1949threepence

Although I do like high grade pieces, there's a lot in what you say

I too find Rendel's prices (and grades) a little beyond my expectation. However, don't let your fantasies about Megan go too far. (S)he's actually David Mason, who used to be World Coins in Canterbury, but who took himself off to Spain a few years ago. I think he called himself Megan after his daughter. and here was me fondly thinking Megan was a tall leggy blonde female....... .....curses, foiled again

Because there is a difference between UNC & BU. A big difference, which is almost wholly related to lustre. A coin can still be UNC in terms of wear, but have dulled tired lustre. Conversely, there is no mistaking the bright new looking attractiveness of a genuinely BU specimen. A BU will nearly always command a premium ~ sometimes a substantial one ~ over one that is simply UNC. BU coins have considerable cache, especially in older coins. Value will always be somewhat subjective, and the value relating to what any given individual is willing to pay for a coin, will vary, and is dependent on a number of different factors. But generally the BU will usually attract more money than the lesser specimens.

Thanks Chris. Very difficult to say what it is, but I'm veering towards die crack, as the "1" appears ever so slightly curved.

Interesting, if very old thread. There are numerous examples of lustre traces surviving on less then EF coins. Indeed, some weak strikes have already quickly downgraded to VF whilst still retaining considerable lustre.

Interesting. Not heard of this before. Whereabouts on the 20p is the "1" ?

I don't think so, to be honest. It'll be a one off which don't generate much interest. Either that or it's been deliberately dyed a bronze colour.

Never had a 1989 £2 in my change. Not once in 20 years.

I'm pretty sure Germany is doing commemorative '20th aniversary of the Berlin Wall junk'......no doubt called something like Der Berlinermauerzwanzigstejahrestagscheisse, but I suppose it can also be seen as an event of international significance too, even if it had no effect whatsoever on the Isle of Man. At least plates can be used as plates! I bet, as usual, that none of the 1000 coins that they make (if they can find 1000 mugs to buy them) will have ever been on the Isle of Man! I get rather annoyed when people mistake this crud for some form of coin collecting or numismatic persuit. "Scheisse" being the operative word lol

You can see how that might have happened. Somebody misread a capital R as a capital B, and because of their illiteracy, didn't understand that the resulting consecutive B's made no grammatical sense.

Neat find. Metal detecting is something I might take up.

Yes, absolutely. Unless it's an error like "BBITANNIAR", which has occurred on a batch of coins, there will be no interest, because the error discovered is not well known and is indeed, unique to the finder. It has to have limited marketability before a collective interest is sparked. Witness the 2008 20p debacle for an example of collective interest sparked by a moderately high number of error coins of the same type. Incidentally, I actually got one in my change the other day, but as is always the sod's law case whenever I get something unusual, it's got a weird stain on it.

I'm not terrribly enthusiastic either, although it is a nice design. Needless to say, I won't be buying it. Surely such a commemorative event is best left to Germany itself ?

Peck, do let us know what response you get. It'll be interesting to know what they have to say about the issue.

I only collect coins as a hobby, and don't trade. So it falls a bit flat. Once I have the best possible coin I can get for the date concerned, it's there for life, and I will never part with it. The rest go into my old fillers box. Probably some snippets of good advice for those who are interested in investment. But I suspect as with most other things in life, the advice is soon forgotten, as people find their own way, and develop their own best practice, personal to them. Their coins are a ridiculously high price, and looking at some of them on the website today, I think many of them are slightly overgraded. Moreover, the standard of photography is dreadful in many cases. Quite painful to look at.

Well, by definition, serious collectors are going to look after their coins. I doubt they would be any different from the photo at the point of re-sale. Agreed that there is the possibility of a later fingerprint appearing though. I can see the attraction of the type of servicce you suggest, Peck. But I suspect the reaction so far would be typical of that prevailing throughout the numismatic community. So I don't think it's going to happen anytime soon, if ever.

Declan, I have three 1948 threepences, two average grade fillers which appear to be rounded, and one BU in my main collection, which has sharp edges.

Personally I don't like slabbed coins, for the simple reason that I like to handle the coin itself, even if only by the edges. Also, if all your coins were slabbed, they would take up an inordinate amount of space. I do, however, quite like the idea of a "slabbed photo". Something with a CGS internet site catalogue number/date catalogued, to verify the coin concerned, with a unique hard copy matching certificate number and date, issued to the owner. But it would obviously have to be a damn good photo, and as you say, include a part of the coin that is unique. It's a pity that internet high definition isn't more widely available. Let's hope that CGS start to diversify their services as per your suggestion, Peck. Well done

Book price of a VF 1876H halfpenny is about £10 ~ so you got a bit of a bargain there, Scott. Nice work and nice coin.

But how can you ignore those prices? You have to ask yourself, who is a £20 1967 halfcrown or a £15 1966 penny aimed at? It can't be the likes of us, as you would hear us laughing all the way from the moon. So who, then? Gullible novices? I would have said London Coin Auctions were too reputable for that kind of scam. So who, then? It makes no sense, none at all. The more I think about this, the more baffled but also more annoyed I become. It's like they're either taking the mick, or trying to con someone as yet unidentified. I wish one of their representatives would come on here and give us the benefit of their thinking. I suspect that what you are paying for here is not the coin, but the plastic that surrounds it and the grade that it has been assigned. Here in the United States such nonsensical pricing logic has become the norm rather than the exception. Here's one of our more extreme examples... a penny for your thoughts Well I don't know much about US coins, but for such a modern coin, that does seem expensive.

Mr McEnroe's reaction would be entirely apt ~ the only difference being that this time the ball wasn't on the line, and chalk didn't fly up Totally beyond belief, and I would have said a surefire p***take, except that I know they are serious. I realise that place is ridicuously expensive, but that is really stretching credibility to the far end of absurdity. The only thing I can imagine is that they are trying to con novice collectors by offering extremely commonplace coins at ludicrously inflated prices, in a cynical attempt to boost their own profits. I wouldn't even buy that at a very low price. It's no more than a flat thin metal disc.

BU set here for £17.00. I never did receive a reply from the Royal Mint

Same here, Mat. There is no way I would pay £19k for any coin, even assuming I had that kind of dosh to throw around in the first place. It is a phenomenal sum of money to pay for a variant penny in not particularly brilliant condition.

Thanks for your time and effort with those uploads, Scott. For the bun pennies, a testament to the amount of hammer they received in over 100 years of circulation. A quite remarkable innings if you think about it. The 1908 date spacing question might be better addressed by someone with more specialist knowledge than me.

Really interesting about the 1826 shilling, Dave. Clearly been through the hands of a few people with no numismatic interest whatever, After being found somewhere, before fortunately ending up with you. Yes, fair point Peck. Different age & completely different mindset and priorities compared to later. Still, the same kid would have had plenty more time to develop his hobby over the following years. My thoughts about the scarcity of old silver seems to have been vindicated, anyway. Makes you wonder if the present day high grade ones were in collections even then