VickySilver

That date has been on "wakeup" recently and has possibly outstripped the other 1911 and 1913 dates. I am still shocked at the off-metal 1960 3d as I have some slabbed PCGS MS64s from 1964 and 1966 plus an MS61 1960 halfpenny struck in ALUMINUM. These each were about 250USD....

Hmm, nice and haven't seen that one before. Wonder how many actually made it out to collectors - as opposed to how many minted...

And that has been the thrust behind this column & quite agree. Also, surprisingly beautiful on occasion as well....I would encourage readers to post like coins either in this post or to start new ones...

Peck, I think the thing is that besides it just being quite rare is the type of collecting in this modern age (if you will). Coins that we used to collect without much thought to cost are many times prohibitive now - I have gotten in the last 5 years maybe 6-8 coins in the late milled pre-decimal silver and copper series. I just can not "hang" with the buyers. On the other hand, I have always liked the Caribbean and used to live in Cyprus as a child so like some of the Br. colonial and commonwealth coins. As it turns out, some struck by the Franklin Mint were of awesome quality and a few actually released to circulation, so.... Beauty and rarity on them. After the phasing down of operations at the FM, the Royal Mint took over [with varying degrees of success or failure] some of the contracts. In a few cases they appear to have utilised FM dies, and on others continued series and denominations of their own design. Quite honestly, these are IMHO much more interesting that modern Brit or USA coins. Also, as with the case of the Trinidad and Tobago 1984FM 50c currency, it was hard to beat the combination of beauty, rarity and price ($3.59 incl. shipping) - this coin is close to unique although a few may be languishing here or there. Retrospectively, these are much more pleasing than almost ANY of my classical Vicky pieces.

Ah, I looked at this coin and actually it is the matte but just not as clearly so as my other example. As a postscript I have noticed that on [rare] occasion, Franklin Mint rarities such as the 1975FM matte 20 Balboas or later 1983 and 1984 FM Specimen unc. sets will show up in Central Europe, Netherlands and Denmark. Perhaps they advertised there in the 1970s and 1980s? Yield rate as far as finds has really petered out of late, wish there were some others of like interest that I might trade info. or coins possibly with.

I agree, an excellent result! The cardboard hard to do much with sadly and just not so attractive in any case (my Derwent Wood case).

Nice set, really a good one. I still do not understand how what are likely the top sets would not get this box.

Sorry phone only allows 1 photo total will try later

Here are a couple of florin obverses from 1848-1852 (sorry no 1851!):

But what is your opinion on the beading and the designs at the edge of the gown? My issue with the neck is that there appear to be some deeper "gouges" that then appear to have the parallel lines of ?abrasion OVER the surface of them. Rob is my man, but this is a coin that I would have to hold on. Will check my own 1852s....

Jerry, those are some eagle eyes of yours. I was at first prepared to accept it as gradeable but those do appear to be inches and old with some toning over them so that may be the case. Need to see this "in-hand". I also agree with the 2nd photo of the beading and the margin designs on the dress looking a bit off.

HI all on a happy Saturday. I was looking over the DNW coming up [again] and was [again] sadly disappointed by the cleaning on so many of the earlier Vicky half crowns and Gothic florins, not to mention Old Head Crowns. Can't take it back....I wish the collector hadn't as mostly I will pass.....

I have never seen a 1927 set in other than the cardboard. And I even have the set that was given to Derwent Wood's widow by the RM for his uniface reverse designs for the new coinage. The insert was black on that set. I also have a 1927 matte set that came from the Pretoria mint collection that similarly had a cardboard case. I would say that these would be somewhat exclusive, and yet no leather case.

I agree with that and wanted to look at my own proof half crowns - 2 only. Not a big series for sure. Interesting to speculate, and perhaps a bit more research would be nice. Rob, you said "not to mention any number of Una varieties". Does that mean you have multiple Unas? Yikes.

I agree, and think that there were not a lot of "marquee" top line coins to draw interest. I almost bid on the 1892 slabbed florin but left it alone and only went to 850 on the '75H penny as it would have taken at least 950 (prob. 1k) to take it which would have made it 1250 total or so - pass. I hope I am wrong but it seems that proof gold pre-decimal in "uber" condition have taken over as far as value and prices fetched. I just can not give them their due I guess, but they really are not too interesting - not that I would turn down an Una if given me!

I suppose that is possible however under magnification the surfaces just don't look prooflike, or at least like any I have seen as there is a roughness to the devices and fields that does not look prooflike, and of course the edges do not. I've a number of Vicky half crowns as you might guess and does not look prooflike. I have not held other 1839 currency specimens so can't speak for them though.

Many thanks, and truly one of my favourite coins of the collection. The problem with getting such coins is that you try mostly unsuccessfully to match it with others in the series.

I think those may have been die polish marks - the piece is graded PCGS 64 (may be under graded at that?) and very colourful with real and natural toning - not a coin I could touch nowadays. The apparent marks on the rim are from the original planchet. Colin Cooke very much was enthusiastic about the coin and I still am. These days I have to plan VERY carefully on purchases. This is coin # 121002 on the PCGS site.

I would say that I agree but have occasionally made exception(s). About 16+ years ago, I bought the superb and very rare currency 1839 Halfcrown from Glens that was sold as EF "with light hairlines and cleaned some time in the past". Because of rarity and having one Colin Cooke to look at it, I bought it with him as agent - this coin even under severe magnification and lighting showed no hairlines and nothing but original and pleasantly toned surfaces. I would imagine the coin would be likely as nice as one could ever find, including museums. Moral: you can luck up on occasion but do your research and if the coin is worthy do what you can to see it in hand or have someone trusted to have a good look.

I guess maybe if you are there in person and can see it "in hand". That is a nice price Peck...

Richard - his cleaning appears on the photos at least as rub, and with an abrasive cloth or some such. Spink had a sale about 4 years ago where many if not most of the coins were cleaned similarly BUT NOT MENTIONED! I purchased a few that I regret but not at high prices....

Or is that the evil eye? My main memory of those Italian museums as a boy were the outrageous bronzes that had phallus emerging from phallus and any other body part. Grandmother used a bit of Shakespeare (about other topics) something to the effect of: "Methinks he doth protest too much" . And I believe psychologists would have some interesting opinions about such....

Not a coin for me, but the point has been made before that on such a coin, that is IMO probably the "technical" grade - there is much lustre (original minted surface) showing on both obverse and reverse. The obverse is softly struck with some, but not a lot, wear. As I understand it, the grade then is based on the amount of wear and evidence or residual minted surfaces. So not a problem with the technical 50 grade in my book, but a problem aesthetically with the lack of detail - also for a coin of this date I question the slabbing. Price? Mehhhh....

Hmmm, I don't think that 13 of the bids would be won at maximum out of the 18. That doesn't compute well. Maybe three to five at most.

Hopefully not the 1551 version.