Peckris

Do we know if counterstruck coins were always obverse - to - obverse, and reverse - to - reverse? Or do sometimes original reverse details appear on what is now the obverse, and vice versa?

What you're calling 'blemishes' is the trace of underlying legend from the original coin, and hence desirable. I'd rate the obverse as VF+ and the reverse a bit better, so you're spot on.

The coin weight was made in Britain for the Portuguese (Johannes V) - there's one for sale here : http://www.vcoins.com/en/stores/pavlos_s_pavlou_numismatist/131/product/great_britainae3_pound_12_coin_weight_for_portuguese_gold_coin_1747signed_by_kirk/383097/Default.aspx in about the same condition as your example. Get what you can for the Crown, it's not worth much more than scrap. The dollar looks presentable and would be worth the outlay alone in that condition, especially as there is some evidence of the underlying original Spanish coin. I'd say you did ok there!

Are air tattoos like air guitar? A bunch of guys go up on stage each hunched over the bare shoulder of another guy, who regularly yelps in pain to the rhythm of a heavy metal band, while a row of girls paint imaginary dragons, hearts, swords, and "MOTHER", in the air?

Interesting - I've not seen one of those before. It looks remarkably close to the Lavrillier pattern (too close for comfort!), unlike the usual fantasy 1933 repro's, which bear only a slight resemblance to genuine GV issues or patterns. http://www.garyphelps.co.uk/1933%201D%20BU.JPG

First, it does look like the Lavrillier pattern, but those didn't get used when Georgie-boy laid foundation stones, so the 'where' and 'why' of its (alleged) burial doesn't check out. Second, I can't see some 'ordinary Joe' coming into this not knowing what he had; if it was a Mint worker getting it by clandestine methods it wouldn't get buried in a tin. Third, if it does turn out to be genuine (2 chances of that : fat and no) it wouldn't be seized by the Mint or any other authorities - remember, the 1952 halfcrown and Edward VIII brass 3d's weren't legally acquired either, but the Mint had to accept responsibility for lax security and the coins were sold quite legitimately. Possibly one difference between the UK and the US? However, in the unlikely event of its being genuine, somebody got a bargain! But my thought is that the seller made a very fast buck...

Webmail (e.g. Googlemail) aren't an alternate provider - they're a different kind of email altogether, though you don't necessarily see any difference at your end. Compatibility simply isn't a factor. I've got 2 providers AND webmail with Google and Windows - that's 4 "providers" and I don't have headaches.

Ooh no, that BU 1874H both Gs over might be worth hanging on to..?

Interesting - my accountancy firm was JSA : James Smith Accountancy? Probably not, but coincidence of initials. (Actually, I think mine was JOHN Smith?) I never had a problem with VAT except to 0-rate anything I bought specifically for the company - which as a computer consultant, isn't much! If the company you're freelancing for have said they prefer permanent, you can ignore that to some extent as they wouldn't hire a freelance if they didn't need that extra body. Once you're there and proving your worth to them (at much better rates than the permanents get ), you could test the air, and if it looks like they might just do away with freelancers in the future, you could ask about a permanent position... but negotiate the best you can!!

He must have loved you!!!! Well, it was kind of a corporate arrangement - the agency sorted out an accountancy firm who specialised in computer contractor limited companies, and there were supporting videos on how to do invoices and the ins and outs of the tax law etc, so it was all fixed-fee stuff where we did some of the work ourselves.

Good work on getting a picture up - any chance of a close-up of the date?

No its ceasing trading. You can't trade and cease trading all at the same time. Technically you cease trading and go into voluntary liquidation. There used to be a very good company north of the river who could arrange this for you, if you'd pissed it all up against a wall. Peter, umbrellas (aka managed service companies (these days)) are not the answer for IT contractors. You will fall under the IR35 regs whether or not you plan on being there for two years or less). You need to buy an off the shelf ltd company, with two shares issued (£30 + £2). Register for VAT and flat rate vat and run your own payee scheme and file to do company tax returns all via your Government Accoiunt. This will take you no more than 30 minutes online. Pay yourself £968 per month and take dividends for yourself and company secretary. Run a spread sheet to keep a track of incoming and out goings and pay your NI, payee and act each month using the HMRC website. You dont need an acct. You are doing all the work anyway so why give it to a firm of accounts for doing nothing. Don't feed the beast. Aardhawk, IBM mainframe contract AP (retd) for the last 30 years. I had an accountant even before IR35 came in - I never regretted it, and I'd have needed one even more in the IR35 world. I just thank my lucky stars that most of my contracting was done in the pre-IR35 days so being a one man limited company was more of a 'nice little earner' back then, when you could pay yourself very little, and most of what you declared was dividend.

I have, as usual, made it sound more complex than it is. Just go here : https://accounts.google.com/ and follow the steps to set up an account.

Maybe. But China is a far greater problem than eBay, even though many of its "exports" end up there.

No its ceasing trading. You can't trade and cease trading all at the same time.

You going to close the international borders with China as well?

You really aren't a child of the digital world, are you Rob! Anyone can have a Google account, which comes with free email address. It's not INSTEAD OF your existing provider, it's AS WELL AS. You don't even have to use the provided email address, but you can use the free online storage and especially convert your docs to PDFs. Googlemail is webmail, i.e. you access it via your web browser, not your email program. Microsoft provide their own version of it - Windows Live - complete with free storage also, so theoretically you could have umpteen webmail addresses, each one with free email addresses (which you don't have to use), free online storage, and in the case of Google, a suite of online office programs. Having converted your Word docs to pdf then you can just re-download them again if you want, to print them off.

Picture posting update: The allowance is now 500k per post, up from 150k - however the same principles apply, especially if you're trying to upload a 5MB camera photo!

http://www.predecimal.com/forum/topic/7880-posting-pics/

Well yes - that's essentially bankruptcy. If that's what was meant, I'd have understood straight away.

In future, assuming you have a (free!) Google Mail account, you can upload a Word document and it can be converted to PDF form.

The explanation could well be here : http://word.mvps.org/faqs/drwgrphcs/invisiblegraphics.htm

Eh? You're trying to tell me it's against the law for a UK business to make a loss?? Ok, I plead guilty. Bring the handcuffs round now.

Without seeing pictures it's difficult (a scan would be fine), but your penny sounds very much like mine. I just had a quick look and I still have the picture : Do you think that's it? Bear in mind that this is not at all unusual for the copper series and despite Michael's sterling work on identifying the variants there are few rarities for this date. Numerals were often recut / re-stamped, and so you get what look like classic 'overdates', but they're not really.

There appears to be an exergue line with SOMETHING under it - if you could somehow narrow down what that 'something' is, you might be able to get nearer an ID?