Fubar

You would think that Man U would have learned from playing them in the past. Obviously not. Chalk and cheese comes to mind. Well deserved by Barca.

Aaah! Perhaps The lamp apart I think the rig for photographing coins looks worthy of a try. Maybe an experiment in the sunshine with a reflector in place of the lamp/light source might work. I don't have too many to photograph and if I need to I find the scanner gives satisfactory results. Most of the objects I photograph are more three dimensional and require more angled shots. Not that I'm saying coins are in any way two dimensional as such (grovel) Cheers Kris

You seem to have latched on to my EMP remark even though all I said was - "I'm still not too sure it wasn't causing some sort of EMP (Electro-Magnetic Pulse) as well." Having been a radio, electronics, computer and electrical engineer over the last 50 years I never discount any explanation that could generate a satisfactory explanation. My main point was that the lamp caused computers to lock up in the vicinity. Remove the lamp and the problem went away. Not all lamps of this type produce this effect but the two I know of did. Probably wouldn't have the same effect on a laptop because of the nature of the switched mode power supply. Unless it caused problems with the WiFi of course. Cheers Kris

EMP can be caused by a suddenly fluctuating magnetic field as produced by a transformer being overloaded. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electromagnetic_pulse That type of lamp uses a small transformer and sometimes a bit of circuitry in the base to reduce the mains to the 12 volts of the halogen lamp. The two "telescopic aerials" holding up the lamp and shade are the conductors carrying the 12 volts up to the lamps. There are no internal wires to the lamp. The operative part of that is "aerials".

I found that the sort of halogen lamp the Declan is using caused all sorts of problems with electronic equipment in the vicinity. Particularly if plugged into the same multiway adaptor or double socket as the rest of the gear. PCs locking up and other things needing resetting were the main symptoms. I finally figured out that the transformer in the base of the lamp could cause spikes on the mains either when starting under load or being switched off. I'm still not too sure it wasn't causing some sort of EMP (Electro-Magnetic Pulse) as well. It may have just been the one I had and it may have just been switching it on and off while the electronics were fired up but the problems went away when I binned it. Cheers Kris

The area is the Yorkshire Wolds so there is a shallow covering of soil (up to a metre) over chalk which makes it quite alkaline. The silver was largely unaffected except for a slight greenish cast and greasy feel to the George VI items. Some of the bronze coins seem to be covered with what looks like a "glaze" of copper oxide whereas others have no corrosion. In certain instances I've noticed that this can be caused by electrolytic action. If buried close to a dissimilair metal a battery is formed with the damp earth acting as the electrolyte. Most noticeable with aluminium where it acts almost as a sacrificial anode. I suppose the level or lack of corrosion depends on if the item forms the positive or negative pole of such a "battery". Cheers Kris

Within the wood and the area the coins were found.

This is the site. The larger surviving bits made it into the field in the foreground.

The aircraft was only travelling at about 100 to 120 knots approaching the airfield to land when it struck a farm windbreak in thick fog and crashed on return from its 96th operational sortie. This time to Hamburg and back in April 1945. The coins were found in the 1980s and were all found in the top few inches of soil in a wood. Largely in leaf mould. As can be seen from my previous post the later coins are almost uncirculated. We assume that the dings happened in the crash. So 40 years in the ground in a mostly sheltered environment with just a few pheasant droppings to add to the mix. Regards Kris

That would be me. It was a Halifax bomber and the change was found scattered around the main impact point. Admittedly some of it could have fallen out of the pockets of the recovery crew. Cheers Kris

Obviously a few short of the requisite number of monkeys with typewriters.

"Caveat venditor" must apply, surely.

I paid off a ship in Liverpool on February 12th having completed my radio station accounts in £.s.d. for the last time. Joined my next ship at the end of March and started on the new accounts. Unfortunately all the mechanical calculators hadn't been changed but at least it was easier to tot up by hand. I seem to remember that two and a half P was the yardstick. I missed all the lead up apart from some official documents so I had to run on old money for a while doing mental conversions to make sure I wasn't being ripped off.

Bouncing bids off the wall or "bidding up" is actually legal but limited to two or three. Usually done when there's a reserve to try and bring the price back up if the auctioneer has to go too low to get bidding started. Not allowed past the reserve or lower estimated value I believe.

I doubt if it's a proof set. They issued PVC packs of business coins, many of which may now have gone gloopy. All i know is they are in a plastic sealed case, extremely shiny never been taken out, and dated 1953.... pardon my inexperience, Azda, yeah i will post the penny's I have a 1953 set like that, just in a plain plastic edge sealed pack, and indications are from checking around that they're worth between a fiver and a tenner.

I'm sure I've seen something like this before but my grey matter refuses to give up it's secrets. The crown looks to be 20th Century. Could it be last century's equivalent of the Ivory Coach Pass? Kris

For computer buffs. Try this one. My Blackberry isn't working

Ditto and when it does find it by accident it offers the choice of logging in or joining at which point the back key becomes extremely useful.

Isn't Dibehe(e) in Chad? Which would go with the image.

Now that it's arrived I hope the year 2011 is happy and prosperous for one and for all.

That is an incredibly colourful yet most accurate description. lol I remember using the printer/computer 25 years ago...it was carbon type paper (green and white)..supercalc was the biz Don't forget Wordstar! Daisy wheel printers were always good for a laugh. Especially when they went wrong and stripped the spines like a machine gun. Must have spent many hours playing the father of all computer games. Dungeons n' Dragons ruled.

Could well be a probate or house clearance sale. I do some work for the local auction house and we get quite a bit of stuff like this. Neither the time nor the inclination to go through it all except very quickly to make sure there are no gems amongst the glass. Most auction houses have a minimum lot value around twenty five or thirty quid and won't accept anything they think will sell for less. Except when they have no choice such as house clearances etc. An auction lot that sells for ten quid will mean the vendor gets about four. It's not only buyer beware but seller beware. Also all auction estimates are from one third to one half of retail value. Most items will find their own level in an auction these days. Just as these have been found today most auctions are listed on t'internet so the customer base has widened considerably. Kris

Oh Dear! Bitter was 1/1d (just over 5p) and mild 11d (just under 5p) when I started drinking.

Attached is the British propaganda version of the original Goetz medal. I have it in my collection of shipping related ephemera as opposed to coins.

Aren't you supposed to bid the most you're willing to pay for something in the first place? These sniping programs are just to make sure you pay more. It's called auction fever.