Paulus

As I pare down my collection to my preferred example of a 'type', choices are normally clear cut for me, based on a combination of eye appeal and grade. However I really can't decide between these 1818 and 1819 Halfcrowns, so for anyone interested, as a bit of fun, I would like to know which one you would keep, if you couldn't keep both!

And Mary, and Phillip and Mary!

I have a similar focus at the moment, but I want at least one superb example Tudor to present, with a bit of variety mixed in (i.e. not all silver, not all shillings etc) ... everyone's 'superb' is different of course, and some reigns will be difficult/expensive to get anything in GVF+ together with sufficient eye appeal and very few/zero problems. For me this means I can release some funds by selling my least-favourite 'duplicates' for some monarchs, helping me to reduce some accumulated debts and justify some upgrades at the same time. I would not set a catch-all budget for each reign personally, perhaps try and identlfy the year/denomination you might want for each and hunt down the very best you can afford. For me, this is more of a 5 year project rather than a 1-2 year project (there are 24 'monarchs' since H7 (including Cromwell and Ed VIII)) - I guess I would repeat the age-old adage of buying the best you can afford (you won't regret it) and exercising patience! What are the big gaps you have at the moment? Is the Chas I shilling the first of the collection? One of the challenges I have (as do others!) relates to the patience factor - at the rate of say 1 coin every 1-2 months (or longer!) the urge to add to/improve my collection requires a little more 'action' than that to satisfy my need, so inexpensive side-lines which help the learning experience and 'feed the beast' can be of use! Always do not be shy to ask for opinions on here, there is an insatiable appetite to help with critical factors such as grading, cleaning, dipping, authenticity etc

Can you see whether the shiller you highlighted won it Dave?

If his coins ARE being shilled (which sounds highly likely) then of course he will know and would be unlikely to admit it! I'd be interested to hear if you get any kind of reply Dave! He is called Sharkster after all! Of course for successful shilling there still needs to be someone out there willing to bid higher than the shiller - Rob's comment sounds appropriate! As I said, I have been watching his high grade CGS coins the last few weeks, many of them have gone for eye-watering amounts.

Well, where on earth would we be without Seuk? He has correctly identified the 1818 as a high quality modern Chinese fake, and I will be getting a full refund (including return postage) from the seller. It certainly fooled me (and the seller, I believe), but it shouldn't have done as there was a thread on here 3 years ago about what to look for in this series! http://www.predecima...-chinese-fakes/ Possibly explains some of the attributes of the 1818 that some of you didn't like so much! This is now the 3rd time (in 5 years) that I have been lucky enough to discover (with help from members on here) that I have acquired a fake, and have obtained a full refund - I wonder what's the betting that I have others lurking in my collection? I fear for those Gothic and Wreath crowns, there are just too many of them out there! Thanks a million Seuk - I will send you high res images for your records as requested And to return to the topic from the OP, I definitely WILL NOT be keeping the 1818!!

You might be surprised, I have done pretty well with my silver, getting near CGS/Spink values in many cases, sometimes higher

Sharkster's high grade CGS coins have all been doing very very well on eBay auctions, I have been keeping a record of them, he has been selling for a few weeks now LINK

They can breed like rabbits unless you get the vet to 'remove their propensity to procreate'!

You want the Churchill thread for that Good point Pies!

I'm not going to read the other comments yet, as I want to give you an unbiased opinion. For me, the 1818 is a clear winner. It doesn't have the scuff striations on the obverse, as the 1819 has. The reverses are probably level-pegging, as each has areas stronger than the other, but I like the legend better on the 1818. Same as, then, Peck! I really couldn't live with the '19 obverse at all!Someone made a remark about dipped '18, I never really picked this up from a casual look at the images (plus, Paulus' images tend to be quite blue), but that may be quite true! Maybe get rid of the pair and sink the money into something in the up-and-coming??? Try and get there if poss.? Bet you wish you'd never asked now? Not at all, I appreciate the brutal honesty of this Forum, not something you always get when asking opinions ... the numismatic equivalent of "Does my bum look big in this?!" I think the only thing I prefer about the 1819 is the tone ... and I agree Stuart, the evidence of wiping in the obverse fields of the 1819 is a massive no-no for me too! Thanks for your opinions everyone

Looking at the 1818 in hand again, I would say it is problem free, i.e. no thumb print or dipping etc, as far as I can tell - just my sub-standard pics then perhaps!

My new cat Gabrielle (Gabby) - adopted her from the Cat Protection Centre 3 weeks ago, she is about 9 months

Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. but it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.

Thanks Dave, I have a bull head I am happy with, but I might sell both of these and get a better small head type

Thanks chaps, that's exactly the sanity check I needed! The 1819 has some merit in terms of the contrast eye appeal (as Richard notes - btw the pics were both taken under the same lighting at the same angle etc), but I hate the suggestion of cleaning in the fields that it has ... clean (if not proof-like) fields are very desirable to me. The 1818 stays and the 1819 is consigned to, well, whoever wants it! You know how it is sometimes, guess I didn't really want to get rid of either of them! If it's of any interest, I paid NEF money for the 1818 and GVF money for the 1819.

I liked the Vectra, while they were < 3 years old as hire or company cars

William Williams’ London (Middlesex) copper Conder halfpenny token dated 1795. Obverse: The arms of the City of London with legend: “FEAR GOD AND HONOUR THE KING 1795”. Reverse: A portcullis surmounted by the Prince of Wales’ crest with legend: “W. WILLIAMS LONDON”, “RENDER TO CAESAR THE THINGS THAT ARE CAESAR’S”. Plain edge. Issued by William Williams who was originally a grinder and latterly a button manufacturer with a business at 103 St. Martin’s Lane, Charing Cross, London. It is thought he was Welsh by the inclusion of the Prince of Wales’ crest.

My 2nd Conder (an eBay steal)

It's exactly what the forum is all about, Simon! People on highs and lows of their finances and coin journeys, still finding any which way to take numismatics seriously!Thanks for raising the topic, it's been a great education for me, if only I had the time to explain why! Spot on Stuart

LSD by its very nature can cause memory loss and other related problems (I am told)

UNC is not so difficult, it's the without bagmarks as well that's the problem. I have one without bagmarks but not unc, and another unc, but with bagmarks. I know Rob, I was only teasing As Gary suggests, perhaps they (or very very few of them) never even left the Mint in BU condition!

Exactly, the LC one i just quoted looks worse than the ebay one The coin is EF...seldom do you see that coin with as good hair definition as it has on the obverse...which is a used sov. die! I think the valuation would be 550-700 someplace. The coin has some circulation marks, and some small stains on the reverse, but is still a rare coin in that condition. IMHO...Ha,Ha Are you at risk of confusing rarity and grade Bob? Perish the thought!

Which might prompt yet another RM commemorative!

Surprised they have only graded it VF, it looks a tad better to me!