Coinery

Thanks, Debbie, thanks Nick! Another one in the grey matter that hopefully won't catch me out!

Has anyone still got that 1905 saved in their 'my eBay,' I'd be interested in the exact title or number of the listing, so I could pull it up and take a look myself? Also, welcome Debbie, I'm very much a newbie myself. I have learnt more about coins this last few months on this forum, than I've learnt in over ten years of wading blindly through the hobby unsupported.

Re the hair detail on the 4 over 3, it never occurred to me before that this would be the case. Is this because they only used worn 3's to overdate, or is it because the dies used were worn, thus the hair detail a consistent weakness throughout that particular mintage?

There is; http://www.forgerynetwork.com/Default.aspx . I have to say I find it rather a muddle and not that user-friendly. Perhaps I'm just not doing it right! Many thanks, that's a superb and interesting link!

RE smelting silver coinage...I looked into this a year ago, and followed ever lead I could and concluded, though I haven't the time or energy to surf it all out again, that you cannot smelt silver coinage. If you ask any reputable silver smelter, for want of a better word, he'll tell you it's illegal to smelt the coins. Anyway, it's of no interest anyway, as the coins are of much better value unsmelted, quite simply because they have the best assay stamp any horder of silver could wish for. Namely, its form, which is easily recognisable the world over, unlike a lump of melted 'silver'.

Just out of interest, I think you'll find it's illegal to smelt British silver coins! I know the Americans did something similar for some of their coinage too!

Hi all again, I'm sorry that all my posts are questions, rather than a sharing of information, but does anyone have any up-to-date information on the following? If you buy coins in auction, or by any other means, from other countries (USA, EU, AUS, etc.) with the intention of reselling them (namely, as a business), are there any duties levied by Customs & Excise and, if so, what should I expect to be charged? Also are there any other hidden import charges to watch out for? I have recently been browsing the world auction scene and have missed a few items of interest on account of my fears of large taxes upon import, so I need to get this one explored. Many thanks in advance for any knowledge shared, Stuart

Hi, did you move your book on? If not, what are you wanting for it? Many thanks, Stuart

Hi all, Am I just being paranoid here, but does anyone have any insider information that could shed any light into whether the practice of bidding-up absentee bids is common practice? I just wonder about this because if an auctioneer has an absentee bid of £500 in his hand, and a top floor bid of say £350, would it not be an easy thing to put in a ghost bid from the floor to drive up the amount charged to the absentee bid? After all, this is where the auction company makes its money. Bidding up an absentee bid would be a win, win, situation...any thoughts? Many thanks for the expertise, Stuart

Thanks Azda & Seuk, I was too quick out the blocks, I did mean HC. Is there a good central resource for all the known fakes, other than platforms such as this, of course? The contemporary fakes are mostly not a problem to spot, but the modern stuff is pretty damn good in the pictures, I just hope they 're a doddle to spot in the hand???

Hi Azda, just out of interest, what's giving the geo shilling away? The pictures look good. Is it weight? Material? Edge? Is it obvious in the hand?

Two great preceding posts, thank-you! And a massive thanks to every contribution into this enquiry, a superb insight into the original question, thanks again, Stuart

Thanks Seuk, they will catch one or two out on eBay (before delivery, at least)! Wouldn't it be great if these kind of 'arrivals' were met with a wall of resistance? Namely, that anytime anyone spotted one of these coins, as identified by your research, they did kindly send a copy-and-paste of the facts for the porentially fooled's judgement. I remember someone doing this for me once (thankyou swissnome [something like that] whomever you are). It would make these things less commercially viable at source if there existed an honourable and reactive/proactive SWAT team! I for myself will use your observations to warn others (should I notice any falling foul)...if you don't mind, that is? What about, as a start, an eBay account, centrally held by a forum such as this, which provided nothing other than a service to those who are not spotting those individuals who are scamming...maybe even a direct and respected link to eBay central, possibly, that highlights these individuals, without being directly involved, for 'listing extermination'! I think, the message would soon get out there...I presume eBay is where these type of coins would be headed? Many thanks, Stuart

So, would I be right in thinking that auction houses are typically realising book prices for their lots (on average, that is...some above, some below, etc.)? Are we talking spink prices here? I've yet to get on the floor of an auction house. I was hoping to place a few absentee bids about the place. However, I think the general consensus is NO!

I'm staggered yet grateful to read the findings, absolutely the reality no doubt! It seems to me that the only way forward is to be there on the day, which is impractical for most of us middle-of-the-road traders and collectors, it is an 'all or nothing' adventure it seems! Human nature! Good practice for the seller, though!

First, it depends where you live, assuming its the UK, then they seem very much relaxed when opening packets from the USA etc. There is no tax to be paid on anything inside the EU, anything outside can be charged tax, but only if they open the package. I live in Germany, and the bar stewards open EVERYTHING from outside the EU, so i have no choice but to pay 7% on the value over 22 euros, under that is free, so i tend to either not buy outside the EU or ask the seller to drop the price on the customs label. I've also bought from an AU auctionhouse, and they had a very clever was of disguising what was inside. It was like a small book, to thick pieces of cardboard, when i opened it, it was like an advertisement for stamps etc, but taped under that was my 500$ worth of coins, very impressed I'm always amazed at the speed that this forum picks things up, thanks ForumGod Are there no documents (custom's declarations, etc.) that the auction houses are obliged to put on the packets they send out that would get them picked up by the UK customs' bods?

