Rob

You might find them advertised by the RM in Coin News and if so are likely to be priced

Nope, but it might be a good indication that it's a Chinese copy. What does the edge look like and what is the weight?

The 1671 patterns in Peck don't match this 1672 die because the spacing and relative positions of NIA and stop are different. The I is rotated to a different position on the above example compard to the patterns, and if the same die would also require the flaws seen on P437 to be polished out. It doesn't eliminate the 1671 die being recut, indeed this would be in keeping with the need to save on production costs, but would require a problem free example to confirm.

You have to delve into the trays. Those gems are there You have to do the spadework if you want to find things. If you don't look you will never find. Nobody looked at the florin tray on my table yesterday, so clearly your searching was neither methodical nor thorough. (I didn't have one anyway) It is blindingly obvious that many visitors to the fair go to see a couple of specific people, but don't broaden their horizons. The table next to me was visited by a group of people looking for some proof sets. Some he was able to supply, others not. Two sets that were discussed for a few minutes were the 1973 and 1979 sets and the difficulty in obtaining them untoned. He didn't have them. Had they asked me about them I could have supplied both which were in a large pile of sets immediately adjacent to the next table, but they just decided they weren't available and went off to pastures new. You can't force people to look, but a fair appraisal is they are mostly their own worst enemy. Trying to engage people in conversation and establish what they are looking for is well nigh impossible. The best you can usually hope for is 'just browsing' (as they get out a list of things they are looking for)! Producing something off the list also causes problems as the item will inevitably not be at eBay's 99p plus free postage. Their eyes often stop at higher grade pieces, but the realisation that it costs more than the aforementioned 99p results in the euphamistic 'I'll think about it' - i.e. the decision has already been made. On a more positive note, you also get a handful of people who freely admit they know little about the subject and are just starting out. I once even managed to reduce a wants list requiring a full sheet of A4 paper to half a dozen coins. The person was not aware that certain dates didn't exist. That help would be available at most tables if customers could bring themselves to engage in conversation, but unfortunately many don't.

It's George III and either farthing or halfpenny depending on the diameter. Given it will be corroded from being in the ground for so long, if the diameter is over an inch it will be a halfpenny, up to 3/4" will be a farthing. I suspect the former given a 2p is about an inch.

The comment by Krugman and the opposition by some to what is seen as German intransigence are only one side of the coin. Germany has been on a 70 year guilt trip, which given that nobody can be held accountable for the actions of their parents or grandparents is long overdue to stop. Germans rebuilt their country from ruins to be one of the most efficient economies because at the end of WW2 they had nothing apart from a sense of duty and a work ethic second to none. They have effectively funded much of the EU in the interim without demanding a final say as paymaster. The original members - Benelux, France, Germany and Italy were not too dissimilar, but what has happened is the accession of countries with a much greater diversity in terms of living standards and development, which has already required large transfers of wealth from the rich to the poorer countries. What has not happened is the corresponding necessary improvements in productivity. In a generation, Germany has effectively assimilated the old DDR. Granted there is still higher unemployment in the east than the old west arising from the relatively weaker industrial base, but the job is for the most part completed. Contrast that with Greece which has been a member since 1981 but has never made an attempt to balance its books, nor to reform services. They fiddled the figures to gain entry to the Euro and now expect the rest of the world to fund their ongoing lifestyle without reform. They have to leave the Euro if they want to be in control of an economy with no intention of balancing the books. No country on this planet is owed a free lunch by any one else - a fact lost on those within the Eurozone who think their debt is something to be ignored and paid for by a handful of richer nations. In 2000, Germany was the sick man of Europe having taken over the mantle from the UK in the wake of the unexpectedly high bill for integrating the DDR. What did it do? It had a thorough review of benefits, cutting those which overlapped and thus saving the government paying out twice for the same thing. Crucially, they put their own house in order to overcome their own problems. There is nothing wrong with privatisation per se, but each needs to be argued on its own merits. The important thing is to get value for money for the taxpayer. In the UK, they have completely screwed things up for over a decade with the commitments to PPI schemes, all for the sake of keeping debt off the government books, but equally, other things were very inefficient and essentially an expensive way of employing people. My personal experience when working at the post office after I'd finished university was to be given a warning not to work so hard. I had committed the heinous crime of filling vans faster than the accepted 15/25/45 minutes required depending on size. We need to get away from Holy Cows and recognise that there is a part for both state and private enterprise. There is nothing wrong with doing something to generate profits - something that is acknowledged by all sides and craved by governments who rely on their taxation to partly fund their own profligacy. There is nothing wrong with expecting people to be efficient for the duration of their working day. British gold reserves were sold at rock bottom prices because we had Gordon the Moron as chancellor. Because the sun shone out of his ****, the country would never need a safety net. Never one to willingly balance the books, his idea of prudence was to spend over 40% more than tax receipts to fund his party's pet projects. Under his impeccable leadership, the country's finances were only allowed the option of being successful. Unsurprisingly it all went tits up. Don't blame me for putting him and the Labour government in power, and please note that I am still making my contribution to paying down the debts incurred by his mismanagement. Yep, surprise, surprise - I'm partly liable for my former government's unwisely accumulated debts just as Greeks are liable for their country's debts. If Greece is broke, fix it. Nobody owes Greece anything just as nobody owes the UK anything. The main difference between our two countries is that we have the flexibility to manage our exchange rate and so affect our economy. Greece gave up that facility on joining the Euro and now must play to the rules demanded by its creditors. I suspect this argument will go around in circles.

