Coinery

The one's they send back in a little plastic flip with a sticker on it, probably covers the annual invoice for plastic slabs!

You've got to be kidding? In a commercial world, the answer to that is most definitely no! In the real world, they never told me I had a few freebies!

Hah, CGS, this'll be popular! Now, where does one start? Actually, it's a good reason to stick with hammered, though I believe they are now attempting those too! Basically, WHY? And then after that, all that's left is about turning the same coin into the same coin, but for someone else, which means we're only talking about the commercial aspect of slabbing? So, slabbing coins under the value of actual slabbing fee + extra profit made through inflated prestige of a slabbed coin just isn't viable! Slabbing higher-value/grade coins, yes, believe it or not, someone will pay a fools random for it! I sent off around 20 some time ago, of which 3 or 4 came back unslabbed! An 1887 jubilee coin, declared a fake, which tested for high-grade silver composition, and I still to this day don't get it! A G4 farthing with 'active' verd????? didn't get that either! And a variety C2 farthing, which they graded SO low, it wouldn't financially stand amongst its peers, so I broke it out, and sold it amongst its peers! Big thing, I'd only slab to sell to those who don't know their coins, for hard bucks, so I can understand why you need to find all this out, as it's a bloody great waste of time (long, long, time!) and money otherwise! Ohhhh, TPGC's what have you done to us?

Talisker for me, please! Or a gran reserve Rioja, not fussy which!

You shouldn't joke, Peck...what will happen to us all when the Chinese buy a coin from the UK to cast the latest mould for a new fake!Edit: which of course was a fake to begin with!

Azda might have some opinions!He's taken it off Perhaps he read our posts. Fear not, Dave, you can still win it here. Predecimal Advisory Service tooooo the rescue! We're happening! I'm guessing there'll be a bottle of wine in the post for us all?

I'M interested in buying/seeing/hearing about modern fakes and contemporary counterfeits of the Tudor period, especially Elizabeth, of course! Ironically, one of the great things about buying and taking an interest in fakes, is that you don't end up buying fakes (mostly)! So, I'm interested in seeing ALL Tudor fakes, so I can scare myself with what quality is about, but would buy any Elizabeth fakes/counterfeits that I haven't got or already know about. Seuk has been tipping me off about those that he spots (many thanks, I did win those 2 lots incidentally), so any other eyes and tip-offs would always be appreciated! One of my regrets in life is handing back to W&W the best counterfeit groat I've seen, in exchange for £50 off a lot price...what was I thinking!

Not sure about that soldery-looking blob, either! Don't worry Stuart. It's been lovingly described as "The coin has not been cleaned and displays natural tone alover." Ahh, a natural toned lover, it's been such a long time! Though I do prefer mine cleaned!

Not sure about that soldery-looking blob, either!

Absolutely, you don't see those on the bay too often! In fact, I haven't seen one yet...top spot! I'm guessing he didn't list it as such?Yes, it was listed as such. Soon after Christmas/New Year, people back to work and skint. So few buyers around.Obverse Two lessons to be learnt there, then! Nice one!

I've picked up a CR-2 obverse sixpence, but could do with thoughts on the reverse overdate to clarify whether it is a CR-a or CR-b reverse? The two reverses are separated by only two kinds of overdate...a 1578/7/6 (CR-a), or 1578/7 (CR-b ), they share all the other identifiers, shield, lions, lis, leaves, etc. If anybody knows for an image of a 1578/7/6, or where I could see/get one, then the issue can be cleared up quite simply, as there is reportedly only ONE single die for this treble combination. My overdate is the top one, I've put a few other pictures in to assist the grey matter...it's the tiny bump over the top right-hand edge of the seven that sparked my imagination, could this be the upper-most tail of a six? I know it's easy to imagine all kinds of things with these 'marks,' but any input OR the actual image of the treble-date would be most grateful. I'm pleased with this coin and would love to put the classification of it to bed!

