Coinery

It's a really sad state of affairs! My son is 4 and my gift to him will be the knowledge to work WITH the system, but looking all the time for the gaps and side streets where an intelligent groat can be made! I feel so immensely sorry for my old Theatre colleagues who are strangled to the point where they can no longer take a free breath and float in contemplation of their lives anymore! How can these poor people make informed change in these circumstances? You've got it spot on Peter! Incidently, that was meant to read NON-compliance in an earlier post!

That is precisely what is so worrying about the current state of the western world. There is absolutely no incentive to save. A savings account won't keep up with inflation, neither will a CD or government bonds. In the US you can "save" by putting money in an individual retirement account (IRA) which (in the most common structures) is tax free until you take out money when it is taxed as income. There are 2 problems to this though, first, the chances of taxes decreasing is slim. Why would I pay a higher tax rate in the future rather than a smaller tax rate now? And it leaves the government open to raid it for free money or to force you to make "investments" in treasury bonds and the like. The dilemma is, as a young person where do you put your savings where they will grow. A savings account is a guaranteed loss, a CD is a guaranteed loss, an IRA is (most likely) going to be a loss. The stock markets are manipulated by those in power (both government and government-sponsored private sector). Real estate prices are low, but few banks want to loan money to purchase it and naturally I don't have the cash to buy it outright, plus prices seem to be still falling in some areas. Outside of creating a startup in a third-world country or being incredibly lucky there simply seems to be no place to put cash aside from in precious metals. Hi, generic lad, I'm really so impressed with your capacity to speak authoritatively in these matters. It intrigues me enough to enquire, if I may, as to your knowledge base? Please don't misunderstand me in any way, I have absolutely no knowledge of these things myself, only the intelligence to question and assimilate information that I'm presented with! I find your arguments persuasive, but have long since abandoned rhyme without reason so, if your findings have come from a long-time, self-taught, interest in this field, I salute you, and if they are more conventionally academic pronouncements, that too I respect, I'm just genuinely interested in the journey you has Most of it has come from various sources online, along with some of my friends who live (or have lived) abroad. Most of it though has come from deduction from economic statistics. Take for example the US inflation rate, which is officially measured at ~2.30% (see http://www.clevelandfed.org/research/data/us-inflation/mcpi.cfm) now of course that doesn't measure the real inflation rate because the CPI (Consumer Price Index) has been actively manipulated by using a "basket" of items to show that the US has a lower inflation rate. For example, rather than measuring the price of, say, a pound of beef, the meats section would allow the government to cherry-pick the lowest price of beef, pork, or chicken (see http://www.shadowstats.com/article/no-438-public-comment-on-inflation-measurement for some information about it) and using the older official method of measuring the CPI US inflation is close to 6% (see http://www.shadowstats.com/article/no-438-public-comment-on-inflation-measurement ) Of course CDs and saving account rates are different depending on the location and bank, but using one of the major national banks over here, Bank of America, it shows that their "featured" CDs have an annual yield of .45% (see http://www.bankofamerica.com/deposits/checksave/index.cfm?template=cd_10&context=tabpage_Rates_Fees ) and a savings account has an annual yield of .05% (see http://www.bankofamerica.com/deposits/checksave/index.cfm?template=regular_savings_account ) Since that is much less than both the official inflation rate and the older-style inflation rate, anytime you put money in a CD, you are taking a guaranteed loss in purchasing power. Of course there are benefits in saving, especially if you have any emergencies come up but I simply don't see how "saving for retirement" in cash, CDs and savings accounts as being a useful investment. I also enjoy reading ZeroHedge for economic news ( http://www.zerohedge.com/ ) even if it can be a bit alarmist at times I certainly don't know everything and I'm sure if I knew more about finance I could find a few bright spots to put my cash, but I know enough about history to know that when you print money left and right (like what the Federal Reserve has done see: http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/series/BASE/ ) bad things happen. Rome didn't collapse in a day and neither will the US and Europe but unless something major happens, I can see the west entering an even more sharp decline and another region taking over the spot that the west has held since the 1700s as the most prosperous and most free region. I get excited about an unusual butterfly passing through these days, but can very quickly tune into your statements! You obviously spend a great deal of time absorbed in this, I wish I had your knowledge on these things, as we are still living day to day, and have little understanding of the Big Plan out there. Really interesting stuff though, and we are, more or less, planning in line with the future economy that's outlined in this thread! Thanks for your response GL

