Rob

I wouldn't expect it to go for 60 as I paid over 200 for mine 12 years ago. The point in question is the pictures, the size of which make attibution well nigh impossible. You can add identifying forgeries to the list of difficulties.

The problem is the pictures which simply aren't good enough. I would possiby be interested in pursuing two of the four listed above, but there is a problem. I don't need a P1365, but I do need a P1368 and P1369, one of which uses the same obv die and the other a similar die, but you couldn't work out the Peck number from the images. Now £60 isn't going to break the bank as a punt, but I don't particularly want a P1365 with spots. I might tolerate them for a variety I need however, and I don't have confidence in the ability of the TPGs to assign the right Peck number - hence the desire to see enough to assign a variety. These are things a specialist in any field will always want to check. Secondly, the Ottawa sovereign is rare and is a box I need to tick, but looks cleaned and certainly doesn't look to have original surfaces. There is no mention in the description, and the images don't help that much. You need to know the coin is not cleaned, plugged, tooled, or whatever. The images don't allow the prospective buyer to do their basic spadework.

Welcome to the forum. If you are in West Yorkshire, go to the Wakefield coin fair at the Cedar Court hotel off junction 39 on the last Sunday of each month (except December). Next one is this coming weekend and it starts at 9:30. That will allow you to look through the trays at leisure without being forced to buy anything. If you do decide to go, I'm the large hairy object in the centre aisle facing the entrance, so come and introduce yourself. If you are just starting out, I wouldn't bother trying to specialise too early. It means you will pass by a lot of things that you find attractive, and with specialisation comes the ludicrously expensive piece or two that you will need to complete. Far better you start by acquiring a range of cheaper things before diving in too deep. You will change direction somewhere along the line.

It's easy to see how the sets get broken up. There was a 1958 Cu-Ni set in the Circular Dec. 2003 which Colin Adams bought for the halfcrown. I took the two shillings and the sixpence at the same time, whilst the florin probably went in Spink's March 2005 sale (I'd have to check) when he sold his duplicates prior to his halfcrown sale.

Come on copper, you know how to spell it. http://www.predecimal.com/forum/topic/10812-farthing-specialist-envelope/#comment-141758 refers

The envelope appears to have EX COLLECTION at the top. Does anyone know if this refers to his own collection or have I misread it? Ta.

If we hadn't lost the ability to understand the value of money then coins and notes would have meaningful value, but we lost that once we embarked on a system of credit whereby we created money that wasn't backed by a physical asset. A consequence of this inflated money supply is, or should be that all governments recognise their physical money is essentially worthless or at best an unquantifiable decreasing %age of the total 'value' of the economy. It doesn't really matter whether the issue is coins or notes, all are comprehensively dwarfed by credit which is illusory money but the basis on which most wealth is measured, and something that can be generated at will. That's why so much effort is put into finding secure assets as a means of protecting wealth. You don't want cash however, this being a sub-section of the total wealth as measured in the same units, but which has no means of appreciating to be a fixed %age of the total wealth. Non cash assets can always be divided up according to the agreed total wealth of the nations. That is why asset values have outstripped the official rate of inflation. QE money had to go somewhere.

A VF currency 1838 or 1848 2d only books at a tenner. The 1848 might be a bit difficult, but the 1838 pops up quite often.

Buy underwear futures. There are huge export opportunities opening up in the Brussels area. Cameron and Osborne are hitting the afterburners trying to instill fear, but everyone is switched off as it doesn't form part of a coherent argument

So presumably either a blank intended for a foreign issue which somehow got into the 2p blank bin, or a sheet of thinner material was used by mistake. If the first it will be rarer than if the second, as this would mean as many produced as there were blanks from the sheet. I don't believe for one minute that someone is counterfeiting 2p pieces.

Not at all. The population is well documented, so it would clearly be the same coin either in or out of a slab.

I wonder how it was formed. Looks like a double cut letter, but the dies would have been cut using a reducing machine and not entered by hand, so either there was some slippage in the mechanism, or the original design was badly formed? Thoughts?

Any signs of acid attack as all the four datal figures look to be slightly thinner? Are the letters of the legend also a little thinner. If so, that plus elimination of the very low relief might indicate a chemical reason.

