Peckris

My guess is that this is a child, possibly age around 12? (The clothing and fashions of the era, and the ageing effect of Victorian urban conditions, made kids look quite a lot older than a child of equivalent age today). "god knows what she is wearing it looks like parts of tree limbs" I think she's leaning over the back of a cane chair?

Me too, but sadly my collection doesn't survive until the next day...

If the detail is there, and the green is even, and there's no corrosion (big "ifs") - then I would say Yes, but only at a very large discount over the regular sort.

You do realise that even if only 1% of the total mintage is one of those varieties, that's still 5m pennies?

Such "buried" pennies can have good detail, but often quite a lot of corrosion too. Your examples are VF for detail, but sadly have suffered quite a degree of damage. However, it is certainly worth checking them for rare varieties, of which there are more than a few in 1862 and 1863. If you can find a copy of Freeman's "The Bronze Coinage of Britain" you will find all the information you need, or even more from Michael Gouby's book.

It would be instructive to know the difference between how blanks and dies are prepared for both proofs and specimen coins. The lines of demarcation may not be clear cut anyway - is the 1951 Crown a proof, or "prooflike"? I suspect the latter, as many were struck at the Festival of Britain. Then there are the "New York" strikes of the 1960 Crown - these may well be classed as 'specimens', as they certainly don't conform to the definition of proofs,

"Proof like" is a rather lazy and unscientific term (compare with "BU Gem"!). It is of course entirely possible that proof dies are used for currency strikes as well, but obviously the blanks have not been specially prepared as for a proof, so at best they are only going to seem "semi proofs". Also, the learning curve involves distinguishing between "prooflike" where proof dies were used, and "prooflike" as a lazy description applied to an early strike from a currency die.

That wouldn't be Ding Dong Un of North Korea by any chance?

...Wayne Ankers. No, really - look him up! What kind of parent would do that?

I wouldn't mind the eyes following me round the room. It's the teeth that spook me...

Eh?

Most early milled silver coins 6d or over bear no denomination and nor do the coppers. The denomination only starts appearing from the mid 19th Century and even then it's not invariable.

Everything looks 'not right' about that, e.g. the obverse lettering. It could be a Chinese-made item clearly intended not to be taken as genuine.

They are a government owned company with a "commitment to making a financial return to the government", which means you and I are paying for the minting and selling of all this dross.

"Half" decent is a tad optimistic!

The early days of The Detours maybe, but that's not the same as The Who. Let's face it, how many of The Quarrymen can you name apart from John Lennon and Paul McCartney?

"Dark?" "Yes -the office light is off, and the only light I have is coming in from the window." "Well, turn on the office light then." "I can't." "No? Why not?" "Because there's a power failure." "A power... A power failure? Aha, Okay, we've got it licked now. Do you still have the boxes and manuals and packing stuff your computer came in?" "Well, yes, I keep them in the closet." "Good. Go get them, and unplug your system and pack it up just like it was when you got it. Then take it back to the store you bought it from." "Really? Is it that bad?" "Yes, I'm afraid it is." "Well, all right then, I suppose. What do I tell them?" "Tell them you're too fucking stupid to own a computer."

I'm utterly amazed we don't see defacement of George IV coins - a more loathsome monarch it would be hard to find!

Looks like a misstrike or overstrike.

Probably a gaming token or similar - do you have pictures?

You will find it's completely a matter of chance whether you get frosting on 20th Century proofs before 1980,, with a few exceptions. I'm not sure why it's so variable though.

Eh? The Detours were Roger and John Entwistle, and later they persuaded Pete Townshend to join as guitarist. The drummer was Doug Sandom, and there was a temporary vocalist before Roger abandoned guitar and took up vocal duties. Later they sacked Doug, recruited Moonie, changed their name to The Who and the rest is history. There's never been a Gabbie Connelly. Don't kid a Who fan!

"Very Rare 1971 1p New Penny. Two sold together" Only two??