£400 for a Penny ?

What has prompted this bilious outburst anyhow ? Send it off, see how you get on - and then we can all put our tin hats on and sit in the trench for when you get it back....

I believe they have never given a coin '100' before, think 95 is the highest to date. IME, anything over 75 is a nice coin.

A Britannia's face value is £2. Seeing as how they are going on fleabay for around £30 though, you would have to be a piece of work to want to spend it for face value.....

There is a national tendency to concentrate on the negative...

That's interesting, because the FTSE has had it's strongest December in 20 years. Clearly, there are forces at work which we can barely comprehend.

No, quite. What is it with these older, non coin collecting females ? Am I a goose being fattened until my liver bursts and can be used in fois gras ? I mean for Christ's sake, I've basically been pinned down for 9 hours and had food driven down my throat. I'm all in favour of a bit of festive spirit and I try to reciprocate, but approach me with a pie (any filling) for several weeks and I will gun you down like a dog.

I've got both Freeman and Gouby, but I still haven't got my head round all the penny dies for 1860 to 1862 David Likewise. If I'm honest, I think it's because I'm not hugely interested

I might be wrong, but I believe the Royal Mint makes those under contract. With all the fuss over counterfeit £1's it emerged that since the Swazi coin is exactly the same as the £1 and there are (or were) approx 13 to the pound, they were finding their way back over here for use in vending machines.

Looks like a pretty clear H to me ?

I'd love to be able to make a meaningful contribution Rob, but I can't really. The only literature that I have is Brooker, Schneider and Nelson's work on the Obsidional issues. I'd like to chuck Blandford and Bridgewater into the pot, as they were both important west country Royalist garrisons. The only other contribution I can make is one of context, Charles knew he was beaten in 1645 after Naseby, reading Ashley I came across this reply from Charles to Rupert who had counselled peace talks; "If I had any other quarrel but the defence of my religion, crown and friends, you had full reason for your advice; for I confess that, speaking as a mere soldier or statesman, I must say there is no probability but my ruin; yet, as a Christian, I must tell you that God will not suffer rebels and traitors to prosper, nor this cause to be overthrown..." Looking at the detailed breakdowns in Nelson of who contributed what plate, I'd also like to put forward the possibility that not all the mint marks represent places and that some might represent the contributor ? It's a fascinating period in our history, really it's the English revolution. Sorry I can't weigh in with a heavier numismatic contribution.

That's the one. Even here in the nations capital £2.50 for a ham and mustard roll is pushing it a bit. I paid £1.60 and sent the Brunel back into circulation. I had 6 £2 coins in my pocket and I chose it deliberately, first time I've ever done that. Say what you like about them, but collecting from your change is a free bit of harmless fun.

I haven't really been paying attention to this, but yesterday I got one that appeared to have a pair of boxing gloves on ? I didn't keep it, but was that one of them ?

Some cracking coins on this thread chaps.

You'll have to do swapsies Only half an hour ago I spent it on a ham and mustard roll.

Not the best pictures, but I would say no, they weren't - the toning would be enough to put me off paying a BU price for them. And anyway as we have discussed endlessly, BU isn't the most helpful term

A 'top hat' Brunel for me, already got one though unfortunately.

How the Mint/Bank assesses the need for circulating coinage is probably a very interesting subject - it is after all, right at the heart of what we are about as collectors. I've made a few half hearted attempts to look into it, but never really got anywhere. If I were to guess, I would say that there would be a number of institutions up and down the country, that are required to file a return periodically on the denominations that pass through their hands. I guess this info is then stored by the BOE which analyses trends and places orders with the mint on demand. The fine detail would be the interesting bit, but who knows, it might even be classified.