Irrespective of the rights and wrongs of various ideologies, the **** has hit the fan because debt is too high. If you want to be masters of your own life, you have to be beholden to nobody. It's a rule which politicians choose to ignore as they borrow to fund their pet policies. Greece is where it is because they have simply increased their borrowing to levels where repayment is not possible. It doesn't matter whether the national debt has been spent on public services or disappeared into the pockets of individuals, the amount is still outstanding. Like any other debtor, there is a point where creditors no longer believe they will get their money back and so, correctly, pull the plug. You should not be so surprised at the attitude of the other Eurozone members. Greece chose to join a cozy little club where everyone signs up to the ideal of a united Europe - except it isn't. Monetary union is not possible without political union, but that would be a step too far for all the constituent nations. As there is an unwillingness on the part of northern European countries to lower efficiency and standards to meet the southern countries, it is left to the latter to raise its game, however unpalatable this may be. It is always so much easier to lower standards than it is to raise them. Anyway, Greece is merely suffering the same effects as this country did in 1992 when John Major's government tried to track the ERM. An economy that is out of kilter with the rest within a fixed exchange rate system must either get out or adopt the ways of the majority. Either the market forces you out (as with the UK in 1992), or the majority will demand conformity from the outliers (of which Greece is the starkest example within the Eurozone at present). Greece is a very low %age of the Eurozone in terms of GDP (and population). You cannot reasonably expect the mostly strong majority to change their policies to accommodate a weak peripheral area. If the Eurozone is be strong, you have to adopt the ways of the big players. They are looking after the interests of their taxpayers - as they should. There is quite rightly nothing that says other taxpayers must bail out failing member states when there is no central political control. If Greece has confidence in itself and believes it is viable under existing policies, it should be able to confidently stick two fingers up to the rest of Europe and leave. Unless of course it is addicted to the free handouts that it currently lives on and apparently 'demands' should be maintained.

When you get down to VF, it doesn't matter if dirt has been removed by a light rub. At this level the real no-no is polished and buffed. It's frankly quite difficult to say how a VF coin with obvious wear got its marks. If it looks ok in the hand, it doesn't matter how it shows up with a flash.

Somewhat off topic, but seeing as we are talking about Mitutoyo, I have at least a couple dozen spare Mitutoyo micrometer drives in two sizes which I will offload at bargain prices if anyone is interested. They are currently attached to a 20.5mm AEI high vacuum flange with sealed bellows to provide linear adjustment under vacuum, but can be easily removed to leave just a micrometer with central adjustment bar having at least an inch of linear adjustment.. Take the image below and it splits at the first line on the stainless part. In the unlikely event of anyone wanting to use them on hi vac kit, they are good to at least 1 x 10e-8 mbar, but realistically should do at least 3 orders of magnitude better.

