Rob

If you collect patterns as well as currency then virtually all these will be rare, and additionally it is difficult not to be spoilt for choice when it comes to unique coins. e.g. 12 years ago when I wrote my article on the Weyl patterns, I did so because I appeared to have around 15% of the total corpus, all of which seemed to be unique. i.e. nobody else was likely to be in a position to do the research given the dispersal of the 40+ items in Glens in 1993. I've whittled it down to around 10 pieces now, all of which are unique, but none can claim to be the rarest per se. Same goes for the half a dozen unique Saxon or Norman in the collection. Close behind comes the list of 'only piece available' items, which are effectively unique, but strictly speaking, more common. I don't think it's a general reluctance to post, rather an impossible thing to assign. I'm not the only person collect patterns.

Yes

My son went to a gig in Manchester 2 weeks ago and presumably got it there (second case). He had all the same symptoms at the same intensity as a couple years ago, but these cleared up inside 3 days.

A quick back of the fag packet census gives approx. 4 dozen unique or only available examples, excluding striking errors which by definition are a one off. They nearly all tick specific boxes, so wouldn't be sold

Rarest will be anything unique, or the only piece available to collectors. As long as I am still accumulating, I could part with any of them as long as they are not a Hobson's Choice piece to tick a box. Further refinement could be the one which has appeared in the market least often if you had to make one rarer than the rest.

Elgin

26 graded bronzed pieces is quite possible, because the number extant will be nominally the same as the number struck. Maybe one or two have disappeared for whatever reason, but it's unlikely any will have circulated. You might be able to reduce that number on account of resubmissions that had previously been cracked out. A significant number of examples that cross the pond will get slabbed.

I'll buy 1826 copper proofs at a 15% discount to bronzed proofs all day long - that is assuming I can find one.

Is this not more likely to be a case of both being 8/7, but in the case of 7/8 they didn't punch the new digit deep enough? To use an example to support this theory, the 1817 GEOR/E shilling has the E in the highest relief, but it is inconceivable that someone said 'hey, this reads GEOR - better change it to an E'. Yes, the wrong digit can be entered, but recycling old dies is the more likely option. The only reason for calling it 7/8 would be to differentiate between the dies.

Just speculation, but I would think the bronzed were all made for the boxed sets, with a small number of singles made in copper.

No they don't. M42 & M5 is a bit west of south. M40 & M42 is a bit east of south. M6 Toll and M42 diverge north-east of Brum. As for the original question - I haven't thought about it before, but not a multiple of ten is a good idea. It can't be a conversion from 18kph, as that's equally odd,

May 9th Victory Day memorial in Uralsk, Kazakhstan. Someone has a sense of humour (and topical relevance)

Not mine. I don't possess a single medal. Just had it in the image database, but given the dies are the same it clearly shows the ebay listing to be a cast copy. Reverse detail is sh*te.

I only have an image of a gold example, but I'm certain I wouldn't buy the 'silver' example listed. It's an in your face copy.

Looks cast to me - not silver

I often wonder how many people actually collect these. TBH I was surprised that 3 people in this thread are interested given the near total lack of interest shown by visitors to the table. I've had a couple pieces in there for 7 or 8 years that nobody has looked at and those that sold off the site all went abroad.

A half decent band. Land of Grey and Pink is album I revisit regularly.

Fullarton proof halfpenny in silver on a thin flan by John Milton. An original, not a restrike.

A Moore pattern penny, Peck 2117. ex Carter, Peck, Magnay & Adams.

An 1883 Maundy set

Haven't posted anything here for a few years, so I'll add a few. Like Sword, I also added a JH 3d. Plus an 1834 threehalfpence.

ESC 3249 (1738). The last one I noticed went through Heritage in the last 5 years. Can't remember the date though.

Look at it a different way. It's either the 2021 coin that has been dipped, or what are the odds on the two dozen identical scratches, nicks, lumps etc appearing on two coins. Attached is an image from when this was discussed previously with the copy similarities highlighted. The resolution isn't wonderful, but the only matching item on the reverse appears to be the small mark on the right edge of the bottom shield. The obverse has numerous matching marks including behind the head, including the bigger scratches in the field. I'm still suspicious.