If I was going to insure, I'd use a specialist every time. 'Ordinary' insurers when faced with a claim for collectables will invoke every clause in the book to avoid paying out book value. In fact, which perhaps is your point, it's not really even worth paying for, so slim are the chances of fair payout. It's actually quite amusing, the security issues involved in collecting stuff. A few years ago I had accumulated a few deactivated WW1 Lee Enfield rifles. I had the certificates for all of them, but I wasn't comfortable having them anymore. I wasn't going to dump them in a river because they were worth £1000 potentially, IF, I could find a buyer. I lived in a town where there was an antique gun shop, but it was a half mile walk away across a common, heavily populated with dog walkers and childrens games of cricket etc. I didn't have a car at the time and the shop is deep within a mall. So, I walked over and asked if he would be interested in them ? Bring 'em in he says and I'll tell you. Not unreasonable perhaps, but I was hoping you'd either make me an offer or come round and look at them. No, he's not going to do that. I'm not massively happy about walking across a busy common for 15 minutes carrying 3 Lee Enfields - I don't reckon I'll get to finish the journey. Put them in a bin liner he says, you'll be ok. So, I went home and bundled them up in a bin liner , all 3 of 'em. I don't know if you've ever picked up 3 WW1 Lee Enfields, but they are not light. I decided the only way I could carry them that far was if I stuck them on my shoulder, which I did and looked in the mirror. I looked like Chuck Norris. I couldn't do it, so I rang the old bill and asked if they could send a sergeant or equivalent round, not some recently qualified politically correct Gestapo enforcer. (I didn't say that) They asked why, I said I need some advice on a delicate matter. He was brilliant. I told him the whole story, he gave me a lift to the mall, waited outside whilst the gun dealer told me he didn't want them they weren't really his thing, and took me home again. His parting shot was to ask if they were insured. I'll always remember that and thinking that if you have to tell a mainstream insurance company exactly what you have - individually list sensitive items, you might as well put an advert in the paper, if you want some guns/high end coins, come break into my house. Sorry, that's gone on so long I've completely forgotten what my point was

You lot are making Suffolk sound like Harlem, or the Bronx.... When I was 18, I went on a rugby tour to New York and stayed in the Bronx. We stayed out late in a bar (as you do) and got up to go back to the accomodation and the bartender refused to let us out. He locked the door and made us sleep on the pool tables. He said there wasn't the slightest chance of us making it back. I do feel the need to balance Dave's post with the comment that most of us have collected for decades and never had a problem. We do do anxiety rather well in this country...

I think for me, the debate on whether to slab or not to slab (with CGS) breaks down like this; For. 1. The coin is protected from the moisture usually imparted upon a coin by the close inspection often required - i.e. it doesn't matter if you breathe on it and you don't have to wear gloves. 2. There is an independently held record of your collection held on their website, with photographs, should anything happen to it. 3. They have a reputation for strict grading - this can only help the resale value and probably recoups the slabbing fee. You do get more bidders I have found. 4. The coin is guaranteed to be genuine, or they will pay you the market value. With forgery going the way it is, I believe this will come more and more into play. It's also a factor when it comes to resale. 5. If you buy some of their tailor made boxes, storage isn't an issue. 6. If you want to show it to someone you can just stick it in your pocket and you don't have to worry about what they do with it. 7. I think it's an attractive presentation. Against 1. Cost 2. You can't take a decent photo 3. Lustre on bronze is subdued a bit to the eye All my 'A' collection are in slabs.

I have noticed - mainly because I worked for a SA company a while ago, that there are quite a lot of them here nowadays. I've heard figures of 1.5million within the M25. There is a lot of interest in SA coins, watch a few pre Boer War pennies and see how they go....

Yes, that's right, spot on.

I dunno - I got roundly stuffed a few years ago when they printed British Battles and Medals by Major L.L.Gordon. I'd taken years to track down a beauty for £65 and then they reprinted and I sold it for £1.50. And that isn't a joke. I hate it, it's worse than forgery in my 'book', pun intended. Wankers.

I think, if you look into anything in any depth, you will quite quickly encounter someone trying to tell you that there are hidden complexities and a language and 'code' as you put it of it's own. A butcher will try and tell you about the differences in flavour between different cuts of beef, whereas in reality there is very little difference, the whole back end of the cow tastes great - and varies from cow to cow. A wine maker will bang on about 'terroir' that you can taste the land in a wine. A fine art dealer will tell you about Monet's impressionalist talent, whereas in reality he couldn't paint. Don't get me started on estate agents. And so, with coins, people will try to convince you to part with vast sums of money for a 'dot' caused by die damage/wear. The only way to collect coins is with a dry eye and a steady hand. Think Wyatt Earp.