That's about right. I would have put it in the trays at 25

1887 - commonest year for the type. Grade VF ish. The reverse looks better than the obverse. A few marks, but no real problems for the grade.

Nicks are usually cut depressions in the rim, knocks are bruises which usually result in an upward movement in the metal at some point, though usually combined with a flattened distortion,

I like my job as well and I earn enough money in order to finance a worthily life Ah, a self confessed member of the elusive rich club who need to pay higher taxes to fund the have nots ???? Alluding to the misconception held by many that the 'rich' have to pay the taxes to fund social benefits rather than 'honest working people'. The reality is that we are all the 'rich' because the system as it stands is fully demanding of all taxpayers.

But it doesn't say that he was a shareholder of the company that bought the property. In fact they specifically say that there was no evidence he had benefited. He had a 15% stake in the Trust fund, which would operate under different tax rules to those for trading companies. The corporates in London who receive the most complaints have large businesses employing people in this country. To own a property in London when based outside the country does not imply tax evasion as you will be governed by the tax rules of the country where you file accounts.

It doesn't show that Osborne benefited from the sale. What it did say was that the family business which owned the old factory was loss making prior to the sale, in which case it would be possible to sell the assets and offset the gains against the ongoing losses in order to mitigate tax. From the company's point of view it would be the ideal time to make the sale. What struck me more was the 'tax advisor' who tried to make the sale to an offshore company a major concern, whilst at the same time the clip was saying there was no evidence that George Osborne had benefited. If the gripe is trading with foreign countries, then we are all guilty. I've been a net exporter for the past 27 years and have happily sold to anyone who was willing to pay the going rate for the item/work. Least of my concerns was whether those of a certain persuasion would consider the deal to be politically incorrect. That's business which produces taxable profits that ultimately pay the benefits people are complaining about. If I am making a loss for the year, then a profit to roughly balance the books is a good thing.

I like my job as well and I earn enough money in order to finance a worthily life Ah, a self confessed member of the elusive rich club who need to pay higher taxes to fund the have nots

Mine's a Mitutoyo too. Best tool for the job. Had it roughly 30 years with no sign of a problem.

That can be answered in a simple way... A human being with a full time job has to be in the position to afford a worthily life. A government has the task to introduce suitable conditions. That is not the case. My government for example does force people into dishonourable working conditions instead. That has to be changed, we have to take action and elect appropiate parties. We already have a Santa Claus party in every country. Meanwhile we have to rely on those living in the real world..................

It's a bit of a dark art reading the manual ones! I 'got' my lesson at the boatyard, much to the amusement of everyone present! Not for those of us brought up to use a slide rule

I'm not so sure the quality argument holds up. I far prefer quality over price. I hate shopping which means one purchase every 10 years is more than twice as good as 2 purchases at 5 year intervals. The reality is I want something to last as long as possible. What I have noticed though in the past is that product lifespan is purchaser dependent. Our frugal lifestyle dictates that garden furniture be treated to provide as long service as possible. Somebody we know who couldn't care less bought the same item at the same time. Ours lasted 14 years, theirs was thrown out the following one and replaced. They are also allegedly poor. Some higher education is worthwhile, indeed it is necessary, but other areas could be covered by vocational training. I think many people are a tad deluded about wages in the west. The developed economies got to where they are by raping the third world of its natural resources at a discounted rate. The colonial powers did not invest heavily in the commodity producing areas. Today we live in a global economy and the same third world is playing catchup. Our salaries have to converge with the newly developing countries as a consequence of their increased industrial base (and our declining one). There is no sensible case that can be made for our producing less whilst at the same time demanding more. The west has had its time and now we are in a period of adjustment. Germany is in a relatively good position because of its resilient industrial base - many countries are not. To then suggest that we can all award ourselves a big pat on the back and a payrise is exactly what people are complaining the politicians and bankers are doing. If they are wrong to take excessive amounts for doing nothing, I fail to see how it can then be necessary, or desirable, for the whole of the European Union to award itself the same unearned 'freebies', unless you are trying to make two wrongs equal to a right. I'm not sure what you mean by saying the European people can re-take their continental union. If wages rise, then the price of goods will follow and so the purchasing power of an average wages will essentially stay the same. It won't follow exactly, but should track it fairly well. All of the world's businesses are trying to get the highest possible price for their products. Consumers will always oblige by putting silly amounts of money into the next must have gadget.