Well said that man Buy what you know.Nuff said.Inheritance tax avoid it.Mum has had a gambling addiction.just do it now. I am so wound up...the Taxman will take the 25% taxfree lumpsum put it in farthings YOU ARE a BAD boy, you'll be leading us all astray with your fanciful talk about 'wanton compliance' with the state!

That is precisely what is so worrying about the current state of the western world. There is absolutely no incentive to save. A savings account won't keep up with inflation, neither will a CD or government bonds. In the US you can "save" by putting money in an individual retirement account (IRA) which (in the most common structures) is tax free until you take out money when it is taxed as income. There are 2 problems to this though, first, the chances of taxes decreasing is slim. Why would I pay a higher tax rate in the future rather than a smaller tax rate now? And it leaves the government open to raid it for free money or to force you to make "investments" in treasury bonds and the like. The dilemma is, as a young person where do you put your savings where they will grow. A savings account is a guaranteed loss, a CD is a guaranteed loss, an IRA is (most likely) going to be a loss. The stock markets are manipulated by those in power (both government and government-sponsored private sector). Real estate prices are low, but few banks want to loan money to purchase it and naturally I don't have the cash to buy it outright, plus prices seem to be still falling in some areas. Outside of creating a startup in a third-world country or being incredibly lucky there simply seems to be no place to put cash aside from in precious metals. Hi, generic lad, I'm really so impressed with your capacity to speak authoritatively in these matters. It intrigues me enough to enquire, if I may, as to your knowledge base? Please don't misunderstand me in any way, I have absolutely no knowledge of these things myself, only the intelligence to question and assimilate information that I'm presented with! I find your arguments persuasive, but have long since abandoned rhyme without reason so, if your findings have come from a long-time, self-taught, interest in this field, I salute you, and if they are more conventionally academic pronouncements, that too I respect, I'm just genuinely interested in the journey you have taken to such knowledge? A delight to read, which plays on my weaknesses, the reason I enquire!

Yes, very strange to see the full rim! One of the farthing boys on here has snaffled it I reckon!

It appears that the obverse is the side with the Roman soldier with his septic septor and his toga and his missing lighthouse and trireme Wouldn't it have been simpler just to say "part of beaded border missing"? Not so much fun for us though. Interesting coin though, is that a common thing, missing beads? On iPhone again, but looks like a good grade....who bought it, then?

The big difference is that casting bubbles are often raised, i.e. in relief (depending on whether the casting is used for a die, or for the coin itself), whereas pitting always shows as indentations, i.e. "pits". Also, pitting is usually irregular in size and spread, where casting bubbles are often found in little clusters, of roughly the same size. Also the pits can be caused, as I think is the case with this coin, by impurities in the flattened ingots, which allows the silver to delaminate, or creates micro-thin flat pockets to be more accurate. Whilst it's not that clear in the photo, there are light creases along the pitting line, which will of course stressed the surface and caused the delaminated silver to quite literally pop off as the coins surface has worn thinner. The bottom of all the pits appear flat'ish' under close inspection, whereas external corrosive attacks on the silver would have left a more irregular bottom, for want of a better word!

if only it had any! Once you get all that black off you will see it. Surprised he didn't call that a 'rich even rose-chocolate patina'!

if only it had any!

A thoroughly interesting and educated read!

Wouldn't mind seeing that Stuart. Will put it up the moment it arrives! As promised but, brace yourself, it's a bit of a shocker! I bought this just for the bust, but it's turned out to be a bit too pitted in all the wrong places for what I want...guess you can't win 'em all! Not such a good buy after all!

