Rob

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

1907 Maudy Set

Gallo-Belgic geometric quarter stater

Thinking out loud, a search of the internet for prices realised in the case of 1948 pennies will only throw up proofs, and the frequency would suggest extreme rarity. You will never see a bog standard 1948 priced as a lot - except on ebay

His valuation of £1700 is only £50 away from what the last 1948 proof made when it sold in 2015. Coincidence? I don't think so.

Offer him a counter-valuation of a million quid - but only if he throws in the 1967 half crown as per the description for free

Might be possible, but not this week for certain. Ta.

I suspect that most of the images have been manipulated somehow to change the background only. I'm not sure my hand is steady enough to cut out an irregular shape and paste into a featureless black page.

Pictures have always been a lottery. When the offspring redid the site at Christmas, eldest set up youngest's Canon camera using a digicam program and something called lightbox. That allowed the proces to be automated, but then the camera started playing up. I reverted to the Nikon I used before, but that didn't support autofocussing through the camera control program. Then the basic lens had shutter problems so I had to put on the macro, which works but light is a problem. I wanted to standardise on a background, preferably black, but I can only get decent exposures with a light background for most things, particularly dark toned coins. A good example is the halfgroat I posted a couple days ago. LC's image is great, mine isn't. I don't know what they use as the background material, but there is no texture to it. I've spent days or weeks trying to get the lighting right, but my dark coins are not too far off the background colour, so lightening them, does the same to the background. Using the green offered the best contrast, because so few coins have a green tone, but the texture diverts your attention away from the coin. If the background is featureless, you concentrate on the subject.

That's mine. I'm having difficulties taking pictures at the moment. I haven't listed anything for weeks. I've got literally hundreds of coins waiting to be imaged and no time coupled with an inability to take quality pics.

G2 roses 6d.

Briot 1st milled issue penny.

They are a good source for misattributions as a collector. No idea about the quality of service such as turnaround times though.

I only know one person who does grading for them, so can't comment on anyone else.

I know Alex does some grading, but assume that there must be a pool of people used if you intend to show expertise in all areas. I don't know all the people involved, so thought a discount or exemption from any fees might be a suitable reward if the remuneration for agents postulated earlier has any basis. A gift of £500 is usually matched by a spend considerably in excess of that sum, so LC have to gain business considerably in excess of the income foregone.

Is goldguinea doing the grading for them? That might explain the exemption, which has to be predicated on some basis. It isn't as if CGS have just started, so there has to be a quid pro quo.

Being stung is a necessary part of the learning curve. They are only copied because people pay silly money for them. You have learnt a lesson and now you are wiser, so rather than throw in the towel on the basis of one occurrence, why not use the knowledge gained to guard against the future? You could always wait for one to appear in change. I've had two undated 20ps in my change this year. 2008-9 price was £300 give or take a bit. Today they trade at 10% of that sum. Patience.

If the seller is a genuine jeweller, he would know better

Grading doesn't depend on the quality of the dies. It is simply a means of quantifying wear. Die cracks don't come into it.

My only concession to pennies in this metal. P2149. http://