Now THAT's a proper unrecorded variety! It went to a guy in our club who collects only Elizabeth 1st. As his conventional wants list is the size of a postage stamp, he appreciates the oddball things,Lucky chap...one for Chris Comber, that one!

You get quite a few lis shillings cropping up on ebay. 8 or 9 years I picked up a 1B wireline which was essentially unworn though did have a crease from the spade - £130 on a midweek lunchtime was a no brainer. Absolutely, you don't see those on the bay too often! In fact, I haven't seen one yet...top spot! I'm guessing he didn't list it as such?

Now THAT's a proper unrecorded variety!

Was just taking a look at groundy's other offerings and saw this 111172797832 It IS a known variety (maybe not in Spink's I grant you) but, more importantly, he's got so carried away with the rare UNlisted spiel, that he's forgotten to mention it's a LIS shilling, which could quite possibly be on a few 'saved searches'!

There are so many non-overdates being sold as overdates! Almost makes it look rarer to get a standard 77 or 78. I think you're right!

Thanks for the alert, Clive, but this appears to be a straight 1578 according to BCW! I can't really tell from the image, but all the 1578 overdates should have the overmark too (Cross over Eglantine), which it doesn't look to have. Also, the lions and leaves on this reverse are from 1578+ punches, and the lions (67) especially, are only known on straight '78's (the 1578 overdates all sharing lions 62, which this coin definitely doesn't have). Sadly, I believe this is reverse CR-d3 myself!

Why would a contemporary forgery be struck in silver?

It'll be interesting to watch the prices on eBay over the next few months, and how much new stock appears, as I have a little theory?

The danger of purchasing bread and butter is that it might not sell, then you get depressed just looking at it. It isn't only the top end where people are selective. Some of the real dross is unmarketable to anybody, such as a fine or a bit better 20th century piece or a common date bun head which is well nigh impossible to dispose of other than at the scrapyard. It is often more cost effective to melt silver that is post 1816 in low grade than it is to try to sell it - rare pieces excepted, but also very difficult to pick up things at less than scrap value in order to make a profit.Bread and butter coins for me are the coins which DO sell, mostly because they have a wider audience, and are sought after by the mainstream of collectors, rather than a high-end piece at the very top of its price range. Of course, Rob's right when he says that you have to be selective! I'd say that's true whether you are spending a fiver on a 1930 penny, or buying a York HC. It is really hard to purchase saleable/popular coins for resale, but few could afford the luxury pieces without getting this formula right! Fortunately, it's still possible to do! Happy days!

I struggle a bit with this 111166284413 one from a seller who has endless feedbacks from coin related sales! Was he really innocent re the replica status of this pewter disc? 9 bids already!

Your buying and selling tactics are the same as mine, which is not (mostly) condusive to the cash-flow principle, as you always, ALWAYS, end up crippling your funds by punching above your weight, just like that iconic 'child in a candy shop' comparison!Man, it's SO difficult Declan being an addict and Pub Landlord, all at the same time! I don't think there's a seller/dealer on here who'd confess otherwise! I think the secret is to 'bread and butter' so you can indulgently participate in these amazing auctions unfettered'ish' and, somewhere along the way, you target an occasional piece that someone hasn't, because either he's skint, on holiday, or spent out on an earlier lot, and then it's Christmas!

Really depends on your motive, to be honest!It's really, REALLY, hard to buy stock for resale at venues like these...it's pretty hard even at the peripheral auctions such as Stroud, Bristol, and Clevedon! I'm going to be cast from the corridors of respectability for saying this but, being as you know what I'm going to say, I need not burn any bridges! Did I say eB...no I didn't! From my observations I've noted, and experienced, that it's possible to cream away specialist pieces within your field of knowledge, but nigh impossible to buy bread and butter stock outside of the bulk lots, which you need to be in attendance to take advantage of! Oh, dear, I've probably said enough already!

Does that mean we now have dibs, Stuart? Would certainly be interesting to see the other side, as the obverse doesn't look too bad? I'm skint!

I'm only guessing the Tudors must have known the Stuarts were coming! Leaves me dumbstruck!