argentumandcoins

I have got to confess on revisiting the images, that it is somewhere near the grade, but there is little to point at the FDC price it achieved, certainly not in my humble opinion! I lost out regardless! A few problems with using ebay as a barometer of market prices; It looks like a proof from the pics although the obverse scuffs knock it down quite a bit in price. A sold price on ebay is not always a true price as we know there are sometimes bids that are not real bids shown on items (I am not alleging that here just stating a fact). Novice bidding can often be frenetic and totally off the wall, pushing prices into stellar proportions. Finally, why not check Chris, Rob, Derek, Bob or my sites for a realistic (ish in my case) price on something you may want to know the price of if you were "in the market" I have a proof on for £150 that I should probably auction on ebay looking at that result!

I think the reasons for the meteoric rise in coin prices are a little bit more complex. One of the main driving factors is the state of the economy/banking system. It has certainly pushed people with money into the collectables market, specifically high end coins. I have made high volume/value sales over the past 2/3 years to people whose main aim was investment. A couple of those buyers have developed an interest in numismatics and have now become collectors or "collector investors" if you like. Some dealers do buy in one sale and try to flip in another. That does work sometimes but more often than not the coin sells for less second time around as anybody with their finger on the pulse will recognise it and think there must be something wrong with it if it appears again so quickly or realise what the ruse is. Dealer to dealer sales are either based on wants eg Chris has a 34 wreath listed and I have a customer desperate for one or are based on one dealer seeing something another is selling way too cheaply. I have noticed an upsurge in another breed of saleroom buyer, the ebay expert! I am often outbid on coins/sets and see them appear on ebay that or the next day at some stupid price. It is obvious that the seller has little or no knowledge of the subject matter and sees coins as an easy way to make money. Among these instant experts are an influx of Antique dealers who all have trade accounts in general salerooms. I have locked horns with a couple who have pushed prices to the max on individual coins (Guineas and Gothic Crowns mainly) and rode roughshod over everybody for the bags of lower grade silver that often contain one or two scarce/high grade pieces. There probably isn't a single main reason for the high prices in salerooms and I have probably missed a couple of reasons from my explanation, but the high saleroom prices will affect us all for quite a while to come yet I think.

Is this major variety listed anywhere? ESC 1177 (R2 Rated = Very Rare) and Spink 3647 I think Rayner was a little optimistic on his rarity rating for both this and the C/SS variety. I have sold 3 of each in the last 5 years and I didn't go out of my way to find any of them.

Labour's head prime minister wannabe was on tele yesterday giving snitch and snatch a good bashing about the petrol fiasco and was asked about the pie tax, didn't say two words about pies just answered with more fuel bashing. Don't think there's going to be much help from that quarter. That bloke is quite possibly the smarmiest, slimiest wet lettuce leaf that ever drew breath. Labour were more electable with Kinnock in charge, at least the guy had some beliefs that were his own rather than what he thought people would want him to have. I bet Kinnock eats pies as well!

Just an error Chris, a scarce error though.

You need to make your own to really appreciate the qualities of the great British pie. A nice turkey, ham and leek or a good game pie. Greggs are just pish.

Aye, it is Peck.

Labour???? I may be an ex miner from East Durham Scott but I'd sooner have Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck running the country.........oh, they are aren't they!

I was going to use livebid but decided to go off trout fshing instead today. I still got nothing but at least I tasted fresh air for a change (other than cigar smoke of course). I think the 1726 would have been beyond my budget today.

Ronald McDonald?

Oh well, you can console yourself with the fact that "only" 125 members of the public will get ripped off. Or, if Coincraft buy them all and add their own versions to boost sales, it could be 5,000... My neighbour is from Essex somewhere and knows the guy who owns coincraft, apparently he's an American? Who is? Your neighbour in Munchen from Essex or the guy who owns Coincraft? Either way what's that got to do with 20% going onto the price of hot pies in Blighty?

Fully struck is probably one of the hardest of all to locate. The obverses (for reasons well documented already) are always very weak. My own is VF to the eye whilst the reverse is a well struck UNC.

1828 halfcrown I thought this one worthy of inclusion. I had a chortle at the description, practically EF and the mintage figures quoted. Anybody who knows anything about coins knows that the figures quoted are not mintage but release numbers. Whilst admittedly scarce the actual mintage figure could be anywhere up to half/three quarters of the 1829 figures. If you want to set yourself up as the leading authority on GB coinage in the world at least know your subject!!!! Probably the most amusing/annoying line is the reference to excellent future investment. If you want investments steer well clear of coins, particularly cleaned ones with whacking great edge knocks unless they really are rare.

This guy is the best grader ever, anywhere. Anybody fancy some superb Farthings etc?

The price wasn't the only typo; Apparently after Prince Albert died the Queen entered into a "25 year period of morning". I'm sure I've seen the film, John Wayne was in it wasn't he? That's right, "The Longest Day"

Surely you mean the "general" public old bean? If not you are saying that we who are in the know are abnormal? Oh, on second thoughts maybe you are correct after all

Although not a BNTA member I offer the same assurance that the BNTA do (as would Rob, Bob and Derek no doubt). Your post said it all really, REPUTABLE SOURCE. If you stick to that you should never come off on the wrong side of a transaction.

A saleroom is not obliged to do anything at all as all lots are sold as seen. Most will of course do their best for the purchaser as a sign of goodwill, but it depends on the saleroom manager/director in question.

Yes, everything has a value, or several values to be more precise. Sentimental value; you decide. Intrinsic value; about 2p worth of metal. Retail value; £1-£10 Insurance value; Not worth worrying about.

Looks right to me Geordie.

You've lost me shamo! What do you mean by noted?

Anybody fancy a cast? Yes, I know the trout season has opened but this has nothing to do with the subtle art of fly fishing.

I note that you did not dispel the rumour about you giving a 34 Wreath to the 1000th member Chris (you are indeed a very generous host)

The only tea time related story would have been Spam. (sorry) A few of the regulars from 7 or 8 years ago were minors who have now grown up and moved on. Geoff T commented one day about William, who he met in his post school years at the RNCM in Manchester where he was studying. There will always be losses for this reason, but less explicable are those who post hundreds of times in the space of months only to disappear. I think they collect fora post numbers rather than material items? Anyway, back to Debbies original post. I heard a whisper that Chris was going to give a 1934 Crown to the 1000th member.......

It looks British to me. Try a google search on "heraldry dragons" and see what comes up.