VickySilver

For those that have not lost interest: please look carefully at the obverse of the 10 Dollar coin with the subject CUFFY. The engraving of this piece really IMO well executed and the RM or USA mint might do well to find some sculptors that can manage portraits as well...

Ah thanks Richard. Didn't know you visited this part of the forum....

As some are perhaps aware, I collect circulating/currency coins of the Franklin Mint and of the Caribbean especially - although I make exceptions for Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands to some extent, and mainly because it is a rare day that I find a decent Vicky or late pre-decimal silver at a real world price. Anyway, some 6 or so months ago right on ebay appear TWO Guyana coins of exceeding rarity & these are the Uncirculated (U) 1978 Guyana $5 and $10 pieces. These had an original mintage of 100 each and were NOT sold to collectors. As best as I have been able to make out, they were struck by the Franklin Mint as were other such coins to "legitimize" their offerings of silver (and gold) proof coins and sets to be sold to collectors; most of these NEVER made it to their country of origin at all. From what I have been able to gather over the years, and this dates back to the 1970s when I could not afford much of anything besides maybe my next meal at University, the putative currency issues were struck by the Franklin Mint at a truly marvelous private minting facility in Pennsylvania and then sacked up into bags and sent to the issuing authority in whichever country & usually the Central Bank. A few uncirculated sets were occasionally and erratically struck for the non-focal countries, which I will presently explain, but most of even these sets were sold to collectors in wealthier countries such as the USA, Britain, Germany and the formerly titled Benelux with only a few going to host countries. In any case, and back to the story. These currency coins were then sent to the Central Banks as stated and faced varied fates: some were dumped out into circulating channels through the banks & this generally applied to the smaller denominations, usually one cent through one dollar or equivalents. This has been disputed by some but then debunked on the evidence that circulated examples ARE indeed found from the time. The larger coins, and by such I really mean that, ofter up to 45 mm diameters and on occasion even LARGER were after 1973 nearly always struck in copper nickel which meant they had essentially no melt or intrinsic value (until the recent meteoric rise of nickel prices!). They were struck in quite small numbers, often only 50 to 250 or so examples and evidently for the most part languished in bags or other storage with a few possibly being pulled out by curious or maybe in cases knowing bank personnel or their friends. There is very scant to poor to minimal direct evidence of any of this and comes from stories that I and others have gathered. Point being that few were made, those made were NOT treated specially & often received rather poor treatment with bagmarks and handling/storage hairlines, etc. Because some are so very scarce, many either are still lost in the bowels of Central Banks or possibly melted or even THROWN OUT as appears the case with mates to the two subject coins. Bottomline: abyssmal survival and coins that are likely extremely rare. In the case of Guyana, the poor Guyanese dollar has suffered severe damage in exchange ratios which is important as shall be pointed out. In 1978, it took roughly 10 Guyanese dollars to equal one USA dollar and gradually this has eroded to over 200 Guyanese dollars to one USA dollar now in 2022. So at time of issue, and according to records 100 each of the 5 Dollar and 10 Dollar coins were sent there to the Central Bank in Georgetown, Guyana. Allegedly, also an unknown number of specimen uncirculated (but NOT including proofs) in the prooflike or (U) quality were made - in 44 years since issues I have NEVER seen one of these sets. So until 6 months ago, I had not seen any of the uncirculated specimens of these two larger denominations when all of the sudden one of each appeared on ebay but the seller wanted an atrocious amount of money that even I was unwilling to pay. I tried to bargain and (s)he came down only marginally and so decided to see what they might sell for; they did not sell and so some time later I offered a bit higher price which was refused and the seller then offered a HIGHER price. ERGGGGGHHHHHH! I then waited even longer and the coins languished unsold & so made another offer and thankfully he dropped the price just a bit more so I agreed and sent my payment. The next day I thought back and vaguely recalled that the seller was in Eastern Europe. A cursory check then showed he lived in Kyiv, Ukraine of all places! Four weeks went by and no coins, and so I then figured I was out of my money even though a good seller (seller responded that he had moved - evidently Westward - and that he had posted them). But then I came into work, and tah dah!!!!!, there sat on my desk an envelope from UKRAINE. Only one likelihood and that was that these coins were included. Indeed they were and undamaged at that with a Kyiv postmark which appears to be either 22 or 24 February, and so after a bit of restoration now have my two coins!!! If anyone can volunteer through email to post these pictures please let me know. I am on my laptop now, but will try my old method of using cell phone again which is a method that recently has failed......

