Peckris

You've correctly identified the variety, now you have to grade it correctly. Overseas sellers are a good source, as most only use Krause and ignore Freeman, Gouby etc., and often Spink as well! I've picked up a few rarities this way. Oh, I thought Rob was being deeply ironic? I equated the part he'd highlighted bold, with his reply...

That is very kind of you but I wouldn't want to put you out of pocket Chris. When I was a dealer, I couldn't give them away!!

"I don't have much knowledge on coins" Caveat emptor!!

The 1911 proofs are supreme - far superior IMO in comparison to the currency strikes, than 1902 matt proofs are. That may be more to do with the currency strikes being much poorer, of course.

Really? I know there is wear on them but I didn't think there was enough to call them scrap coins? If pulled from change in the 1960s, they would all be roughly in that condition, and would have been described then as "average circulated". Sorry. Ah well, they were a gift and fill the gaps in a very small collection. I was quite excited about them, a little less now :/ Awww. Well, if it's any consolation at all, we've all been there. All of us. No exceptions. I remember when I got my first UNC George V coin, I was so so pleased with it (still am, still got it ). So I make the toast to you that all coin collectors are happy to hear : a long life and happy collecting.

At the moment that is not really an option, I wont be getting any more coins for a while. Hence the question. I'm leaning towards the 2nd one for now It's up to you of course, but Peter's right - 1967 penny is the commonest predecimal coin by a long long way. There are loads around in BU condition and a dealer would have a cheek charging more than 50p for an example.

Really? I know there is wear on them but I didn't think there was enough to call them scrap coins? If pulled from change in the 1960s, they would all be roughly in that condition, and would have been described then as "average circulated". Sorry.

You've correctly identified the variety, now you have to grade it correctly.

The London Coin Company does not have anything to do with The London Mint Office, we are a seperate company. With best wishes The London Coin Company I'm sure you're right. It would be nice, though, if you could spell.

Nope, that looks like a very nice example. I'd go for it, myself. Good luck.

That makes a lot of sense. Unfortunately very few links are working on that page - Ancients, Records & Videos, appear to be the only two left.

Yes, that's true. Just don't get carried away with the whole "colon - half colon - no colon" thing, there's a LOT of filled dies in that series and a missing 'dot' or two isn't anything to write home about.

Your cheapest bet for affordable Ed VII large silver is 1902 - either halfcrown or florin.

You could try them individually on eBay, given two conditions : 1. List them on a 'free listings' day 2. Have adequate pictures

Wow, your aircraft apprenticeship must have been with the TARDIS, then?

I like the 1937 crown, but being a type collector am content with having the proof set example, rather than a separate non-proof.

Nothing. That's why it's in the "Nothing whatsoever to do with coins area". :D

That's a Dutch rather than a Scottish lion, William's personal badge as Duke of Orange-Nassau http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/db/Arms_of_Nassau.svg/200px-Arms_of_Nassau.svg.png Ah, thanks David. That would explain the "semée of Lego" that accompanies it.

Just shows how unobservant one can be - despite owning some pretty good William III silver, I've only just noticed that he has the Scottish lion at the centre of his reverses, instead of the usual Garter/Sunburst motif. Makes you wonder why, as the Scots lion is already in the quartered design.

It doesn't look dipped or cleaned, and I'd give it GEF as a grade. But there is minor scuffing/scratching on obverse, and as said, there are better examples around. However, if the price is right... (It would be appreciated if you posted pictures rather than Word documents - I have frequent problems with Word and none of its substitutes would open it. Images, however, I have more options to open with than you could shake a stick at.)

What's a paint spray addict got to do with coins?? Even your full link (www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1381461/Addict-Kelly-Gibson-arrested-sniffing-spray-paint-covered-silver-mugshot.html) says what it is...

The only bun pennies I found that weren't near flat discs, were the common-as-muck 1890/91/92 in VG (still a thrill to find though!). I was also convinced I had a Poor 1865/3 and spent hours poring over the date with a magnifying glass. Had I known then that the overdate is relatively difficult to see, I would have filed it as a definite. Sadly it went 'west' years ago, so I can't now confirm one way or the other. It was also good (before 1992) to find the occasional piece of George VI silver in change, though by then all earlier silver had long been hoovered up. Now, unless you're a Kew Gardens or Aquatics or 2008 20p mule hunter, there's absolutely nothing to look for beyond the quite frequent tasteless 'cuds' on modern coins.

Who on earth was William 52nd? (lii)

I had a schoolfriend who found two 1950 pennies (separate occasions). Sadly I never had enough funds to buy his spare. Having said that, some years later I was able to use my civil service pension to buy an EF example, since upgraded.

Yes, there was certainly change checking fever in the 60s, though as a schoolboy in 1967 I came to the hobby right as the insane price rises began to occur. All the key dates, e.g. 1930 / 1925 halfcrowns, all the way down to 1926ME pennies etc, were well known by then, though how much to the general public I wouldn't like to say. The classic 'emergences' of the 60s were the 1950 and 1951 pennies (see below) that were shipped back from the West Indies in quantity and sold as 'rarities' (you want 1? 10? 100? I kid you not..), then in the late 60s there was the discovery (from 1968 onwards) that certain 1950s cupro-nickel was hard to find, and the prices rose to quite absurd levels.