Gary D

I'm actually from over the border in the posh part of Essex. Just come to Haverhill to see if I could find the hub caps off me motor. Been here 15 years now and still haven't found them

So what about this new 'view before you buy'

The books for my sons 1st year Engineering degree come to about £600. Luckily you can get an ebook of the important bits for only £150, and that's for only 3 downloads.

I've never seen cases for any of the Wreath Crowns or the VIP issues come to that. I guess the wreaths were issued by the banks so were just doled out from mint bags. The proofs and VIPs you would expect to be in some sort of presentation case though.

Whist on the For me, I really like the leather box and I guess I would be prepared to pay £20 or £30 to buy one if I have a set in cardboard box. (Having said that, I do worry about the ribbons used to lift out the coins and the way they can tone the coins). I think sets sell for pretty much the same money regardless the type of box. In fact, I think one might even get more money by separating a set and selling the coins individually. I think my set is in the leather case, well they were before I put them into my cabinet. I'll have to go up into the loft and look it out, I have a bag with all the cases in somewhere. If mine were in the cardboard case I'd jump at an upgrade for £20-30. I think £50 would be closer. Fine - anywhere from £20 to £50 then. Considering the sets sell for well over £500 these days, I'm not really tempted to upgrade my card case! I want a case for the 1893 short set. Anybody got one spare? Whilst on the subject I'm short of the 1911 case. I don't know if there were different set but I've only got the silver.

DNW is on the 4th & 5th. I've got a set in that auction and as you say it's not to helpful for sellers as well.

The specimen is semi proof like with a bit of light frosting noticible to the bust.

Dave's favourite seller! (That mat's been DIPPED). And you can get them from here for £12 cheaper http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/271321735117?hlpht=true&ops=true&viphx=1&lpid=95&device=c&adtype=pla&crdt=0&ff3=1&ff11=ICEP3.0.0&ff12=67&ff13=80&ff14=95&ff19=0

When on holiday this summer I was in an antique shop and there were a few coins. I didn't have a loop or magnifier with me so I just took a photo with my phone and enlarged it on the screen. It made what looked a good grade coin by eye look pretty grotty.

From memory (a talk by Rob I think) an edge lettering collar was invented by the French engraver Droz who introduced it to Boulton when he worked at the SOHO mint - that big 1792 2 sols I posted the other day in the Copper Coins thread has the edge inscription "DEPARTMENS DE PARIS. RHONE ET LOIRE. DU GARD. &" - Scanning edges - a project to try! Eeek! I seen to have acquired divinity with this post, a philosophic conundrum for self belief! There are two main method of applying edge lettering. The first method is the Castaing-machine, which consisted of two flat "edge dies", each with half of the final text for the lettered edge. The planchet was rolled between the two dies by hand (or mechanically), thus squeezing the lettering into the edge and upsetting the rims a bit on the planchet. The 2nd method (as mentioned by davidrj) was that invented by Droz (and partially pilfered by Boulton) which consisted of a multi-part edge-collar-die. This contraption was far more complicated than the Castaing machine, as it required the edge collar pieces to retract after the coin had been struck so that the coin could be ejected. Coins struck with a multi-part edge-collar die are able to be distinguished from those created using the Castaing machine because there are almost always "seams" visible on the edge between the multiple sections of the edge collar. Spanish portrait and pillar dollars used the Castaing method. Most if not all Conder tokens (18th Century British Provincial Tokens) were lettered using the Castaing method, as Droz's method was never brought to full fruition (too many moving parts?). Many modern world coins struck for circulation with lettered edges are run through a Schuler Edge Lettering Machine (or equivalent) after they are struck in a smooth collar (i.e., the edge lettering is applied after striking). However, modern proof and specimen coinage struck at lower speeds may employ a Droz-type multi-piece edge collar for lettering -- but this method proved incompatible with the speed at which circulation strike coins were minted. A good example of the two types would be the 1935 crown. The raised edge proof used the collar method and the incuse edge the other, hence the misplaced text resulting from the crown jumping during the lettering process.

I vaguely recall a discusion about a fake 1933 crown sometimse ago but can't find it. Can anyone else remember this and when it was.

The only problem I've had with removing verdegris is that the surface underneath is usually damaged. I just try and keep away from them now.

On Elizabeth II coins the legend goes all the way around the edge and is mostly in latin. The cross is a simple way of indicating the start and end of he legend for us lot that don't read latin.......maybe.

I was thinking it might make 6 figures, even in 'about fine' - not that grade would be as big a consideration as normal! Imagine the kudos if you owned one that was universally agreed to be genuine ... sky's the limit! I would guess £85k+

It's interseting that the colour on that coin exactly replicate the tempering colours for heating metal.

I finally got mine working with my sons laptop which runs Vista. I guess it's a driver problem with my XP desk top.

Would it be easier to punch a 5 over a 3 rather than a 5 over 4. Why couldn't they have had a 183 die laying around?

It would be good to know if yours works. I'm running XP and it comes up as an unknown device, digging deeper it says that it has malfunctioned and should be changed for a working unit. Yes is does look cheap. The Shixin website suggests they should be about £28 so I guess we didn't pay too much over the top.

Well it's a business card scanner made by Shixin. The best bit is it doesn't work. When I turn it on a prompt tells me that it has malfunctioned

That's been around a couple of times now. I think it would need to drop at least £500 possibly £1000 before its about right. The 1922/27 has a rarity of R18, which is the same as a 1877 Narrow Date, so the pricing on the 1922 seems pretty close to the proper valuation, using the rarity scale as a comparable. JMHO! Ha,Ha... Mind is valued for insurence purposes at £2750 and that one on ebay would not be an upgrade.

I think it may have been planned but never happened. Anyway I think the Nazis would have made a better job of it, I mean its under weight by about a third and has a milled edge. Only a fool would have been fooled by that one.

Apparently these are Nazi Germany forgeries. Isn't it great that you can learn something new every day. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/George-V-1935-Silver-Crown-and-Nazi-German-forgery-Rare-/310782231597?pt=UK_Coins_BritishMilled_RL&hash=item485c10842d

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ENGLISH-HAMMERED-COINAGE-VOLUME-2-BY-J-J-NORTH-OUT-OF-PRINT-/281194189412?pt=UK_Coins_BritishHammered_RL&hash=item41787ad264