR0C1J

Wrong. They weren't a 'product' in any way shape or form. They were trials for new coins, rejected in the end, but not intended ever for sale or circulation. They are fascinating glimpses into the life of the coinage and of the Royal Mint when it was a non-profit making offshoot of the Treasury. The RM is now a company that exists to make money in addition to minting currency. If there's an interest in those commercial products, then fine. But please, let's not pretend it has any firm connection with numismatics.

Can't answer the question, but interestingly I have one of those : it doesn't have any 'chop' marks, but it does have a slice out of the edge though whether modern or contemporary I couldn't say.

Yes, I've certainly heard of 1944 undarkened, but they're very scarce. 1946 come in both flavours, but the mint darkened type I would say is more common. Here's an interesting one - a 1940 penny that appears to have been darkened, which is unheard of in my experience. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1940-George-VI-Penny-Bronze-Coins-KM-Coins/173869777932?_trkparms=aid%3D555018%26algo%3DPL.SIM%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D57477%26meid%3Db06794f45fd54bc19020d9507f8e7f09%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D12%26sd%3D192893122637%26itm%3D173869777932&_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851 I've just taken a punt on it (made an offer which was accepted) - I'll see in hand if it actually is Mint toned. If not, I'll have a standard 1940 penny to sell.

It was the late Colin Cooke who told me how rare they are. In the mid-90s - when Spink didn't list the two varieties and had a general price of £6 for 1940 - he advised me that my Unc example would retail for at least £20... ... so £25 for an Unc example is a damn good price!

Yes, absolutely. We can now safely establish there are 2 kinds of coin collector, operating in ever-further apart worlds. The only thing I'd say is that "coins" not for currency are not coins at all really. Patterns and proofs are also not for circulation but at least they connect to currency in real and interesting ways.

I think they have probably worked it out: low numbers means high prices for the issue and greater profit per item more than that though, they are establishing a market for rarities and counting on collectors being stimulated to snap up every issue within hours or days; an ever repeating cycle only limited by whatever spurious anniversary they need to make the damn things.

Some Amazon reviews are worth their weight in gold. Here are the first few for the canvas print of Paul Ross, before it (or they!) were pulled... (I've tried loads of times to post these including converting the whole caboodle to plain text and removing all links, but I keep getting a "403 Forbidden" - WHY???)

Of course, England was actually more or less France back then.

Plenty-ISH. Michael Gouby rates them as one level of scarcity rarer than the 1926ME.

EF with plenty of Mint toning - I'd be happy enough with that.

The 1937 are probably the least exciting (to me) penny varieties - none of them is rare and they are micro varieties at best. The two 1940s are a different matter; the 'common' one is fairly elusive in BU but the other one (rated N in Freeman) is a bugger to get. I was lucky enough to get mine from John Dunkerton of Windsor Coins in the late 70s when collectors weren't too bothered about them. The 1944 is - as you've found - surprisingly hard in genuine Unc; mine is AUnc only but I've never been either enthused to upgrade or seen one at the right price. I cannot find a high grade 1946 O N E ' for love nor money. Should you find two in your search, let me know!!