bagerap

Might have helped my waistline if I'd carried on working for a few more years though.

Thank you, one and all for your birthday wishes. . I actually retired 15 years ago but now there's the added bonus of that huuuuuge State Pension to look forward to.

Even money that it's a jewellers logo. Indian or Levant jewellery copy.

Link added. Strangely enough, this seller has just bid on one of my bits of old rough fine examples of British exonumia. I wonder what it will be listed as.

A shilling with the same damage passed through my father's hands. I remember his bitter disappointment when it arrived, having been purchased through Exchange & Mart. Same one, can't tell. But for me to remember it, it would be between 1965 and his death in 67.

For those that don't receive the emails: http://p5trc.emv2.com/HM?a=ENX7Cqrai6Uu8SA9MKIEbDznGHxKKj4GUfcStGb5lw8W0bBhOG5mpqVsje_HhdA571zs

Very nasty. Link: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/231462808284?ru=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fsch%2Fi.html%3F_nkw%3D231462808284%26_rdc%3D1

Acetone is available quite cheaply: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/381072726695?limghlpsr=true&hlpv=2&ops=true&viphx=1&hlpht=true&lpid=108&chn=ps&device=c&adtype=pla&crdt=0&ff3=1&ff11=ICEP3.0.0-L&ff12=67&ff13=80&ff14=108&ff19=0

Mrs B tells me that I've got my "stunned mullet" look again. That looks truly fantastic Clive.

AFAIK you have to email Ms Mulholland

It's probable that most people would be happy if the super rich and the multi nationals (both human and corporate) paid tax. Much in the way that the "little people" are obliged to do.

I get it sometimes the other way round, as a seller to certain countries. That's when I pay the difference between the buyer's p&p and International Signed For. I have one at the moment, a big lump of silver to Brasil. Buyer doesn't seem to know that it's tracked or that he's already signed for it. Hasn't stopped him claiming though, should be interesting.

And ditto that.

On reflection David, it probably would have been better for me not to have clicked that link. I now want some of those very badly. Particularly that glorious elephant.

Some breweries used to (may still for all I know) sell 4 pint plastic jugs for the take home trade. You bought the jug well before closing, had the barman carefully pull half a gallon into it and then carefully push down the pressure seal in the centre of the cap. This prevented the beer leaking or going flat. I took a pair of these, empty of course, to the Cider House in Newton Abbott and had them filled with rough, just before catching the train back to London. Popped them into my big blue canvas holdall and shoved it on to the luggage rack opposite. Half an hour later I noticed that the blue canvas was looking a bit darker in hue and, slightly damp. Inside the space of 30 minutes, the cider had eaten through the rubber grommets sealing the pressure caps of the jugs. I had to drink a pint or so from each jug to get the cider down to a safe non spillable level. It made changing trains at Reading an interesting experience.

Is the bagpipe dedicated to commoners and not suitable for nobles? It is symptomatic of the English love-hate relationship with Scotland. Since the time of Queen Victoria the Anglos have often viewed Scotland and it's people through rose coloured glasses. Scotland was so "wild and romantic" Kilts, plaids and tartans, traditional Scottish foods - yes, even Haggis, shortbread and whisky; all became popular in the 19th Century. The near universal exception to this was the bagpipes. John Bull regarded the pipes as aural aggression and best left to the Pictish people North of the Border. The Scots for their part simply continued with their historic loathing and detestation of anyone and anything South of Carlisle. Me? I'm South African and maintaining a strict neutrality.

The aphorism is well known to the English, who believe it implicitly. "A Gentleman is someone who knows how to play the bagpipes, but refrains from doing so."

The Dudelsack itself is not unknown in German music. Ein Gentleman ist jemand, der weiß, wie man den Dudelsack, aber unterlässt, damit zu spielen.

I concur with David, his link goes to the best English language site for Islamic coins.

There's one (Colchester?) with the legend "Success to the bay trade" Turns out that "bay" is baize or felt.

OK, this makes everything clear, all the denticles match up to all the right places. These are the real aftermarket medallions, made from pewter. And in common with the silver, gilt bronze and brass versions are listed as rare, which in this case means a reasonable population. A cased set of four is very rare however. These should fetch in the order of £55-75 as singles and whatever the market will bear as a set of three. The box however I do not trust. Uploaded at Snapagogo.com

I'm not sure that they're right. If they were struck from the original dies as a second line product, they'd have been a pretty close match. I think that there's maybe a few variables I wouldn't expect to see. If made as a contemporary copy, you would expect differences in type face and positioning. These look too close for that and I'm wondering if they're maybe a modern copy? Uploaded at Snapagogo.com Uploaded at Snapagogo.com

Thank you.

Found it: http://www.coincommunity.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=190418

A white metal/silver set sold in the last week or so. Went to Australia I believe, I'll try to dig out the details. Pies, when was that Baldwins? I've recently bought an example of lot 3046, and I'd like to check the hammer price.