Rob

I vaguely recall it was rotated and not the VIGTORIA. It's a long time ago. Last time I met the person posting was at LCA sale no. 4 or 5? ish. Or maybe earlier.

Coin? Imagine trying to spend it. How would sir like his change? Used $100Ks or will used $50Ks be alright?

When the sheet is produced you sometimes get material or air trapped inside the ingot as it cools. The metal crystallises at the inner surface of the inclusion. As it is rolled progressively thinner these inclusions can become exposed. What you have there is a couple of flaws arising from the trapped air. Attached is an example where you can see the inclusion and crystallised metal to good effect.

£2

No idea. The initials on the truncation mean nothing to me. It looks like a me too fantasy issue with the hair so coarse. Is there possibly a trace of legend between 2 & 3 o'clock on the reverse? If so, it would most likely be a modifiedcopy of some sort. All conjecture.

2p.

I'm just doing them as I write. I'll stop.

Nobody knows. There are no rules.

If it is still sealed in the original pack then it's virtually certain to be right. Copies cost pence each from China, so the likelihood of them going to the trouble of copying the plastic is remote. It's not impossible, but you would expect to see a number appear on the market. Is the plastic still sealed as delivered?

Sorry no spares.

What do you need to know? If it looks like this, then it is the obscured face.

Where did you buy it? I got mine from Mark Ray in Nottingham. It appears all the batch he had were this type. Right place, right time, I guess.

Mine has L08147448 on the hologram

I don't, or at least not with regard to people like this. The world will run out of bad people long before it make a serious dent in the numbers of decent folk. Low profile policing without a sub-machine gun in hand, or a checkpoint on every corner or some official checking your papers on every bus is a price you have to be willing to pay if you want to live in a free society. Unless of course you want to live in a police state, for which we have a number of tried and tested models.

That's what I was referring to given their general classification as proof sets, but even then it isn't up to scratch. I hadn't even considered a frosted Cu-Ni or silver proof.

Could be, with the caveat that you can't tell if it has been dipped/cleaned. Some strikes willl inevitably be better than others meaning you could get prooflike examples of early strikes. The quality of the legend seen on the left would lead one to question whether it's a proof or not given the digs. The one on the right is unquestionably a regular coin.

And don't forget it is Wakefield on Sunday in the hotel at Junction 39 of the M1. Doors open 9:30

Here you go. 0.3 micron grit alumiinium oxide lapping paper. About £2 a sheet by the time you've added VAT. http://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/fibre-optic-lapping-film/7777031/ It is commonly used in business even if the public typically don't need it..

I still think it is polished with something like 'Duraglit' if anyone remembers that. Polishing can be done with metal polish and a soft cloth, not just wet and dry, which in any case can be bought in 12000 grade. If you can use ultra fine lapping paper to polish astronomical mirrors, then making a coin look like a smooth mirror is a piece of cake.

What is particularly useful or special about eBay listings in general, or specifically this seller or sellers?

The obscured type are rare enough that I haven't seen another one at a fair since they were exposed, though will confess to not having looked. Have you got a link to a known copy? Sorry, just seen the earlier link to eBay. I will rephrase that to have you got a good picture of one?

Good! An expensive mistake makes a much better teacher than attending the University of eBay (or Facebook) when studying numismatics. We have all been there to a lesser or greater extent

I would expect the vast majority of these to still be in their RM packaging. They will also have been released to relatively few locations. I bought the above from Mark Ray in Nottingham quite by chance when I called in shortly after they were issued.

Does it look like this or can you see the face clearly without lines across it?

I suspect these are easiest to sell at fairs within the area named on the tokens. I sell Yorkshire ones ok at Wakefield, but little else. I see no demand for the East Anglian ones at either Wakefield or the Midland. They obviously appeal to a wider audience than regular currency. e.g. Pit tokens do well in Yorkshire.