Coinery

Nice buy, you old scoundrel! Really blurry image on the pea-pod, but is that an L in London error?

It's a nice error find, but I don't think it would make anything over £25-£30 in that grade.

It's just a straight 68, probably a blocked die, though may have been a damaged punch. The missing Z is a known error, of which there are various misspellings of Elizabeth, for obverse BCW CN-2 How often? I wouldn't say hen's teeth, but certainly not common. The reverse looks to be CN-h7, which would make it an unrecorded pairing but, again, unrecorded pairings turn up quite regularly, and the punch details are not conclusive. Nice spot, though, and great to have BCW CN-2:h7 in your armoury!

Not me. It doesn't say 'organic'. Brings back memories of a house we bought as a repo. The owner had (apparently) a short haired dog (possibly Staffy) that the neighbours told us had had pups. They also told us she left them in all day. Had to clean everywhere, including taking up the floorboards, to get rid of the smell. So I think I'll pass, thanks. I really didn't think this was commonplace, my sister had to do exactly the same thing with the house she moved into around ten years ago. Every floorboard of an upstairs bedroom had to go, and the ceiling below replaced...unbelievable, I just don't get it!!!

Thanks Rob. Here is a histogram of the results. Neat work, Nick!

I don't know how I've managed to get 'Price: highest first' by default in Chrome, but I'm quite glad that I have. That and 'newly listed' are the options I use most. BTW Stuart your PM box is full. Thanks, Nick! It's one of those things you never notice until someone mentions it, or you start getting the feeling that nobody loves you!

They do it to try and make sure that their listing appears first in the list because the default sort criterion is price. Are you sure? If I don't set anything, the default they select is "Soonest ending" Yes. If I type eg "1965 sixpence" into the "Search..." field at the top of the "My eBay" page - it returns a list of items sorted by "Price:highest first" How odd, I always get 'Best Match'! Just tried the same in different browsers: in Firefox I get Best Match; in Chrome I get Price:highest first. Weird. I always assumed it was "Best match". I use firefox. I get best match with Firefox AND Chrome! My preference is always 'ending soonest'!

They do it to try and make sure that their listing appears first in the list because the default sort criterion is price. Are you sure? If I don't set anything, the default they select is "Soonest ending" Yes. If I type eg "1965 sixpence" into the "Search..." field at the top of the "My eBay" page - it returns a list of items sorted by "Price:highest first" How odd, I always get 'Best Match'!

Which is undoubtably the hardest thing to replicate with images of coins...especially silver...and particularly proofs! It's o so easy to love toned coins when you are photographing them!

THE KING of SNIPES, the MASTER of COIN-PASSION! Always here to humble us all in our vanity for perfection! Edit :

Really? The sin of it is, if I had 155 of them in my pocket, I'd feel really embarrassed buying a pint with them! I'd get over it though if I didn't have any pound coins available!

Thanks, Nick, I did read that one, but tuned-out when it mentioned graphics and computers. It would be fantastic to read a 'history of' type work! When the last hand sunk die was created, when the switch to reduction methods came about, when the last mechanical (non-computer) method was employed, and the process for each. Somebody must have written something for the BNJ at some point, surely? I don't know why I didn't think of this earlier, but there is a weighty tome explaining the entire working of the Royal Mint (c. 1870) in excruciating detail (and I really do mean that) which may contain some useful information. If not, it's a handy cure for insomnia. The publication is "The Royal Mint by George Frederick Ansell" and you can download a PDF free from Google books. The pages relating to matrices, punches and dies are 63-67. Brilliant! That sounds absolutely perfect, and a likely cure for my lame knowledge of matrixes! I'll just need to fill in the years between 1870 and the computer age to be home and dry! Any references for that anyone? Thanks, Nick! There's also a fairly comprehensive article on production of proof coins in the 1985 edition of Coins and Market Values. I'm in the throes of moving home, so don't expect a scan anytime soon, but briefly: 1. artist prepares a large plaster model 2. from this is produced a rubber mould which is electroplated with copper and nickel 3. the electrotype is reduced by special machinery 4. the resulting steel punch is in relief 5. the 'reduction punch' is used to sink a matrix (incuse) at which stage beading is added BY HAND and any blemishes removed 6. from the finished matrix working punches are produced (relief) 7. the working punches are used to sink working dies (incuse) as many times as needed There's much much more about the production of blanks, but I thought this might be helpful. And as you can see, when the beading is added manually, it would be easy enough (though delicate and small scale) to add a 'broken tooth'. Thanks, Peck, much appreciated! I hope the move's a positive thing, and goes well!

Thanks, Nick, I did read that one, but tuned-out when it mentioned graphics and computers. It would be fantastic to read a 'history of' type work! When the last hand sunk die was created, when the switch to reduction methods came about, when the last mechanical (non-computer) method was employed, and the process for each. Somebody must have written something for the BNJ at some point, surely? I don't know why I didn't think of this earlier, but there is a weighty tome explaining the entire working of the Royal Mint (c. 1870) in excruciating detail (and I really do mean that) which may contain some useful information. If not, it's a handy cure for insomnia. The publication is "The Royal Mint by George Frederick Ansell" and you can download a PDF free from Google books. The pages relating to matrices, punches and dies are 63-67. Brilliant! That sounds absolutely perfect, and a likely cure for my lame knowledge of matrixes! I'll just need to fill in the years between 1870 and the computer age to be home and dry! Any references for that anyone? Thanks, Nick!

Thanks, Nick, I did read that one, but tuned-out when it mentioned graphics and computers. It would be fantastic to read a 'history of' type work! When the last hand sunk die was created, when the switch to reduction methods came about, when the last mechanical (non-computer) method was employed, and the process for each. Somebody must have written something for the BNJ at some point, surely?

