VickySilver

Yikes, think she might have picked the wrong forum. Maybe she needs a US forum and could discuss bust coinage.... Maybe she wants to model for the next Britannia?

I love Baldwin's but they occasionally are a bit slower than one might like. I might add that they are tremendously better than the "good ole days"...

Well, I got the 1/4d, 1d, 3d-2/6 in a US auction - Stack's in 1996. I got the crown, which I believe had been with the others in a Noble Australia auction several years later. I was the underbidder and had to buy it back from the winner for a bit more - Uggh!

But I think you might have to admit that the aesthetics of the original coin were improved? Did you visit Stockton's site and see the 1892 Micro "O" restoration? What about chasing cast coins or more often medals - this was done at the mint many times?

Rob's point is taken, and I don't argue in favor of the TPG, but to play devil's advocate I wonder how he would grade his pattern gold coin on simply its "current" merits? I haven't seen it and do congratulate Rob on his alertness in picking up this alteration. I only wish the hairlines could have been avoided on the OP coin.

So should Evans have left Knossos the pile of rubble it was?

Can't argue with one's opinion, but I think most would greatly favor the result of "tooling" in this case. This reminds me of the work done at archaeological sites in the early 20th C. wherein the original work was significantly restored (eg Sir Arthur Evans at Knossos). Would the site be as attractive just a pile of rubble? Still, I back restoration with examples as clearcut as this. Obviously, an outrageous example could be pointed out but that is a bit defeating of this process whereby a likely consensus severely damaged coin is restored to acceptability. Also note this is NOT being passed as mint state...

Was 18 months the downtime? Seems like quite a while though a decent product. Great examples on his website too.

Sounds quite plausible...Still with regards to some issues for Jamaican and other Caribbean entities, certain years are enormously scarcer it would seem than others of the same mintage, and I can't quite figure it out. An interesting bit: the sometimes infamous Franklin Mint struck fairly high quality coins. One of the uncirculated types was "matte", and evidently in the mid-70s very scare-to-rare gold issues were sent by BoJ to small branch banks in the country. Consequently, they appear to be nearly unknown; an example is the matte Columbus ?1975 FM matte? issue...

Here goes (again): If the Royal Mint releases a mintage figure, how can we know if this is an authorized mintage (maximum), number struck or number released? I had actually asked this inquiring about Jamaica proof sets of the '90s and early '00s, but was wondering if anybody might have the answer as I was not able to get an answer from the Royal Mint (or in this case Bank of Jamaica). I am of the opinion that the answer may be that it "just depends", and that these numbers may reflect any of the three possiblilities. It becomes even more difficult with foreign issues I would imagine, because who knows what happens to the coins or sets sent to the various Central Banks?

Such varietals IMO have tendencies to be as scarce as their true collectors. Even though I love late milled coins, I frankly have not even looked at my coins to see if one of these is included.

I have seen pure elemental calcium ignite and nearly explode in the chem lab. That and sodium I remember... Egyptian 1920s gold .875 based on the pattern proof 1922 KG V florins that experimented with gold alloys....

1.5gm?? Color = brassy Conclusion based on just this bit: brass/potmetal. Inference = stay away unless you want junk.

Amen TG! It is nice when it comes time to sell or trade if a coin(s) have risen in absolute value but the pleasure is in holding them for me at least... I was so glad to be able to trade over for some "unobtainables" after my own bits had substantially risen. Parting with the collection for dyed in the wool partisans is probably for the will beneficiaries... If things really hit the fan I am wondering if there will be much growth in coin values anyway.

Ah, yes, braver words never spoken and how true they are. I have had this to occur: a great coin or set comes up at some seemingly unobtainable value and after appreciating it for the wonder that it is, I on second impulse tell myself that it is out of reach. But it then bounces around in my head the thought it might just be obtainable somehow. And quite naturally on the instances of obtaining the piece(s), a trade can be worked out direct or indirectly. I think it took a breakthrough instance to realise this, and recall trading SEVENTEEN fairly rare silver bits for a single smaller copper bit!

Yikes, more competition for the upper end; just what is not needed IMO.

My Krause says that KM 185 is included in the 2002 set - if it exists. No further confirmation on this. Another question that I have hinted at before: If mintage is listed at 500, or whatever it may be, is that the Royal Mint authorized mintage or the actual net mintage? Also, how (or is it arbitrary) does the Royal Mint distributes these sets? How many sold by them versus how many go to the Central Bank, B of J in this instance? Leftovers? What becomes of them if there are, and are these included in the released "mintage" figure? I hope a few people read this post and can comment...If not will post these questions separately.

Not sure if it is actually for sale as Heritage has a feature whereby others' winning lots are put up and THEY (Heritage) place that bit about putting an offer on the piece. I discovered this when out of the blue I received an offer on a coin that I never did have for sale. As a lark, I approved one for resale at 6x my buy price - well no takers....

NIce! I also agree with the 5/5 as the parallel top of the "under' 5 looks just that, and can not see a complete curve of a 6 below either.

Uggh, Peck, don't think it will work that way as you pointed out in the earlier bit of your post. As bullion values grow, the premiums are wiped out for numismatic value. Not an example dear to many on these boards, but this is what happened to the US platinum series fractionals through whole oz. 1997-2008. There was a good bit of interest in these when platinum was a few hundred USD and then the value of the metal crept as high as USD2200. Even though the price retreated to sub-1500, it seems all the nascent collectors lost interest in the currency bits despite very low mintages and no sign of any return. Also, can you imagine in way of example how the numismatic value of, say, a 1931 half crown in VF will crawl back into the picture compared to its silver value?

Yes, thanks. That does appear to be a die chip rather than a misplaced punch or other. Most will not get too excited by it, but a few may comment. Good looking out!

I agree, IMO the details on reverse crown details and esp G5's hair on obverse just do not look right. Could be photography but methinks the coin questionable.

The '56 penny went for what? Fortunately for me I didn't spot any "have to" bits....

I will not be a player in the upcoming sales as nothing of interest, other than maybe the proof 1853 1/2d, but there are a couple (well, three) coins that may be of interest to follow as barometers of the market, and perhaps readers might contribute others they noticed: - Baldwin, 1869 1/2d. This coin is near to EF or EF and is estimated at ?80 pounds? This is a fairly scarce to rare date in quite decent state of presentation, possibly a bargain to be had but will be ineresting for me to see how much interest is shown in a lower to mid-priced Vicky bronze scarcity. - St. James, 1908 2/6. This coin is also quite presentable, and nearing the EF preservation state. A decent, though not mint state coin that is fairly scarce but not rare and it is relatively lower priced as well. How much legitimate interest will be shown in this E7 issue, and possible indicator of interest for barometer of interest in this market. - St. James, 1934 5/-. This coin is an OK GEF or so example of a somewhat rare date but not in supreme presentation. IMO, values for this coin generally peaked a couple of years ago and interest mildly on the wane. Will this bring 3750 pounds? I don't know about others, but despite a posting elsewhere in these forums I feel not really great offerings in the Victorian and later pre-decimal coins. Some controversy about the DNW shillings, certainly. Were any of them cleaned/dipped and retoned? I did not see them in hand so really can't judge, just passing on some "scuttlebutt (sp?)". At least there were some interesting coins in the series, and would like to have had a couple....

Ouch! I was really broaching the subject of low-middle to middle market coins (if there is such a thing). Where are they going, is there sustained demand and how thin might the market be? I have done well selling over the last couple of years, but of course have been buying as well - carefully I hope, but seem to get different reads as to where its going. I think most, including me, believe that upper echelon coins are in good shape. It is the "collector coins" that I wonder about, and have been for a while now...