VickySilver

No, they are just seemingly always available. There is two in one of the Sales on about now in Nuevo Yorke (ha ha, New York). In the last 5 years I have probably seen at least 6- 8 sales. The 1825 and 1826 proofs on up through gold are similarly available now and nearly always. OVERRATED! Another famous example is the 1913 US Five Cents Liberty Head with a mintage of FIVE, and only three in private hands. Never mind these three have been making the rounds and been on sale at least 4 times in the same number of years.

Well certainly better than the 1887-93 5 sovs going for 25-40k!!! I think we might perhaps agree that a magnificent '05 has a bit on the lowly '51 penny?? It really brings to point this bit I do not understand about today's apparent market: how is an 1823 2 sov, or the seemingly endless supply of W4 and G4 patterns and proofs able to hold their value. They may be ??scarce but seemingly are offered and so many venues and so often that they are certainly not difficult to come by if you have the money. Or for that matter, the numbers of Cromwell bits or Charles II broads and multi-broads? Or the above-mentioned Gothic Crowns? How about the 1831 Crown in proof at 10-12k quid? IMO lunacy of an order far worse than the '05 2/6 are these bits....

Shhhh, don't give away my secrets...LOL...When not collecting late milled, I'm in it. The currency strikes are scarcer in Unc. than the VIP record proofs of off years (like the the 1962 BCT two cents).

Hate to know their state of preservation though! I was in West Africa some time ago and the coins in circulation abyssmal...

Ah yes, but demand is there! If those Gothics can go for USD 50k in their plentitude (!), then demand can drive the '05 up. Econ 1 pounded those supply-demand curves into my head...

Actually, it was some earlier but later date Young Head shillings going for that money... The 1878 Dritanniar sixpences were all die #6 and it has been stated many times that the bulk, if not all were sent to the newly acquired colony of Cyprus where they endured generally quite a bit of wear there evidently. The nicest specimens tend to be in the VF range & the few at the higher levels obviously did not circulate. It is not known, but only speculated that these were specimens saved out and did not make the voyage.

The greatest was one sold by Spink in their late, lamented SNC about 4 years ago for 800 pounds and ultimately graded MS64 - and deservedly so. Love the Drittaniar and its history even more as I lived in Cyprus for a bit some years ago.... Funny thing is that I don't think an MS64 would go for big money and would have to be a "66" or so to get crazy... I do recall the truly graded MS66 1889 small head shilling going for USD 1900 last year, and it sold for basically what the common shillings in similar grade sold for!

Better collection than Colin Adams? That would be tough, I know of a few nicer bits as well from Victoria and later...

Ah, yes, I do seem to recall it - that is quite a job. Thanks for the post.

Gary did you like the result?

There are some doctors out there - I think we had earlier cited one in Kentucky, USA who is quite talented. Forget his name but a bit of research should pick him out. I have heard somewhere in the past that he takes in Guatamalan coins - many of which are holed and fills the holes and sends them out. Supposedly also a supposedly rare 1796 USA quarter dollar with hole that was later slabbed with number. Can't say I know this firsthand though...

Exactly - very scary environment to try to buy in! I noted 1893 florin in Proof went for 2600 USD! Admittedly higher grade, however. I think Heritage prices high, and the New York sale absolutely highest. It is my opinion only, but the prices for what is essentially dross - gold W4 and G4 proofs going for outrageous money. These seem to pop up like nuisance gophers, and are ubiquitous and yet the prices go high. Who is actually buying these? To flip? Doubt that....

Maybe they ought to get CGS involved in "hyper grades" and see if they can replicate the US market where there are flippers running rampant and selling First Strike 70s for multiples of the US Mint's issue price! How on Earth do the RM maintain their sales? I just can't see much repeat buying after their poor customers try to sell any of their prizes...

Yikes, looks like the fields have been run over by a few cars in the pictures....

March 19, 2002. Lot 2100. I tried to cut and paste but won't let me... I must say the pictures do not do it justice as the field surfaces are nearly reflective proof like (and no, not smoothed).

Rob, I will try to post the image, or at least where it can be seen. It was a Teletrade win as I said. In hand it is a VERY nice specimen (which I realise doesn't mean a lot, but will say it is amongst the best I've seen).

That is their higher grade "AU" but usually GEF if correctly graded (IMO).

Recent ebay treasure steals are few and far between. I confess that the bulk of my high grade 20th C material was obtained from ebay in the 1998-2005 period. Seems that there was no market for it at the time - also plenty was to be had such as GEF Gothic florins and the like. A good acquaintance of mine got a proof 1838 Sov. for 1200 quid and later traded it for 10k quid! I used to occasionally patrol the US site Teletrade and it really had a massive amount of junk for sale, mainly US "widgets" as I like to call them (slabbed bits of modern schlock) but did manage the IMO accurately graded NGC58 1864 crosslet penny for 38 quid equivalent. Sorry didn't mean to pirate the thread.

2000 Coincraft have it (1903 2/6) at 30 and 100 quid. 26 is a bargain no matter how you cut it... 2012 Krause have it at 160 and 500 USD. IMO, thats not too bad for a world average.

Well said, and I could not agree more. To think that evidently the training of generals was basically rehash of classical battles and an update from the Napoleonic wars led to so vastly many more senseless deaths and maiming is so very sad.

When I think of WW I, I remember visiting so many village churches with commemorative plaques listing all the villagers that died in that terrible war - many lost in single futile charges at German machine gun nests - an absolute waste of human life. And not to reiterate Lord K's excesses in the Boer war. Better stop whilst ahead....

Uh, please see my earlier post of the George V Jubilee crowns and the CGS85 that not only was inferior to both the PCGS65 specimen but also the NGC65 specimen! And by a lot. Also, it had developed an ugly green ?PVC spot in the slab...

OK, I think another couple of points being missed here is that catalogue valuations are projected averages. In other words, even electronic valuations on the internet are dated as soon as generated. Also, a piece sitting in stock in somebody's small antique shop may have a low price - much lower than posted valuations, and yet languish there. Not great probability, but possible. The same piece for sale in some remote European non-internet sale may go for quite low. Then a similar piece may come up slabbed at a Heritage sale and go for many multiples. Anyway, those are a couple of ideas. In other words, a dated valuation must serve in a variety of circumstances - that is a difficult task to come up with such.

Almost want to say it looks like an underlying counter-clockwise "3" - at least that might also be a possibility despite lack of changes beneath lowest arc of the upper 3.

Nothing outstanding for me in recent months but some really good buys in the past. Still scan the listings...