I don't know the first thing about stamps, but would like to learn about Victorian stamps in particular! Can anyone advise a good book to read on the subject in general, but one that maybe focuses on 19thC stamps in particular?

I don't know why they've recently added that URL tag nonsense. The easiest way to add a PhotoBucket picture now is to copy the 'direct link' and use the 'Insert Image' icon. Ah, right, thanks for that, will do that in future! There's got to be something in it for them, so wrong that it overrides your privacy settings. It doesn't! (See my post above). There is no way to 'share' a picture without making it non-private - but it won't interfere with your Photobucket privacy except for those you've given permission to view an image via another forum. Sorry, didn't catch your above post! The main difference between my usual posting of pictures, and today's aborted efforts (using the same process), were that, ordinarily, you couldn't click on the image and be redirected to the contents of my private album on photobucket. Today I posted images which contained a URL allowing just that. So, I basically had to manually remove the URL extension to arrive at the images as you now see them, WITHOUT the capacity to click on them and view my private album on photobucket! I confess to knowing very little about the whole thing, but enough to know I didn't want the whole world wading through my photographing trials and tribulations on photobucket! Incidentally, I wonder why Davies opted to define reverse A & B with the indicators he did (letter bases), when Nick's tooth ID separates even the most worn examples in an instant? Oh I see. Either Photobucket have changed their policy - in which case, shame on them - or there are a variety of html formats presented (as in Image Shack for example) and you unwittingly picked the wrong one. There are a selection of formats, but I definitely used the usual one, the one I've used for all my other posted images on here. Photobucket have made some massive changes recently, that don't seem to be in the best interests of the user. I had to go into my account settings, and each individual album, to double check everything was ticked private, but it made no difference, still the images clicked for a free-for-all in my account!

I was just sifting through a box of Victorian bullion, and was wondering what you think the Davies reverse of this 1897 coin is? Comparing it to all the other worn reverse B's in the same lot, this one looks much more 'A' like? The bottom crop is a rev B from a worn '96 for comparison. Any thoughts? sorry, having a photobucket privacy crisis just now, will post the images asap

Dad was the stamp enthusiast. I collected mint issues for a while but never really got into anything else. His main interest was Polish/Ukrainian/German occupation issues. Sadly I can't read Polish as I have four very comprehensive volumes about the things. But he picked up some Victorian stamps and covers as part of his British series. Let me know if you might be interested and I'll take a look and see what there is, if you like. No use to me. Now. Who'd like some First Day Covers? Will definitely take you up on that! I want to frame up some Victorian things for our corridor, and just take an interest in it generally! Did anyone see that VR postbox front on the bay? Sold for £135, I was SO close to buying it to make a framed wall sculpture!

Your information sounds similar to what I have found whilst scouring the web, except that my understanding is that 'master die' is another name for a matrix not a hub/punch, but I may be wrong. There is much conflicting terminology out there. I spent the best part of an hour scouring the net, but only finding modern methods (mostly current US), involving computer programming, which only served to confuse matters further...definitely lots of conflicting info! When you've pulled the whole thing together, Colin, I'd very much benefit from and pleaure in the read, because I can't get my head around it at all! Someone give me a later medieval broken punch and an over-mark anytime!

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/130888330623?ru=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fsch%2Fi.html%3F_sacat%3D0%26_from%3DR40%26_nkw%3D130888330623%26_rdc%3D1 Gosh. Is it time to get out my Dad's Victorian stamps then? I could do with the dosh ... Ha, ha! Let me read the book, I'll get back to you! Have you ever bothered yourself? It's all linked to our boat full of Victoriana! Victorian taps, plates, wood, cutlery, tiles, etc. You may have picked up that my head's all over the place at the minute! I'm a tad diluted right now!

I don't know why they've recently added that URL tag nonsense. The easiest way to add a PhotoBucket picture now is to copy the 'direct link' and use the 'Insert Image' icon. Ah, right, thanks for that, will do that in future! There's got to be something in it for them, so wrong that it overrides your privacy settings. It doesn't! (See my post above). There is no way to 'share' a picture without making it non-private - but it won't interfere with your Photobucket privacy except for those you've given permission to view an image via another forum. Sorry, didn't catch your above post! The main difference between my usual posting of pictures, and today's aborted efforts (using the same process), were that, ordinarily, you couldn't click on the image and be redirected to the contents of my private album on photobucket. Today I posted images which contained a URL allowing just that. So, I basically had to manually remove the URL extension to arrive at the images as you now see them, WITHOUT the capacity to click on them and view my private album on photobucket! I confess to knowing very little about the whole thing, but enough to know I didn't want the whole world wading through my photographing trials and tribulations on photobucket! Incidentally, I wonder why Davies opted to define reverse A & B with the indicators he did (letter bases), when Nick's tooth ID separates even the most worn examples in an instant?

I don't know why they've recently added that URL tag nonsense. The easiest way to add a PhotoBucket picture now is to copy the 'direct link' and use the 'Insert Image' icon. Ah, right, thanks for that, will do that in future! There's got to be something in it for them, so wrong that it overrides your privacy settings.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/130888330623?ru=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fsch%2Fi.html%3F_sacat%3D0%26_from%3DR40%26_nkw%3D130888330623%26_rdc%3D1

Reverse B. Reverse A has much longer border teeth. Thanks, Nick, I can see that in Davies now!

For those who use photobucket...despite the fact my account and all albums are set to private, the image links when posted up here would click directly into my account/album. I had to manually remove the URL surrounding the image code to prevent that happening!