Rob

It's a difficult one to pin down because the question is asked of an average across all dealers. i.e. are there are more dealers who are generous with their grading? Equally valid is the question 'are there are more dealers full stop?' In an age when everyone can set up shop on the internet, the explosion in people who can and do use this option means there is less practical resistance to becoming a dealer. If it was necessary to travel to the fairs and do the circuit (with large expenditure on fuel and hotels), then there would be far fewer dealers, but the virtually zero cost of being on-line means that goes out of the window. It would be a fairer question if you took a couple dozen people at random from then and now who only ply their trade as a fully fledged business and attend fairs, issue lists and deal across the board etc as these are likely to be more experienced and you would expect consistent in their grading.

I think that the same inconsistencies existed then as now. Some dealers would grade higher than other and others lower. Actually, not a problem for the experienced collector as long as there is consistency, but a nightmare for the novice when they want to sell their overgraded material at a later date.

Edward III pre-treaty penny of London. EDWARDVS only appears in Ed.III.

I'm not. That was the early 80s when the only thing you would see on the river was a 3 piece suite and a table floating downstream. All that was missing was the TV and viewer. Since then I know someone pulled a 17lb pike out of the Irwell by the Crescent. Things have come a long, long way since the orange river Irk (paint factory) met the purple Irwell (dye factory) below Victoria station.

Looks like his crown, not a moon, with the crescent in the legend part of an S

Peck's from Scouseland. You don't get a lot of goldcrests in Liverpool or anywhere else up here. In fact it is only 30 years since I saw a duck for the first time on the River Irwell having waited 6 or 7 years for such an event..

The initial cross goes back to Saxon times, when I assume it had religious significance. The cross used on medieval coins varied (+ fleury, patonce, pattee etc) by which time you would suspect it was used as an identifier rather than a religious symbol. It's use on coins of the present reign will be a resurrection of a design feature as opposed to having any significance.

Centisles has long been recognised as one to avoid. He could save time and increase his profits by not self-slabbing and p***ing off the customer when they receive the goods in question which will never be the grade assigned on the label by most peoples' standards

It might be the first complete coin known of this type, but the Tutbury cut half on eBay was also a Stephen. It sold for £158. It's quite possible that the half wasn't recorded, as many finds just end up on eBay without people going to the trouble of logging them. I've been looking for an image, but it seems I have lost it for the moment. I suspect it got erased during a periodic clean up of the pictures folder to make space for new ones

Coins of a slightly different style have been given to Tutbury on the basis of the mint reading. Essentially a crude bust of what is otherwise a normal Stephen penny with a voided cross and outward pointing lis in the angles. Your coin with the martlets in the angles was previously known only at Derby. There was a cut half of Tutbury on ebay about 2 years(?) ago. The reigns of Henry I, Stephen and the Anarchy are the least represented of all reigns in numismatic terms, with new mints, moneyers and even types recorded on a regular basis, an estimate that we know of only a third of the mint outputs in this period would not be too wide of the mark. e.g. Last week at the Timelines sale they had a Stephen penny from a previously unknown moneyer at a mint that wasn't known to be striking Stephen pennies (Wareham). Previously it was only known with coins of Matilda during this period. Two lots later was a coin attributed to Cirencester during the Anarchy. A generation ago, this mint wouldn't have even been suggested as a possible location. This period in history is quite fluid at the moment due to recent discoveries such as the Box hoard where previously unknown mints were attributed as a result of the contents. Your coin fills yet another hole in the jigsaw.

To me. All contributions gratefully received. Ta.

If it needs a new home, I would be willing to act as a repository.

Don't know who attributed it, but the mint signature is TVT.

Mary, Philip and Mary, Cromwell, and James II will be the most expensive to fill. A Mary groat is about the cheapest option, and you don't get a lot for £250. Philip and Mary you can do with a base penny. £200 would buy a nice one. Cromwell will break the bank unless you economise elsewhere, and there isn't really much in the way of cheap J2 apart from maundy.

Hint. Some of the reigns are prolific, others have a few cheap options and an awful lot of expensive ones. Sort out the latter first and use the common ones to diversify.

George VI might be a problem. There's no 'Goldilocks' coin at that value. A quality 1946 or 1949 threepence would be over this as would the gold or proofs. Most of the rest are cheap as chips, but I would however consider selling anything with a value of £10 for £150-250 if you are desperate. With the best will in the world, you will struggle to spend too much on the later monarchs, so why not set a target for the total spend? That way you can get a better example of the rarer ones.

Value is a question of grade, as always. Searching out past auctions would be the best indicator here. If identifying them is a problem, I suggest you get yourself a copy of Dalton & Hamer for the 18th century pieces. I'm sure there will be something on line, but with the book it is always to hand and if you have a large number to identify, it is always easier to thumb a book. An original would cost a few hundred pounds, but there should be a modern reprint available for less than a tenner. The other book to consider would be Davis, 19th Century Token Coinage. Both are standard references. Try Amazon or AbeBooks.

I wouldn't give either side better than EF. Britannia's fingers are flat holding the trident and so is her thumb on the shield with quite a significant flattened area

Without a picture it's impossible to say, but from the description Fine would be melt, VF £15-20

According to their population report (key: graded, rejected, highest grade) 1905 HC, 16, 1, 75 1917 SV, 1, 5, 65 1864 die? FL not sure what this is 1763 SH, 10, 5, 78 1864 florin with the known copies. Can't remember which die it was.

Which begs the question for anyone who has access to the CGS statistics - how many 1905 HC, 1917 sov, 1864 die? forins, 1763 1/-, etc have been slabbed? i.e.the known dodgy items where your neck is on the line for saying one way or the other.

Know your stuff and you can't go wrong. Believe the hype and you may well end up s**t creek without a paddle.

You have been my biggest influence Rob! I recommend you and your views to all newbies It can get out of hand though At the moment, I have the following numbers of boxes to tick. People in whose name or under whose authority a coin was struck - 251 Denominations, either circulating or in pattern form, used or struck in this country - 130 Attributed designers - 173 Mint locations - 152 Privy or mint marks including overmarks - 327 Errors - 21 Metals/Alloys used - 50 Metal provenances - 11 Minting processes - 8 Misc features - 45 Type examples or too nice to sell - As many as I want The list could never be completed, is regularly extended and the diversity means there is always something to go for. Combine that with an attempt not to replicate designs and it is quite difficult - and fun.

I'm glad people are coming around to my way of thinking. :) :) It's very rewarding.

The one on the left is larger in diameter than the one on the right. Only a mm or so on the screen, but perceptible.