I've just realised PM's are no longer being redirected to my hotmail account as they once were! Any ideas?

In my heart of hearts, mine too, my first ever coin was Her's!

Wouldn't mind seeing that Stuart. Will put it up the moment it arrives!

Now that's exactly the thing with hammered; even the most amazing ones aren't perfect, they all have a unique historical stamp, wear, mistrike, weak strike, thin edge, thicker edge, stressed flan, edge splits, and so it goes on, each absolutely dripping with history whatever the grade!

Just out of interest, what coin are you wearing Stuart? I've recently been wearing this: Mercury (though eveyone knows it's a she and She is Liberty) dimes are supposed to be lucky, Mecury being the god of chance. Leap year dates (which this one is, 1944, the last leap year of issue) are especially so, it's said. I also have one of those Johnson Matthey replica touchpieces. Though at the moment I'm actually wearing a brass snake buckle on a cord as a sort of amulet. I've always had an Elizabeth I sixpence, for about 15 years now! Makes me feel all kind of ancient ! This is my third one, my son pulling one off my neck in a swimming pool...I returned to the pool minutes after losing it, gone, nobody handed it in either!!!! The other, can't remember what happened to that? I like your's, it's a nice thing to wear something such as this, especially to wonder who else, or how many others, have worn it...and when!

Not that I'm proposing this, but what you say is true...they're one of the few types you can fumble and drop without sh****g yourself! Not to be recommended, of course!

I've just snatched a raggy-edged penny, but with a very nice bust for £5! Good enough for my punch project, and nothing to be ashamed of generally! ;-)

Amazing indeed, that's what first got me into all this! Around 15 years ago I discovered I could own a real Elizabeth I coin for around the same price as a museum replica, about £10 back then...the same is still true today, albeit £20-£30 instead! I lived in Bath for many years, where i forever stood incredulous at the tourists paying £4.99 for a copy of a roman coin to take home to the family! You can buy VF and better for £3!

The word swastika is an ancient Sanskrit word (svastikah) which roughly transltes to good luck or well being. Since its use by the Nazi party, its original meaning has pretty much faded into the distance and more often than not it is looked at as being a racist symbol, quite the opposite of its original meaning pre 1930's. Some take the shape as being 4x letter L's. Love, Luck, Life and Light. Wasn't the swastika of peace the other way round though? I'm sure I remember hearing that somewhere before?

One of those big stones Debbie gave the link for? I've ordered one!

Apologies, Richard, I'm not ignoring you, I just haven't had a chance to use the laptop today and checkout your suggestions! I have been working from the phone today, which doesn't give me all the full website features, settings etc! What phone are you using coinery? If the iphone it has an app for forums called IPB, this gives you full website functions, but its shite when predictive messaging kicks in and you don't check it before hand Thanks Azda, yes an iPhone, will check that app out! Predictive text is a pain in the arse unless you're incredibly vigilant which, on a small screen in the small hours... The keys are really close together too - the number of times I've nearly written coon for coin is immeasurable!

I'm not selling, just want to know bit more information about it... By the way, how much this coin can cost? I think on the whole people are looking for 'types', whether micro-varieties or not (whatever's your bag with that one), but an oddity, a curiosity? I'd be spending my money on a similar grade coin that could actually be classified, linking one moment in history to another, that's how it works for me at least. For me it would be nothing other than an interesting discussion coin, I'd probably take off the coin I'm wearing, and wear that instead! Now, if you can find a 16/17thC oil painting with the subject wearing the 'famous double-headed sixpence', I'll buy both. Welcome back to the forum!

Of course clipping does reduce the desirability of a coin, but it's my thoughts that it depends very much on where the clipping is...essentially, does the clipped coin still have a 'balanced' feel about it? That's what counts if I'm buying a coin for myself! Two coins can be clipped by exactly the same degree...one is as ugly to look at as sin, and the other I would happily buy and gaze at for years!