Yes, but Mike is no longer there, so it may not have been Phil's fault. As a way forward, how many examples do we definitely have now and how much have the ones you know about sold for? Maybe we can list them all in a separate thread in the confirmed unlisted section. It means I can give a separate entry (presumably S3554A) with a suitable price for fine, and possibly VF by extrapolation

What was that about? An item for inclusion in the tome? If so I'll have a word just as with the 1695 halfpenny. I'll be seeing him in the near future.

I tried getting in through the back door using a contact when investcoins were operating, but the fraud dept at ebay just said we don't deal with the public, only the police. No willing helpers there then. It's a money thing. As long as the dodgy dealers keep feeding eBay's finances, their position is secure.

Saxby's feedback. A good reference of things to avoid. Check the feedback to see what he has sold. Not all items he sells are copies, but a good number are. The content will be changing with time, but as old habits die hard the reference should be useful as long as he is allowed to sell on eBay (who won't do anything about him)

I wonder if he goes to the Midland given his location as I'd love to have a chat with him? However, he might not attend because he won't be able to source his stock there. Ever since he started in 2004(?) he has systematically peddled forgeries and genuine coins conveniently misdescribed as being types worth 10x their real value.FYI, if the king's name is missing from the legend or flat on a medieval English coin, then the item will be described as either a Henry IV or Richard III. I suspect his feedback would make a good reference of all the coins and artefacts you need to avoid.

I tripped over it the other day when I stood up after trying to reference a provenance - not that it helps you.

The last issue of the circular was Jan 2014. They have exited dealing. To be honest, it wasn't really surprising given the cost of overheads in central London as it costs as much to sell a £10 coin as a £10K one, and the number of customers that would shop there on a daily basis for coins at the £10K level wouldn't justify the expense given the levels of stock you would need to hold to have decent offerings to suit all tastes. It's money tied up and cashflow that's the problem. The circular offered a means of turning around stock quickly, which is the key to trading, but there simply isn't the quantity of decent material being offered to dealers to put together a decent list. The internet has ensured that much more stock goes through auction these days rather than sold to dealers because these offer competitive bidding and therefore prices to the greatest audience. The seller also ends up with a greater %age of the hammer price with an auction because premiums are weighted towards the buyer who frequently ignores or forgets the additional cost of these. Today though, even auctions are struggling to get quality material, much of which is being stashed away in an attempt to preserve wealth given the current global finacial uncertainty I wasn't aware that there were tech issues at the last sale as I had no problem logging on and bidding. When it was first launched 5 or 6 years ago it was a disaster with delayed bidding not keeping up with the aiuction in the room, but I thought that was sorted out when they had a period only offering bidding through the saleroom. They appear concentrating on auctions and books as far as I can see. DaveG, was that before the tome went off to the printers or afterwards? I'll have a word with Phil if I remember for inclusion in the next one.

Which it isn't

I think it is likely there were smaller sets than 27 coins, just not as a complete set because, as shown from the image, the DIME and FLORIN legends could only be struck at different times. Florin reverses are relatively common compared to the Dime with the same adopted reverse design, which would suggest that these were either 'generally available' or formed part of the intended original constituents. The Dime appears to be an afterthought, as it only occurs with the adopted reverse, variously paired with the three obverses. Tidiness suggests an example of each obverse and reverse design, or an example of each proposed denomination. The double reverses could be a set of three giving the alternative designs for a specific legend, or part of a larger group. It should precede the ONE DIME though, which must be late in the period.

They aren't available in equal numbers and the recutting of the ONE FLORIN reverse to read ONE DIME means that if they were struck as sets then there could only be one striking session because all the ONE FLORINs would have to have been made in advance of the first ONE DIME, or at least with this rev. design. You also have the six reverses used for the 3 double reverses. These are the only mutually exclusively timed dies. The ONE DIME reverse therefore appears to post-date the majority of these patterns.

1848 patern florin with the adopted reverse design but ONE DIME legend. DIME is clearly cut over FLORIN making it extremely unlikely that the series of 27 patterns was actually produced as a set. This legend is the rarest, being used on only two reverse designs. Needs to be reimaged to bring out the iridescence.

Proof 1826 shilling. Usual quality pics - not