Accumulator

Like Dave, I've done quite a lot of genealogical research over the years. There's a fair amount to go with on the certificate. Lord Cecil Douglas was probably just employed as a figurehead to give the business 'legitimacy' (I mean that in the marketing sense, not in any way inferring that such a business wasn't legitimate!). He apparently died in the 1980s and was a member of the Marquess of Queensbury's family (famous for the rules of boxing). As mentioned in a previous thread, the National Archive (formerly the PRO - Public Record Office) at Kew holds some records relating to the company. You should follow up on those. Lots to get your teeth into! ..and infamous in connection with Oscar Wilde. Indeed! Hopefully 'FionaHarrison' will return to let us know what they discover?

I did most of my research before the internet existed but have helped others since. Ancestry.co.uk seemed to be the best website in terms of available data, though other sites may have caught up. Generally the type of records held by on-line resources will only let you research back as far as 1837, if your ancestry is english, the year when national registration of births, marriages and deaths became compulsory (actually the Hardwicke Marriage Act meant that marriages alone have been recorded since 1753, though not kept centrally). Sites such as Ancestry will give you access to the national registration records (the GRO), but they are actually available to search free here. Whilst numerous other records have been indexed and 'digitised', the vast majority, in the form of parish records, remain sitting in county repositories and the only option is to visit and spend the necessary hours poring over old record books. Much more fun that sitting at a computer!

Nice coin Bob!

Like Dave, I've done quite a lot of genealogical research over the years. There's a fair amount to go with on the certificate. Lord Cecil Douglas was probably just employed as a figurehead to give the business 'legitimacy' (I mean that in the marketing sense, not in any way inferring that such a business wasn't legitimate!). He apparently died in the 1980s and was a member of the Marquess of Queensbury's family (famous for the rules of boxing). As mentioned in a previous thread, the National Archive (formerly the PRO - Public Record Office) at Kew holds some records relating to the company. You should follow up on those. Lots to get your teeth into!

The seller has just changed his description! It did have a 'buy it now' price of £1,000. I wonder if the message I sent him prompted the change?

Now here's a bargain. "A 1913 George v penny box not included." For £1,000 what do you expect, a box to put it in?

On some Obverse 6 coins the flaw is almost impossible to detect, so even with minor wear it may not be visible. Here are a couple of examples:

I'm guessing that virtually all the George coins which found their way to Australia were currency. The previous thread was about proofs & patterns which, I imagine, rarely made it across the ocean. A good tip on where to find them in listings, though! An EF+ 1827 would be a nice find.

You're right Peter, though the letters aren't quite as imperfect as they look in the photos. It's partly due to reflection of the light. I'm cheating slightly as my obverse 6 shown is actually from an 1861 proof (Freeman 37). It's not perfect but very nice in hand.

That's an obverse 6. There are several differences, but the most obvious is the arrangement of leaves at the front of the wreath. Obverse 6: Obverse 2 (apologies for the coin & photo quality):

A Quick Google search shows that the Nationsl Archive contains information about your father's company, including orders for commemorative medals in the late 60's. You probably know this though.

What are you inferring about the Tibetenese, Peter?

Judging by the flairs, it could be 1970's?

I've been going through my 1806 pennies to catalogue them with the correct Peck numbers. Generally one can identify a proof from the quality of strike, the mirror-like finish of the fields and the sharp edges but it's good to obtain further confirmation from the die pairings. My understanding is that, while individual dies do match, the two currency die pairings (KP37 & KP38) do not match any of the proof or pattern die pairings (KP28 - KP36), Would this be correct? My biggest problem is actually distinguishing between copper and bronze proofs! Any one else found this?

Yes, Heritage have a few coming up!

Somewhere on here, there's a thread discussing why the 1805 coins aren't in Spink. Of course, strictly, they're patterns but Spink does list other similar coins, not least of which would be the unique 1808! Anyway, I think the 1805's are lovely to own. Prices for the pennies would be £600-£1,000, depending on condition. I'm not sure about the halfpenny. I'm struggling to get a good photo through the slab (there are no streaks on the coin itself!), but it really is a beautiful coin:

PM Sent

I'll try it after you…

I'm sure cataloguing these coins can be a nightmare and I've probably already made mistakes. The plan is to acquire a few more in time, as nothing beats comparison in-hand. 1797-1807 proof/pattern pennies are firmly on my wants list then!

Looking at my 1797-1807 pennies, where I know the material from a process of die pair elimination, it does seem that the bronzed coins are consistent in colour. That doesn't mean they are all the same colour, just that the coloration is even, whereas the copper coins have a more patchy coloration. It's not easy to tell them apart though!

I have No.56, part 3 (which includes one of my coins). Do parts 1 & 2 include pennies?

Hi Guys, I have seen this coin in the hand, the small mark on the rim between R and E of REX is actually a ding that does not show as such in the picture. And the scuffs in front of the kings face are more pronounced in the hand. Thank you! I'll give this one a miss I think. It's certain not a bargain which is why it probably didn't sell in the auction. Another R56 will no doubt appear one day.

So we agree on R56. Thanks Rob, I'm gaining more confidence with these G3 pennies!

Still thinking, but not sure. There appears to be slight scuffing but it's hard to tell without seeing it in hand. My main interest is in identifying the different dies and the only way to do this properly is probably owning examples! Anyone else care to have a go die identification? I was once told of a collector who only collects 1797 coins (!!), but I don't have contact details.

Thanks, Dave. I've just found a photo of a Peck 1148 attribution on the London Coins (prices realised) site, sold in September 2013 for £600. So the price is about right, but I'm not 100% convinced its from the same dies now. Please send me the link though, if you're definitely not interested. What do others think (Rob)?