Sylvester

Certainly looks like a Quarter Laurel (or 5 shilling piece [aka gold Crown] hence the V behind the king). The piercing will reduce the value quite a bit as many collectors simply do not like it. But having said that hammered gold coins are always popular. Value on such a piece is difficult to give, a conservative estimate without the hole would have been about £140, but taking into account the hole it really depends on the buyer, some might pay upto £100, realistically i'd say about £80-£90. I used to have one unholed in slightly better condition (albeit cleaned which reduced the value) and that booked between £170-£220 tops, different dealers quoted different prices for the piece, so the market on these is quite fluid.

Don't forget that the mining companies probably release the gold/silver at an appropriate time (i.e more profits), i doubt they'd just dump their stockpiles on the market... Wasn't there some issue over a silver price fix some time back? I also heard (not sure if it's true) that governments also 'borrow' gold out of the reserves and put it on the market, make a profit on it whilst it's high, they then flood the market with more until the price drops and then buy it back cheaper. Suggests to me the price of the metal actually goes up, think of it in terms of buying gold with silver, how many silver bars is it gonna cost today compared to two years ago?

Of course gold can go up and yes i do realise that it's a very good alternative to paper assets, particularly in these times. But i just wanted to make extra clear that the case of gold/platinum/palladium and silver is never clear cut. There is no gaurantee that it will just keep going up, it's likely it will. But it is the same with everything, what goes up, must eventually come down.

I regaularly refer to them as 'new pence' when talking to the older generations, without thinking anything of it. Usually in the context of old pence and how they remember it of course. I also continually refer to them as 'new pence' or 'decimal pennies' when talking on forums like this. Nothing worse then someone saying; 'i've found a UK penny how much is it worth?' First thing you as is, 'is it a new one or an old one?'

Can i ask, is it magnetic? (i note you put nickel which makes me think you might have tried this). Could you post a picture? I know for sure that if it had been say 1992 or later piece that it would have been one of the steel pennies that had missed the copper plating. All post 1992 pennies and most 2 pences except some 1998 or was it 1999? ones are steel with copper plating. However up until 1991 (and some 1992 coins issued in collectors sets) they were all still being struck in bronze. Which means if your's is 1990 then you must have something else.

You'd be very much mistaken if you believed that. Gold has dropped significantly in price compared to the early 80's where it was something ridiculous like $800 an oz. Now it's about half that figure.

I must admit i had considered a Scottish monarch collection in addition to my English one, i still don't own any Scottish coins at the moment and i'm keen to get the English one sussed before i move further afield. I did very briefly had a rather battered Charles I twenty pence from Scotland but i'd bought that for someone else. Nice collection you got there!

It certainly doesn't look genuine to me. The face is just not right.

Is that the design with the individual digits arranged around the centre? I always find that hard to read! No that's William and Mary with the date in the middle.

Actually Chris there is a genuine example of this (i think it's half crowns) where some William III coins were accidentally dated 1669. So the authorities cocked it up too, not just the forgers!

Always give yourself a little room for manoeuvre Chris... cos if you don't one will always get past you.

I understand that actually. Had to get me thinking cap on back with the sub shells there for a moment, but i get the jist.

...and then there was just one. My parents and i will be coming down to London on that day, they're paying their own way and there off to a relatives. Which way is best Chris of getting to where the fair is from London St Pancras?

I asked for a signed one and i never got one! You're popular Chris.

Correct. I never looked in that section of the book. But since i dabble in decimal coins upto and including 1984 i know this to be true.

Huge ain't it! Don't drop it because that much knowledge hitting the table at once could have dire consequences... Are you beginning to feel like you were lacking something? (I know it made me feel like a newbie again!)

Perhaps i was a little too subtle there... As £ is an elaborate L. Which means in solid reality (ignoring the illegal substance) there is no difference at all. But it could also be interpreted the same way you did, it's addictive and coins can make you think you're something you're not. Look at the egotistical (i'm always right types because i can afford MS67 coins)... they think they're flying high above the rest but when their knowledge is put to the test they often come crashing down to earth.

Is that you in the avatar? ! With a name like Dave?

There's a difference between £SD and LSD?

England has been a fairly prosperous country on and off. The 10th century particularly during Æthelred II's reign was equally good, many millions of silver pennies were minted and many found their way onto the continent... alot of them through Danegeld. I read about an excavation in Denmark that reveiled a substantial number of Æthelred pennies.

We found Victorian bottles, an old greenhouse and quite a few other bits and bats too.

My father dug up a 1951 florin... well what's left of it.

Still good though! I wish i'd found something like that!

Ah shucks... now you tell me!

1918 being the last year of the war it is plausible, but bear in mind as 1918 was the last year of the war the call up to war must have been pretty late if he was a soldier.