VickySilver

They inhaled many of the Gerald Jackson pennies for a song, and then were able to resell at very good prices. Kudos to them. those were some of the greatest quality currency pennies I have seen, period. Still, the cited gold crown example is a bit over the top as well IMO as these at auction have pretty well been stuck at the 28-35k pounds level for a good decade.

And it almost literally has that appearance - specimen....Lovely surfaces and strike of course.

In silver it would be 3500 quid or better.

Go SS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

139, 141,142,147 Think I may have got it wrong then & as I have a 1905 already hope you got the one you were looking for, only looking to upgrade a bit. I wasn't really a "player" in this auction! I don't remember bidding on the 141 at all! I didn't so much mind the cleaned '05.

Hmm, well I first thought I had won only one but then Neil sent me a note that I had both. Guess it was only one - haven't got my coins yet.

Thanks Jaggy for your input. I certainly agree with your points about the latest ESC, and valuations - which of course bring up many other issues. It also seems many issues/series/coins are in flux with varietals (except of course to our dear Penny and Farthing collectors) seemingly fading into insignificance with some elements of the American market, such as condition as determined by TPGs creeping in. What is a graded Fine 1848/7 6d worth, and compare that to the usual 48/6 in like condition and what has been the trend in that condition versus those of higher grade over the last 10, 15, or even nearly 25 years since the previous ESC? Sorry for the digression...

Azda - happy with the results of your submission?

Please rethink the second to the last paragraph. NGC has missed on a number of coins as has been pointed out here. They have absolutely blown counterfeits, even denominations and proof vs. currency calls. They are the entity have shown to be rather naive or lacking care on many counts. Let's not go there with the unrelated issue of abysmal grading on occasion. Please note the issues are simply not just with the coppery appearances of high points, but rather the quality of the metal and striking issues that are IMO quite worrisome. As has been pointed out, they are perhaps the not best of their own judging and not the source I would go to in such an instance.

I agree with 2691; however seems not as much cameo to the devices. It has the least hairlines and clearly nicest obverse.

Still best to have representation. Maybe SS is a VIP and we are not quite at that level yet! LOL

Welcome to the club, LCA soured me quite a bit in this same way several years ago and has dissuaded a lot of bidding from me. This IMO is a very poor business motto that reminds me of what they try a lot on the East Coast of the USA - burn the customer up front for as much as possible and damn the long term consequences. Not to name names but Stack's in the USA does this same type of thing... I still bid but is quite irritating pushing me to find a rep for auctions.

I was the "guilty"party on the '05s (yes, I liked the cleaned one also), the '07 and the '09 - sorry that was me. I thought those prices entirely reasonable. The OMS QE II I had to let go of as with premium that now approaches 600 quid and far more than I have paid in the past for similar issues; maybe that is the new price for these??

It seemed there was not much love for the Edward VII coins??

Very nice lot there. The gold as a series has always been an intimidator to me, but no saying you have to have all of them. Nice going on the 1841 sov there!

That 1922 penny is taking off, 6600 and counting I understand! Leave me out...

I also think that Steve will be more reserved than some of us as far as offering opinions on coins not seen directly, but that in-person he may be a bit less conservative. As you probably know, most Wreaths, let alone those of 1934 date did not circulate and it is rare to find one in less than EF. However, I have seen a few worn F specimens of the 1934 date, and a couple of VFs & they did not appear as this specimen does. Again, the images from the Cointalk post seem to show a bit better on my computer, with the resolution holding up better under magnification. The surface blemishes are IMO not consistent with wear that I have seen and look to be micro-casting stigmata. I do not pretend to know the latest in counterfeiting measures, but have heard that this is the case with other coins, although I have heard of centrifugal methods but there may be temperature issues with the alloy, etc. and it may be possible that the planchet was cast with a relatively poor strike and then the usual "added" circulation, which again seems to be in a pattern highly unusual in my experience with the 0.500 milled crowns. Although it would not be a sole test, certainly you might try one of those XRF surface spectroscopy units to check alloy as well. Of necessity, interpretations offered have to be a bit speculative so I just added a few. I also have concerns about the 100% confidence in a coin that is slabbed, although it may give some reassurance. To reiterate, the observations that have me concerned are: 1 - Metal colour 2 - What appear to be surface issues with the metal, especially the field and rims but also the devices 3 - Appearance of the "wear" pattern on this coin with odd colouring, especially again on the high points of the obverse devices 4 - Poor and wrong-appearing strike, especially of the obverse around the ears and the hair just above the nape of the neck, but also other areas in the obverse bust of George V 5 - Other marks about the lettering as was pointed out by another poster.

I seem to recall reading that Heritage owned a percentage, possibly as much as 40 of NGC....

OK well very good then, maybe he's ironed it out. I don't have anything else at home so may send one or two more out. My first few did not go through this past week.

No, not him I don't believe as to the best of my knowledge he does not write on any coin forums. I concur that his or Mark R.'s opinion would certainly trump anybody's at Heritage, NGC or PCGS. I might be able to forward the pictures to him though.

Mercifully...Neil has written me that the system does not seem to take bids from Apple products like iPad & iPhone. I was wondering why my bids did not seem to register. So I put in about 5 or so bids from work computer; I think the activity will escalate considerably come Monday...

The site is www.baldwin.co.uk He should be able to be reached through there. He was at Spink for a long, long time. There also is (but he is harder to reach) Mark Rasmussen at www.rascoins.co.uk PS - That is my coin & the obverse looks like the coin was dragged on the street, not quite as bad in person - so I say, LOL!

The OP was on Cointalk under title GB Silver. The images of the 1934 seem to be of better quality, or at least magnify with better resolution on my computer, where there appear to be stigmata of casting in both the field and also on the bust. The problem areas to me are most obvious on the obverse as were pointed out. Badexample did show a bit of rim problem there as well. I have a GEF example that I might lamely try to post through somebody else if they take emails - PM me if that might be possible.

I think a big problem reveals itself when looking at the original post in the other forum. I quite see the micro casting marks when blown up on Mac Book Pro as well. Also, I agree that the Obverse ear detail and hair detail, especially at the nape of the neck and just above is just not right. I have seen a lot of these 1934s as well and must admit to this one being quite different overall in metal appearance from those I am certain were legitimate, even the variable of just how it oxidizes at the wear spots on the higher points. I agree that Mr. Hill at Baldwin would have to be considered amongst the very best at late milled identification. I don't remember before seeing any fake 1934 NGC-slabbed pieces, but there is much incentive to reproducing this date. I have also seen Wreaths identified as proofs by both PCGS and NGC that are clearly not, and then subsequently seen Heritage pass them through their auctions without further comment. The coins were not fake, just not properly graded

If you will recall I "busted out" CGS on gross overgrazing of a Specimen Jubilee 1935 crown that had a grade of 85. There was not only the ugly chloride deposit growing on it, but much more wear than the PCGS 65 or NGC 65 specimens that I also have of that date. However, in general, I don't think they do a bad job - just not clearly above the competition from across the Pond, despite the negative publicity those TPGs have had.