Rob

It was a mixture of commission bids, stock and for me. Not all for me, sadly.

I bought 4 groats 2 proofs and 2 currency and I also picked up a crown and a sixpence.

A ridge around the rim is often seen and is due to a small gap between the flan and collar which allows a small amount of metal flow into the gap. That doesn't mean anything regarding whether it is a forgery or not.

Zinc's density is only about 75% that of copper and nickel, so the weight would be even lighter unless the physical dimensions increased proportionally.

If it is nickel it will be magnetic.

Possibly not if his were made in nickel. You would be looking at something which was about 1.1g light assuming the dimensions were correct. Densities for Cu and Ni are nearly the same, so only the 50% silver component would be reduced by a factor of 8.91/10.49

Elmore Jones' tickets are fairly distinctive and he liked writing them judging by the number seen

I've seen a few copies of both G5 & G6 halfcrowns, but they have all been the right size. The reasons I thought the larger was the copy was the shorter serifs on the linked Gs and the C. The shape of the protrusion on the harp by the left Gs looks to be straight as well instead of being slightly curved.

For a start they are halfcrowns, not florins, but no. I assume the larger of the two is a copy, but god knows where it came from. China?

Part 1. I've got a spare catalogue here if you need one, but suspect the boat won't have room.

I've sent you a message.

If anyone is still looking for these I have an example of both reverses with dot to L

It's a wonderful demonstration of the flexibility of the English language. Nice coin? There has to be a lot better than that out there, and at a reasonable price. I bet there is a couple slabbed MS something.

It isn't illustrated in any case. It is part of lot 1258 (5).

Congratulations

They are in trouble. This is why they are shifting all the remaining stuff out of the basement. Just as in the 80s they jumped in and paid too much for stock. Couple that with the 'investment' side of things and it is quite easy for things to go wrong. What happens when investors want their money back? The odd one can be absorbed, too many and the prices crash. A good example of why coins should be for collecting and not investing in. Yes they might appreciate over time and give good returns, but given the spread between buying and selling, it is never going to be a short term investment. Every coin bought at auction should be marked down by 30% in value in the immediate aftermath because that is the combined difference between what you have just paid including the juice and an immediate resale net price after commissions. All their stamps will be priced according to their references. Does the market agree with the valuations - not at all. We all know that stamps can be picked up in most auctions for a fraction of what SG claim their value to be. Too many short term motives. My immediate thought when they announcecd they were buying Baldwins was that the top of the market was nigh. OK, I didn't guess the timing that well, but when anyone tries to corner a market and determine prices, the greater market will always win - whichever angle you come from. The steep increase in prices of the last decade has in large part come from marketing to people with access to significant amounts of money arising from quantitative easing that has no place to go, and is not related too closely to scarcity or past valuations. Kew Gardens 50ps anyone? You could probably cover one floor of Canary Wharf with the number struck.

Is the top one not a cast of the bottom coin or are they both iffy?

Hoards can come out of the ground in any colour or condition. The often individual patination of a particular location is actually a very helpful means of identifying the original find spot for a coin with an unknown provenance.

You won't find any genuine dealers passing on coins that have previously been identified as copies, notwithstanding the permanent risk of a good one getting through. Dealers also tend not to list coins as unidentified. Particularly coins that verge on the iconic - this being the very first groat.

I'm looking for the buyers of Marsham 666 (Sotheby 19/11/1888) and Rishton 122 (Sotheby 13/7/1875) if anyone can help. Thanks.

1993 1p with missing beads in places, odd striations where the beads should be and a rim that is uniformly ok in height. I'm certain it isn't post-mint.

No, it's a negro's head. What's the weight?

3rd bust, a few scrapes, you can find better without too much difficulty.

Doubt it. Most of those that you see are flat, knocked about a bit and generally in a state of disrepair. Hang on............

I don't think it is a 5/3 because the angle of the line is wrong. It is more likely a continuation of the flaw that goes from the 7, through the crown to the 4, or an associated one if not connected.