Buy a good old fashioned manual micrometer. Digital ones rely on a variable resistance which is highly susceptible to erroneous readings due to crud. The smallest amount of lubricant to make the slide work smoothly will also cause airborne matter to stick. This will eventually screw up the readings by giving either a higher resistance if the crap is an insulator, or lower if conducting. A manual reading only requires the temperature to be roughly constant from one reading to the next.

The price of goods is becoming progressively cheaper because they are being produced in low cost countries. If you don't want them made abroad you have to pay a higher price for a locally produced item. This is both the benefit and down side of globalisation. To manufacture goods locally at the same price level you have to automate production, but don't expect a jobs bonanza on the back of it. Businesses need people as consumers, but for very little else. As idle hands tend to make mischief, the best use for the economically inactive is to take up the slack where social provision is missing. Not full time necessarily, but something requiring a little self discipline.

It depends on what the recovery rate is as 26 billion barrels is not necessarily recoverable oil which is a major consideration given Greece sits on a fault line with regular earthquakes. Like any solution it can only be temporary even if fully exploited. It also requires bought in expertise to exploit which means capital loss to foreign oil companies and ancilliary service companies. No business will supply services without suitable recompense. With it also being a recent discovery, it doesn't get away from the point that Greece was happily spending money it didn't have prior to this. That is a cultural problem (not restricted to Greece) which it is reasonable to assume has not gone away. Just a thought, but if Greece wants to develop the fields, why doesn't it offer a tax amnesty to all those Greeks who have supposedly not paid their fair share in return for freeing up funds, developing the fields and keeping the oil in Greek hands?

Which is why you should be debt free and hold diverse investments which are physical assets that have a value - land, property, gold, and to a much lesser extent paper of which currencies are part. In that way you are not beholden to your creditors, plus you have something to fall back on when the financial systems go into free-fall. Why does the average person rely on deposit guarantees and not actively manage their relatively meagre savings? If there was ever a case for looking after number one this is it. The topic is drifting a bit, so to return to the original point, how exactly is the problem to be resolved? Greece still wants someone to give them a funded lifestyle that they can't afford. Even if all their debt was written off, the country is still structurally defective. In common with most of the world, it can't generate sufficient income to provide all the benefits the people demand or the standard of living enjoyed by the wealthiest nations and more importantly, no system left or right, dictatorship or commune can do away with the haves and the have nots. In the absence of an alternative to the staus quo, you have to live within your means for a sustainable lifestyle. Only the very largest countries in physical terms could ever hope to be self sustaining (e.g. USA, China, Russia, Canada) as only they have sufficiently diverse resources to do without imports should the need arise.

I have no problem in putting forward a right of centre opinion as like many people, I am a mixture of both political sides. Neither side has a monopoly on common sense. However, far too many people want to live in a nanny state where everything is provided and personal accountability isn't required. Apparently all the problems in the world are someone else's fault - make the 'rich' pay - whatever that means. This dependency culture doesn't solve problems, but does create its own. Benefit provision by and large doesn't generate wealth, so as a cost is merely digging a deeper hole. I think you have grasped the wrong end of the stick. I'm not saying that borrowing should occur to provide benefits, rather that people should organise more at a local level to provide things without recourse to beaurocracy which is inevitably clunky, inefficient, politically motivated and always over budget by the time palms have been greased. I quite agree. Banks (amongst others) are parasitic which is why I don't think they should have been bailed out. Irresponsible banks should fail, and more importantly be seen to fail, but it is equally important that people realise their money isn't safe in a bank and by not looking after their own assets are also at risk of loss. It is incumbent on everyone to take steps to look after their own property. Things you have to buy are less likely to be thrown away. Self funding produces better husbanding of resources. It is actually the only way forward because borrowing without any intention of repaying a loan or the nebulous concept of simply making the rich pay is a false call. You could denude the top 100 richest people in this country of their entire wealth and give it to everyone else, but the handout per person would only amount to a few £Ks each.