Peckris

I'm afraid I have a Catherine Tate level of interest in hammered, so I'll pass on this one.

Hang on to it by all means - it's a major rarity - but don't wait for the post-1807 halfpenny market to revive, it's always been a 'poor relation'. The equivalent bun pennies with die letter are worth in 4 figures.

For wear only (disregarding the green) it's certainly EF. But that green is a problem. It could be stable as Derek says, arising from having been buried at some time. It doesn't look like active verdigris but you'd need expert opinion from someone seeing it 'in hand'. A photo isn't clear enough for that. If you have a coin dealer anywhere near you, it would be worth taking along, especially as the value could stretch to 3 figures.

or "notquitethefullshilling"

Securing the domain name is half the battle!

"... when that fat old sun in sky is falling ..."

That's quite correct Derek. Those pattern 3d's WERE supplied to test vending machines, and it was their non-return that accounts for the 'few' (how many?) that are at large today. No other UK Ed VIII coin was ever issued in any form (except a few proofs). It's also the case that so rushed were the Mint to get out George VI coins for 1937 after the abdication that they virtually re-used every design : with the exception of the silver 3d (quite a nifty quick knock-up job), and the 6d (quick and nasty monogram effort), and a hasty minor redesign of the GV halfcrown reverse, all other designs were as for Edward. Even the portrait bust is virtually the same, which considering the two men weren't exactly identical twins, shows how pressured they were.

Could have been a shopkeeper who simply kept it as a curio. WW2 would have then put most other thoughts out of his head. In due time, it was inherited by someone who knew a little about its reputation and rarity and decided to send it off for authentication. Or it could have been any number of similar stories.

Peter Leonard of ?Southend? makes / made the best cabinets. If he's no longer in business, the cabinets do come up second hand from time to time and are worth looking out for. Make sure it's a coin cabinet though - I bought one of his from an auction that turns out to be a medal cabinet : the trays are deeper and don't have punched recesses for coins. I still use it for parts of my collection though Mine's one of Peter Nichols'. I have to say I thought I'd heard he was retiring but he still seems to be making the things! Oh I know where I got confused - Peter Nichols of St Leonards on Sea??

Most dealers there I'd never heard of, Clive, and looking them up afterwards quite a few have no internet presence at all, which is remarkable. Quite old school in a way - it almost felt a bit "underground", compared to the mainstream I'm used to swimming in. As well as Rob, the other people who sold me stuff were: David Craddock Birmingham Coins Ian Pratt Paul Davis Numismatic Legends D T Peake K B Coins Dave Craddock and K B Coins are very much old-timers - I remember them from the mid-90s. Possibly Ian Pratt too? but the other names are unfamiliar. Did you happen to see Dorset Coins, Carlton Coins, Lockdales, or Wayne Nicholls there? They were familiar faces to me all those years ago.

I have a 1967 penny "7 over a barrel", which I could let you have for a song

Peter Leonard of ?Southend? makes / made the best cabinets. If he's no longer in business, the cabinets do come up second hand from time to time and are worth looking out for. Make sure it's a coin cabinet though - I bought one of his from an auction that turns out to be a medal cabinet : the trays are deeper and don't have punched recesses for coins. I still use it for parts of my collection though

Yeah, but most of those are things like "Why are the Kardashians so popular?" and "Who are One Direction?" so don't really count! Are they the popular cousins of the extremely unpleasant Cardassians? Yes, and who ARE One Direction? (I did hear one of their songs that I thought was someone doing a remake of The Who's 'Baba O'Riley')

I don't like the carbon spot right in the middle of reverse. Spoils an otherwise good coin. I'd have it! (Not too worried about a tiny little spot like that). Does anyone know which is the the rarer - pattern or proof?

WOWEE. You did very very well there Declan

I always thought it was a tuppence? Maybe the filles were more upmarket round your way? Liverpool??

Kent coins seems like a cheap low grade place to buy coins. Nothing very exciting, but the prices are ok for what they do sell.

Threepenny bits should be stroked, not stamped

It comes to something when describing a coin as a forgery is dishonest! but I do know what you mean I suppose it comes to something when a forgery can sell for a couple of hundred, and a boring old repro sells for about £10. My problem is that it's a modern repro which you can buy for £14.99 that has been put in an old envelope rapped in a peice of news paper dated 1934. That is just designed to deceive. Hopefully no-one will be. Especially when they look at the feedback score.

87.5% feedback. Says it all, really...

It comes to something when describing a coin as a forgery is dishonest! but I do know what you mean I suppose it comes to something when a forgery can sell for a couple of hundred, and a boring old repro sells for about £10.

Weird - it's silvery grey (mostly) on my machine.

That's possibly a mild acid attack?

I've long paid for everything with plastic