VickySilver

Crack it out and get a mass spec reading from a local university. Uggh, I am here in Maryland and the U. of Md offered to do electron microscopy of a penny for "something above 500 USD"! So hopefully they are more amenable in Merry olde Englande...

Hmm, I do not always take stock in RM records, although Dyer is an excellent source (was?) for many things. I have seen by recall two other 1935 penny proofs outside of museums. So how many others are they as surely I have not seen all, and I do not think they were the same coin as this? I have not made a special point of collecting them but do have a 1936 that came with a proof set. I can not prove the point but believe that there were coins of this vintage released as part of larger sets, and also individually. Some silver sets seem to have made it out sans the copper lesser bits, and may have also been released in single and set form but can not prove that either. Good luck on finding VIP Record proofs in dealer stocks as in my experience there are not too many there and most are tied up in the museums or in collections.

Perhaps you are referring to the area toward the rim at obv. 10:00 or so and rev. around 4:00 where there looks like a bit of pinching wear at the rim (eccentric). Well, that is what I see anyway, but still don't have a problem with it as these half sovs are many times struck a bit strangely and suffer from the "uglies" with wear. Unfortunately wear is used to disguise nefarious bits also. BTW, I actually have an 1862 in very near to EF, but unbelievably with a repaired hole as though it was prepped for necklace or some such suspension. Yikes! I keep wondering if a bit of doctoring might improve the defect although it is not that obvious to the naked eye.

Evidently, these are rare. I have never been convinced that the true rarity of coins stated as R18 or R19 is really at that level, especially when it comes to proofs of the VIP type. Many of them may have mintages that may range up to 10 or 20 easily IMO. Evidently the Lot 444 was a bogus VIP 1937 proof, akin to some of the bits sold on ebay some years ago by a seller in Gibralter.

Coin looks OK, a bit worn and perhaps cleaned. To my view those are not bubbles but gouges/circ. issues.

Really, in reading this, I don't see the letter as having solved ANYTHING in terms of numbers ultimately struck and/or released (i.e. "in the first instance"...). How many other "instances" might there have been? Funny how even with the somewhat muddy phraseology how it reminds me of many legal papers that have so very many loopholes.

Ouch! Nice coin though...

There was precious little quality late milled, so no bids from me. What did the QEII gold halfpenny go for?

Hmmm, rather a spread in type of coin there? I think you will find many more that would appreciate that half crown on these boards....

Yes, I have two mushy obv. 19H's but had a bit of luck with Spink (in the old days, that is) with the 18H. I think you can still call a coin uncirculated if has not been circulated and just plagued with the weak obverse, but this makes it "run of the mill" as has been said.

Hmmm, I daresay the ratio would be greatly changed in favor of the "H's" if it was well struck full lustre coins that were included! BTW, if anyone has a 1919H of that description, do let me know as I would be a buyer most likely as mine are just too mushy on the obverse.

All of the 1918-1919 H & KN in well struck and lustred form are undervalued IMO. The 1918H with well struck obv. and rev. might be worth nearly this price as we generally see those mushy bits....

Not I. Any other highlights, bronze or silver?

I would say "au contraire" in that modern sets, albeit better sealed with possibly more inert plastics, etc., are still vulnerable to in-case toning and that I have seen it; I would quite imagine other members will support me in this observation.

Yes, and moisture and temperature, etc.

Somebody (not me) said: "well, hard to come about with that in close quarters"...LOL

Good Heavens! Don't ask that on the PCGS chat room, EVERYTHING is NT (naturally toned, as opposed to AT = artificially toned). I suspect the coin is an AU/GEF that shows wear on the obverse high points and has been artificially toned in an attempt to hide that and get an all-important MS grade (i.e. 60-70). This is frequently done and to "out" a severe culprit to whom I have written, check the seller "Greattoning"! Ouch! Ouch! By the way, what grade did NGC bestow on this coin?

Absolutely, and even the halfcrown has a bit of drama to it somehow....The florin looks OK until you actually get a closeup of Britannia's face - Uggh! A blowup of that rather dulled my enthusiasm for the issue's aesthetics. Still I love them.

May not that be that much of investment at the right price until another comes along. Also, in slight counter point, even if it is not as scarce, demand is king!

gF - I'm OK with that. 50 pounds seems a bit cheap, but 100 steep. How about 80? That is not an offer however!

I'm wondering if these sale results are reflecting a softening of the market in mid-level coins?

Yes, I have seen these somewhere...Hmmm, where??? Beirut conglomerations? Possibly.

Very similar to my own gF (yikes I hate having such a poor specimen) coin in all ways, including the date. I vote REAL DEAL.

The shape of the King's head, not to mention ALL the lettering look terrible and poorly done. Which, pray tell, was the auction house?

As a side issue with these coins (and many others as well), when the coin is not fully struck that planchet prep marks are still remaining on the "unstruck" areas of coin surface - and these include marks and scrapes, etc. on the planchet BEFORE being struck. These are occasionally misintrepeted as wear when in fact it is not.