Rob

That's a possibility. The dies are likely to have the same locating mechanism, so if you had say 20 presses with only one having the dies the wrong way round, it would lead to a seemingly irrational ratio. Does anyone who has visited the mint know how many presses are used?

It also shows something dated 2017 whereas these coins in question are dated 2016. That is a computer generated image, so I'm not sure how much reliance should be placed on the relative position of the milling.

Both types are only slightly magnetic, so presumably the same composition whatever that may be.

I think eBay is a case of everyone wanting and expecting things for 99p with free postage. Sellers are obliging by listing things that are worth what the buyer is prepared to pay. Fees, shipping and HMRC take a huge chunk out of a small sale. A dozen or more years ago when the British listings typically numbered about 3000 at any one time, the number of quality items was as many as are listed now. The down side is that current listings are well over 100000, so the dilution of quality is certainly 30-fold and probably more. Most people have a life. From a personal viewpoint, I only look if a customer is asking for a specific item, otherwise I can't be a***d.

Bear in mind the following estimate was based at a specific point in time when I looked at prices and subsequently will have changed. The current copper price is $2.2522 per lb. The current exchange rate is GBP1 = USD1.2891. There are 453.592 grams per lb and the nominal weight of an Irish 2p is 7.12g. Therefore the intrinsic value at current spot prices is £0.02742. Old Irish currency can still be exchanged for Euros by the Central Bank in Ireland. £1 Irish = Euros 1.269738. GBP1 = Euros 1.14254. 2 Irish pence would therefore be worth Euros 0.0253948, or GBP 0.0222266 assuming no currency conversion costs. Melting it is therefore a no brainer, being at a premium of over 20% to the amount receivable should you travel to Dublin and pay it in. If it was uncirculated with full lustre, it might retail at up to a quid, but there isn't much demand.

Pence unless mint state with full lustre. The metal price is continually fluctuating, so an exact number is only a ballpark figure.

It probably means it is a normal one in similar low grade - i.e. a tenner max

The 1829 has a mark in front of the face.

Peck, Freeman, ESC, Davies, Coincraft, Linecar & Stone, Wilson & Rasmussen.........

Corbyn is sincere, that I believe. His problem is that he stands for a lot of things that the rest of us don't. It looks like they will ease the pressure on education by dropping numeracy standards from the curriculum. Anyway, all this hot air over whether one side or the other will do this or that is irrelevant. Ultimately this country needs a political party that unashamedly promotes indigenous industry and/or services that can be exported. All the public services that everybody is anxious to preserve or promote are luxuries. Luxuries, the continuous provision of which has to be funded sustainably by a continuous supply of earned money, not one off tax grabs on 'the rich' which simply denudes the country of investable reserves. I wish those people could see and embrace the benefits of profitable business, but wealth creation is anathema to a significant part of the political spectrum. Better stop before I get heated.

It is unlikely to be a fake - there's no real value in it.

Can't tell from the pictures. Are they physical gouges or just toning streaks?

No, but thankfully the border teeth are missing, the hair is too wiry and it simply looks wrong.

Why do you feel the need to clean it? Silver left over time will eventually go black. That is perfectly normal. Coins don't need to be a uniform colour, though I appreciate some people would argue that uniformity is more pleasing to the eye. If it is just dirt, then soapy water and a soft hair brush will lift it off. The coin has obviously circulated.

It looks like it. It's certainly not an R as there is no continuation of the loop.

Having looked at a dozen or so for the first time, the likely number of calls I will be receiving in the future doesn't bear thinking about. All those different ONE POUND and 2016 potential errors, i.e. one to twelve parts of either side's miniature legend being blocked or indistinct. Off-centre strikes. Coins dated 2016 that weren't issued until 2017. Warts and all the other die flaws that will occur naturally. Position of the milling relative to the design. I think I am going off-grid until the situation stabilises.

I was wondering about that. It could be that supplies of the new coin are done on an area by area basis, with all production going for distribution in one area. If you can get 6 figures from a die pair, then it may be necessary to see several runs before the averages work out to be 50:50. Are these edges put on in advance or at the time of striking? For what it's worth, I have 1 smooth right to 11 smooth left.

Apparently the listing ended early because the item was lost or broken. We should be fairly confident that it wasn't lost through being stolen.

IACOBVS REX (JAMES KING)

Yes there is, but I don't know what it is. That's why mahogany is better.

Good one. 'Here we have the extremely rare " 1673 Charles II Copper Half Penny " Metal detecting find in Suffolk. This a one highly collectible coin and very difficult to find in identifiable condition. A gem for your collection.' No it's not; no it's not; cannot contest the assertion it was dug; no it's not; no it's not (if in identifiable coindition you have found it); no it's not. Even if it doesn't sparkle on the numismatic front, it's a gem for this thread.

The description on the card is ambiguous. Difficult to say if it says pattern shilling nef, or pattern shilling not.

It is the same for virtually every denomination. Inability to add to a collection is often the reason for stopping and moving on.

Toning seems to be accelerated post cleaning. Every time I have our club quiz cup I find it needs cleaning before returning it the following year. I have coins in my collection that haven't changed in tone over many years. There must be a residue in the cleaning agent that causes it to retone more rapidly.

Still ok for the forgery/copy reference section at 99p though