Peckris

It MIGHT be IE ? Web designers used to code mainly for IE and any other browser had to take pot luck, but Firefox and Chrome are the main players now, with Safari on every iPhone and iPad, so IE is probably now a 'maverick' independent that plays - as it always has - by its own rules. Try Firefox or Chrome, and you may find it works fine. FWIW I'm using Safari 5 on an Intel Core i5 iMac.

What browser and operating system are you using?

unlikely combination! I think an alloy like that should have its own name. Calling it 'bronze' is a total lie really.

Just click the "Quote" button (bottom right of all posts), then add your own comment below the box. £75 could be ok if there's a few things in there that could be sold on eBay. Yes, keep us posted, and remember there are foreign coin collectors here too, especially if prewar (or 19th Century), who could advise.

What is aluminium bronze?

Probably most of it will be dross, but if you got it for a fair price (scrap value plus a margin) then that's ok. And who knows, you may find something in there? As a rough guide, "silver" coins have real silver (50%) from 1920 - 1946, and before that they are sterling silver. Copper has a reasonable value too.

Coins can tone back if exposed to the elements - some will leave them in guttering but I wouldn't go that far personally; a windowsill by a window that gets opened fairly regularly might help. Turn the coin now and then. Of course, it does depend to some extent how badly dipped it is : if even pale silver in colour but dull and lacking lustre, it might take an awful long time.

My name is David, I collect coins My name is ... well, you can call me Peck ... and I post to a coin collectors forum.

I actually returned under a new name in 2009. My original membership was around 2005? and I remember people like Master JMD from back then, but I wasn't a very active member and cannot now remember what my username was.

On the subject of insurance - for now it's good advice to get the maximum valuables cover on your home contents, but make sure you get confirmation from the insurance that the "single item limit" applies to individual coins not the whole collection. They have no real justification for trying to claim that a disparate collection assembled over years and comprising individual coins from a variety of sources, is a 'single item' other than that they are insurers and that's what they do. Argue the toss with them and make sure you get written confirmation that individual coins are 'single items'.

I have to agree with you on that point I reckon we are going to be seeing a few short reigns ( comparatively speaking) out of Charles and William. The queen is 87 I reckon we will get 5-10 years of her then Charles will be in his late 70's- 80's ( if he lives that long himself) so give him no more than 20 years but I think it will be about 10-15. By that point William will be 61 by this point so say another 20 odd years of him before George will take the thrown. could be an interesting time. You're saying William will be 61 in 15 years time?? Something wrong with your maths, mate!

Unfortunately not! The great problem with early Liz II halfcrowns - especially 1954 - is that even UNC coins don't look it, the design is so shallow. To get one that actually LOOKS BU would cost a fortune. Mine doesn't show any wear, but you wouldn't say the lustre was so strong you have to wear sunglasses. But isn't that because they are Cupro-nickel and not that nice shiny stuff that the Royal Mint used to use? So the "new BU" lacks lustre. Mark Not really. If you look at some 1960s CuNi and more especially what started to appear in the 1970s, there's a highly mirrored finish. Even sixpences dated from 1949 - 1952 can show a high degree of lustre. I don't know what it is with Liz II 1950s large "silver", but it does get better through the decade.

True - but 1927 is a weird case : where a denomination exists in the previous type (1926 ME), the proof values are approximately the same as UNC specimens of that previous type (even the shilling, where there is also a currency issue for the proof type). It's where the proof denomination is the only one dated 1927 (florin, threepence) that the values soar. Therefore, although the rarity is the same for all 1927 proofs, collectors seem to rate them according to whether there are ANY coins dated 1927 for a particular denomination.

Unfortunately not! The great problem with early Liz II halfcrowns - especially 1954 - is that even UNC coins don't look it, the design is so shallow. To get one that actually LOOKS BU would cost a fortune. Mine doesn't show any wear, but you wouldn't say the lustre was so strong you have to wear sunglasses.

Wrong Spielberg film, Peter was in the one where he had to sit in the front basket of a bicycle with the Mrs cycling. Brilliant!

Or they're getting better...

Do bear in mind that some 1950s cupro-nickel (especially florins, a few halfcrown dates, and an even lower number of shillings) are very tricky in UNC and quite pricey. If you get there and find this is so, you might want to put a 'finger in the place' for now and start on George VI - many of his coins are easier to find in UNC. Peck, As he so often is, wisdom of years I suspect is giving good advice. However do persevere with the 1950's silver in BU. Not to expensive yet. I have chosen the rarest dates in (not bothered with a date run) 2/6 & 2/- and am pleased I have them. They won't get any cheaper than they are now IMO. As with GV silver get it in BU if you can, you won't regret it. Mark I picked up UNC 1954 and 1959 halfcrowns for a fiver each from Format Coins in the 1990s (sold as AUNC but these days they would pass as UNC, no sweat). I left it too late to get any of the difficult florins in UNC - and they're REALLY difficult! - so settled for a 1956 instead.

Yet that still might be less than the total value of current fakes..

Was it a duel between you and the speedo or you and the caravans? No - with a mysterious truck driven by an unseen Steven Spielberg

Dr Yes?

I think you will find we are a constitutional monarchy that pretends to be a democracy We have a constitution? The Magna Carta is about as close as your going to likely get. True, true. Though what most people forget is that the old Carta was drawn up BY the barons, FOR the barons, AGAINST the crown - plebs like us weren't even in the frame.

Oh of course - those roubles "could have got hurt" if they'd been left in peace. You're in the Ukraine aren't you, SM? Or were. If not any longer, then I'd say you got out in time.

It was probably Putin, knowing economic sanctions are on the way...

"oyu" being Prince Charles, I take it? That being the Queen's favourite mode of address for him...

I wonder if they would be able to prevent ghosting with all that metal being sucked out of the obverse. I guess it would also be the first coin in modern times with two busts. Sucked out of the reverse, you mean? I was assuming queenie would still be on the other side, hence two busts No, you don't get it - the Queen's head wouldn't suck out much metal compared to ... oh, never mind.