Coinery

Other than the black variety, of course! I believe many a new generation has its foundation in the fruits of avalon!

Not dissimilar to myself, this evening! Cooked red lentils, boiled potatoes, shredded and blanched spring greens, fried onion and garlic, chives, and lots of cheddar, all mixed together and baked in a pastry pie! Served with corn on the cob, coleslaw, and a fresh salad! Got it cold tomorrow with pickled onions and cherry tomatoes (plus some homemade scrumpy, which is being delivered to the door at 12)! So how do you reconcile the living floaters with your vegetarian habits? Beer ought to cause a problem too given the use of finings. I take a rather more pragmatic view of food. Everything goes in and nature decides if it is useful or not. Fortunately, a great many bottled beers, ciders, and wine are given the big V! The cider was a great find, the owner of the farm we're staying on rents out the barn to a fellow farmer, who just happens to make his own 'private' cider from the local apples (I've been assured that all the apples are hand checked, and every maggot, mouse and fly, are carefully set free before pulping). It's fabulous stuff!

Not dissimilar to myself, this evening! Cooked red lentils, boiled potatoes, shredded and blanched spring greens, fried onion and garlic, chives, and lots of cheddar, all mixed together and baked in a pastry pie! Served with corn on the cob, coleslaw, and a fresh salad! Got it cold tomorrow with pickled onions and cherry tomatoes (plus some homemade scrumpy, which is being delivered to the door at 12)!

says he who has been banging up above average pennies like they're going out of fashion! Oops, having a senior moment there, Ski, getting you all confused with pies offerings! Sorry!

I'd need to set up a new eBay site and try and slip them past you lot, that's the trouble!

I've wondered what they were! Any ideas why there are so many around in great grade? I was starting to think the European hammered collectors were getting an easy ride.

says he who has been banging up above average pennies like they're going out of fashion!

Gone YAY Do we have another one? Here... http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/EF-Tudor-period-Hammered-Silver-Coin-Dated-1546-/380600909448?_trksid=p2047675.m1850&_trkparms=aid%3D222002%26algo%3DSIC.FIT%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D14587%26meid%3D6380055177802333763%26pid%3D100011%26prg%3D1005%26rk%3D5%26sd%3D261187061833%26 Looks pewtery to me...I have seen so many of these coins going through at high-grade, where are they all coming from? I confess I've never even clicked on them before but, man, I wished I collected them (whatever they are), you'd have a very high grade hammered collection of something or other...for not a lot of doe, either! Perhaps they've ALL been counterfeit?

As a vegetarian, who many years ago used to love every morsel of the animal kingdom, I can understand your indulgence. However, Mrs Peter has certainly got it right, and I have a new found respect for her! Viva la goose and Mrs P. Spiritual evolution will bring about your own vegetarian state some day, Peter, so you'd best enjoy that liver while you can!

I've got a 1967 penny, wish that could take my son for a walk!

Thanks, Bill, though it was the point on toning that was of particular interest. As you pointed out, a black coin can achieve a high grade (which I'm happy with), leaving me to think a coin with the half-moon tone you get from a coin sitting on a coin, or a coin with an ugly, patchy tone or, reciprocally, a beautifully preserved coin with a golden tone, would have no bearing on the the numeric grade it received? Terrible use of grammar there, but I just couldn't think my way around it, so apologies!

I've 'politely' informed him too!

This was the secure server recommended, though I haven't had time to create an account and check it out, yet! It's on the list of to-do's, so if you find out ahead of me, I'd appreciate your thoughts! https://www.dropbox.com/

The 'lustre' component of the grading would take this into account, the point was made to me that there wasn't a specific category for 'eye appeal'. I also asked about the location of marks, dings etc, and yes, if there are problems in the middle of the face, for example, rather than half-hidden in some design detail, then these would count as more 'serious' problems and the coin would score less. Would it though, bearing in mind lustre has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with toning. You can have a deeply-toned coin with obvious full-lustre underneath. My point is you could presumably have two full-lustred CGS coins, one with ugly toning, and one with beauty personified, and they would both come out of the computer with the same grade?

What I did find interesting, given we have mostly said that buying a coin blind from CGS is a better option than from most other sources, is that they don't include eye-appeal. Namely, they haven't determined any markings for or against for toning, suggesting to me that a black coin or an untoned gem, or a half-moon-toned (coin on coin) coin, would achieve exactly the same grade, if all other components of the calculation were the same? The TPGC soup is altogether enough to put you off collecting anything more recent than Charles I!

I've a funny feeling this CGS thread is going to be around for a very long time, it'll all come down to whether you can get a week off work to read it!

So they acknowledge the existence of Cabinet Friction, they just mark it down for wear, which we all would do! Can anyone further clarify the 6 thing as, comparing Paul's to Rob's, it isn't leaping out at me?

Go careful buying gothic ANYTHING, especially crowns! With only a couple of month's under your belt, I'd read around a lot! I'm not sure who your dealer is, but there are well-known 'dealers' who have been picked up by the members of this forum for 'knowingly' selling fakes! So, here's my advice...read the gothic content on this forum, and whatever material you can lay your hands on, until you know what a gothic is not! Don't get burned at that level, as cleaned coins will pale into insignificance by comparison. Now, about cleaning...I 100% agree with you that there is good and bad cleaning. I have no issue with certain lightly dipped coins, provided they are big or full lustred to begin with, as it is only these coins that ever look 'right' in my opinion. Shiny bright unlustred silver never looks good! I confess to dipping an uneven-toned aUNC 1916 halfcrown the other day, but it was for 2 seconds, and still left a decent amount of extremely pretty golden tone behind. The coin now looks a million dollars I think. Of course, the coin will now need proper storage, as you will not be able to 'patch' coins up indefinitely. Welcome aboard, have a good read around, you'll be pleasantly surprised by the threads you'll find!

But aren't those lovely old toned-uncirculated coins, with the toning lightened at the high spots, but not worn, isn't that cabinet/storage friction/wear?

I've recently aquired this HA-2:b Sixpence. Does anyone have any thoughts on the reverse legend? Is this IPOSV, or just die rotation, possibly explaining the rounded O-like bottom of the P? My other thought was a broken foot on the P punch, and a botched attempt at repairing it on the die? Anyone?

And, of course...

A very interesting contemporary counterfeit Elizabeth I shilling here. It rings convincingly, is appropriately thin, and is hammered from home-fashioned dies! It's very well done, and a happy addition for me! Some of the issues: Lions and Lis (and, of course, letters) are not to type for TUN and are primitive. The bust is an attempt at Bust 3A (with some decent detailing, such as veil pointing at the forehead, and decent replication in hairlines and embroidery), which never of course appeared on the TUN coinage. The nose and other facial features are missing on account of a gouge, which isn't so clear in the image. It's around 1 gram under weight, but not so shocking a difference, given the grade. Cost me as much as the genuine article, wasn't expecting that!

Yes, but neither an artwork nor an antique is housed in a plastic slab, which was my point. Unless you're Damien Hurst, of course!

Greater knowledge leads only to greater questions!

That's where they're at for me!