Yes, I to am appalled by their prices on "classic" and often worn coins of no real substance or value (excluding that 1819 sovereign which didn't look like diddly to me), but the profit margin is also IMHO to high on the current offerings.

Ah, Rolling Stones! Very nice job and a collector's work there to be proud of. Maybe you could fill a video with these treasures.....

Thanks Richard!

Non-techy is good to me. Not to digress but for some reason I have never been able to post off my old iMac but used to be able to post one picture at a time from my iPhone 11S but now I can not use it on the latest pictures. I like good and simple that works. Meanwhile, I will weigh out the 10 New Pence pattern with the George and the dragon reverse and post that as well with help (ed. weight was 13.06 gms. on that one and feels much denser than CuNi in hand & suspect may be silver as well despite published reports of CuNi composition). Thanks all!

Good science there and what my thoughts obviously are as well. An XRF machine would settle composition issue but these are very hard to find locally. Some jewelry stores have them but they are rather costly and have found none locally. I am also questioning the 10 pence pattern from the same set although have not weighed it. I just want someone to post pictures as I cannot reduce the size on either laptop or iPhone ....PM me if you might be able to.

I had to edit this as I may need a bit of help posting pictures of a pattern decimal 20 pence reverse struck in 1963 and that came with a set in a DNW 2005 auction . Also is a pattern Machin obverse for the 20 pence from 1963 The latter was supposedly struck in silver and I just weighed it at 26.30 gms. The former is supposedly struck in copper nickel and the specimen in the Royal Mint collection weighs in at 22.50 gms; internet sources, probably based on that specimen also say copper nickel and 22.50 gms. Mine weighs in at 26.56 gms and looks like silver. Besides helping me post photos can any readers venture thoughts or opinions? notum: for some reason I can not compress files today

I appreciate your enthusiasm but would not be generous to give this a type as a simple pit in the die will give this "stop". Carry on, this noted from an olde farte here.....

Obviously to each his own, but I just don't think many would accept a partially filled die period or comma should be considered as anything but a minor mint error.

I mean those are multiple incuse impact marks, nearly too many to count and so IMO very unlikely to be other than post minting damage as alluded to.

Yes, absolutely unbelievable. The rest of us poor peons.... I have collected Brit coins for in excess of 30 years and only a few of my very very best might only just be considered rivals to this. Unbelievable quality and rarity. Can you imagine even thinking to try for any coin he has/had an interest in as it may come up to auction? One interesting thought - what happens if a coin comes up that both he and DL Hansen have to have? I would imagine some negotiations and collusion must by need have to occur.

Well, doubtlessly many know more than I but at least Mr. Steve Hill tends to concur in several conversations. You will have nearly endless varieties of the issues from late 1840s to early 1850s with overstruck letters and dates, etc. I have a couple that are absolutely Maundy and bought in sets that have this. Keep looking at coins of the 1846-1853 period specimens and you no doubt will find many.

I am not convince about the "Struck for Colonial use only" bit that was in ESC for so long. Maundy at the time was quite variable in strike, surface and quality and with enough span in variances to encompass the specimens that I have seen or held in hand or even own from sources ranges from Spink to auctions (many venues)...

PMD seems rather the case at least to me. What was the impacter? Not sure but looks basically to have been hammered, almost like a ball-peen (sp?).

Well, 1923 Copper-nickel/nickel pattern maybe?

Shameless: if you or others have any for sale including the common 1961 2/6 I would be a customer....

Please do share pictures if you can....The crown was 1960 dated...

I am not convinced that it is not die preparation. LOL. Double negative. I personally believe that it is polished die, and not planchet or proof. I don't have it in hand obviously but possibly more than simple a polished die as the lettering and even the QE II bust has a bit more refinement/detail of strike possibly. I guess that I really should get a specimen myself and can't argue with the minimal price either.

This coin is up my alley but I am sorry that a missed stop on the designer's initials would not merit a separate Type IMO and more likely a filled die or such.

Ah sorry that was before coffee! I meant PL 1961 halfcrowns struck on planchets that appear to have been meant for proofs. BTW if anybody has one, I would be a buyer as I had previously passed (I think about 10-15 quid). I actually have a genuine proof 1961 2/6 but even some years ago it wasn't cheap.

I believe I have seen 1961 on the halfcrowns

Fractional ownership = BS. I just can not imagine doing this other than for investment purposes.

1863/1