Hi, I stumbled across a few forum discussions from this site whilst browsing on google for books on grading hammered coins (interestingly, I couldn't pull them up from this forum using book + grading + hammered + coins). Did anything ever come of it, it sounded like a great idea?

Hi, and thanks for troubling to look at this post! Can anyone suggest from experience the best UK auction house for coin sellers? I would be looking at submitting 10-15K of British coins, around four times a year. I have checked out some of the realised prices from London Coins and Lockdales, but obviously haven't got the full picture from that! On average do the realised prices ever come close to book prices, or am I dreaming on this one? Also, a lot of questions I know, but do slabbed coins typically reasure the online/telephone bidders of auction houses enough that they realise better prices? I'm very much green about the gills, but have discovered enough to realise that this forum is probably the best online solution to such questions. Many thanks in advance, and many more questions to ask, Stuart

Hi, and thank-you to you all for your time and input. I’ve been away and have only just found the time to digest and respond to your advice. If anyone has any thoughts on the below I’d be extremely grateful. TomGoodheart: Many, many, thanks! Can I just ask you, and all, with regards to slabbed coins, that if the American market is the most responsive market for slabs, would I be correct in thinking that CGS would likely be a second or maybe third choice for them? Or would you say the overseas market is intelligent enough to assimilate the differences between the grading scales, and care little whether it’s a UK or USA TPG company that does the dirty deed? Are CGS well respected abroad, their rates for entombing seem to be significantly below the charges levied by the other American biggies? The types of coins I’d be looking at selling would, without sounding too cavalier and merciless, be any coin I could make some money on, so includes the full spectrum from Shortcross to EDVII, typically £100-£500, though I have sold a few £1000+ coins (I really am green, I’m just lucky...and experimenting always). I want to reassure you I love coins with a passion (I don’t need to explain the magic to you folks). However, I discovered around 10-15 years ago that the only way I could have a proper look at any coin was to buy the damn thing and hold it for a while. Circumstances always dictated that I should sell it again (of course) but, with a lot of luck (and a few mistakes along the way), I began to consistently clear something around 25-50% on a coin, thus the beginnings of a small collection (that I didn’t have to sell) was born. I guess I am just wishing to continue in the same ethos, but wish to stretch myself and chance to look at better and better coins, whilst enjoying the participation in a fascinating art – all above board with HMRC of course! So, no big collection, I’m afraid! VickySilver: Also, huge thanks to you...so, slabs for the Americans! Do you have any thoughts on the above re: CGS-UK? Have you any experiences that suggest the Americans shy away from CGS in favour of NGS or PCGS etc.? Does the CGS stock sell with equal or any strength, or am I really looking at dealing with PCGS if I’m to be getting the best out of the likes of Heritage and the American Market? Numismatist & Rob: Thanks to you both as well! As already raised above, do you think then that CGS would be a non-starter for the American market? I guess the place I’m at with this so far is...I would not be interested in buying slabs for myself (I really enjoy the process of crawling over Britannia with an eyeglass), but I am toying with the idea of slabbing stock to increase its marketability to those who either lack confidence in their own grading, or have too little experience to ‘risk’ their money on internet stock and, equally, do not have the patience to learn these things slowly. I 100% take on board your comments and good advice re the hidden edge (Thanks to you too Peter). Mat: Great advice re the ‘hard deal’ and percentages. But just out of interest, what scales are we talking when we talk large & small houses? London Coins has in excess of 2000 lots, for example, would this be considered large scale? What would be considered small? Really sorry to appear so naive on this, but I honestly am standing on the bottom rung of the ladder, and information is gold to me at the minute. So, there ‘tis! Many thanks from me, once again!

Hi, Again! Any thoughts on the following? I have recently been given 2 William III threepences (1701 - 1698) in exchange for a favour, both in High-Grade. They are convincing in every detail (to me at least), having crisp detail (even haymarks on one), and beautiful toning to the 1701 coin (the other being unfortunately bright). They both test positive for sterling, and the weights are right. I also cannot find any recorded 3d forgeries online, and cannot think of any reason for producing a high-grade, low value, contemporary coin in silver. However, and here's the question, both coins are showing what looks like a partial seam around the edge for 2-3mm on one coin, and around 7-8mm on the other...the remaining edges are intact and showing no signs of filing, etc. Could this possibly be a 'seam' created by the 'spilling' over of the edge? Namely, the creation of an 'M' profile to a portin of the edge, with the middle part of the 'M' forming what could look like a seam (if you get what I mean)? Or are we looking at two fakes? Any ideas why they would have been be forged, if they are? I attach an edge for you to look at. Many thanks, once again, Stuart