brauereibeck

Just spotted this (God! I really need to get out more): on 19 March 2013 at 15:14 stephenelliscoins left this feedback for martin_ellis7 'thankyou, good stuff' (sic), at exactly the same time as martin_ellis7 left the same feedback comment with the same joined up 'thankyou' error i.e. 'thankyou, good stuff' for stephenelliscoins. In other words they would seem to be one and the same person and, moreover, the seller appears to be, at least on one occasion, bidding on his/her own listing.

For those who might be watching and possibly bidding on this seemingly rather nice high grade 1950 penny (item number 350788057370)... http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/350788057370?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649 I thought I'd point out a couple of things that are already in the public domain. The same coin (judging by the photos) was sold only last year for $80 (item number 320898171670). http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/320898171670?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649#ht_500wt_1054 The seller then was martin-ellis7. It's unclear who bought it as no corresponding feedback was left. The current seller of this coin (stephenelliscoins) got a neutral feedback in January this year relating to a 1951 penny to which stephenelliscoins responded, 'now band me from his site what a foolish mas and greedy dont buy from him waster' (sic) Both sellers have 'ellis' in their names and both live in Toronto, Canada.

I agree, it does! Have you got the hub in hand? NEIN!

Has anyone been following the debate regarding the Karl Goetz auction on Heritage? Looking at the reverse hub for the Paris Dictat 1921 medal I couldn't help noticing how rough the detail was. You'd think that the hub would be pin sharp even taking into account accidental damage and corrosion.

On the hub the dot between T and D appears to be elongated although this could be a lighting effect.

Here's the same detail from an actual medal.

My theory is that UNC G6 and EII coins don't (with a few obvious exceptions) attract big ticket prices and therefore collectors don't bother putting them into auction or onto ebay preferring to hold on to their UNC specimens. Furthermore, in my experience, dealers over-grade their G6 and EII stock, often describing an aUNC as BU and not bothering to put up a photo. I collect brass threepence and from my experience the G6 years are generally easier to find in true UNC than the EII.

Good find! Unless someone else has already noted this then you've identified a new edge variety to add to the two already known. Moreover, there is likely to be a fourth edge variety based on the idea of a random mix of up or down legends relative to the obverse. I have asked everywhere and everyone I can and no one has heard or seen of this. I'm not sure where I should go from here. Find an example of each edge variety and then see if they are replicated across the official varieties for the year such as the proof. There could be as many as 24 possible combinations....

Good find! Unless someone else has already noted this then you've identified a new edge variety to add to the two already known. Moreover, there is likely to be a fourth edge variety based on the idea of a random mix of up or down legends relative to the obverse.

Reporting on ebay is like negotiating a maze that doesn't actually lead anywhere. Even when you phone ebay customer service you get told that they don't have sufficient access to the necessary information. Everything is so remote, so automated. It's all smoke and mirrors to make you feel like they care.

The difference between coin collecting now and ten years ago is the digitisation revolution. I was driving down my high street in Oxford yesterday and noticed that my local Blockbusters was closing down. Nobody is hiring DVDs any more, its all about downloading digital content. Same for HMV etc. Coins, unlike for example oak furniture, seem to lend themselves well to the digital revolution. Two photos, a numerical grade, a price, a year, a variety are all parameters that work well in a digital age. Encapsulation of coins is probably as much about information management as environmental protection.

Excellent point. I personally have a hunch that the coin market will do a Clarice Cliff i.e. some of the current higher end values may start to feel very optimistic. When this will happen is anybody's guess.

No, in all fairness I bought it already slabbed. Anyway, here is a photograph on which you can just see the fingerprint at about 7 o'clock. The image also shows the difficulty of photographing through a slab - the coin is about 1000% better than it appears here! Thanks Derek. Two points here:- a) Even if PGS weren't responsible for the fingerprints, they perhaps should wear light gloves when performing the slabbing process to avoid fingerprints on the surrounding plastic. b ) The photographing of coins through slabs is an important one, as once inside, they are not camera friendly, and you don't get a good image. Quite important, certainly as far as eye appeal is concerned, when it comes to selling. I've not seen a good photo of a slabbed coin yet. Pity a more camera friendly slab can't be developed, or else, as both Peck and I suggested in the CGS thread, that it becmes possible to legitimately remove from a slab, and then be able to re-insert, without loss of official grade status. (If the 1894 was busted out of the slab, it might be possible for a fingerprint expert to say whether the prints on the coin and plastic, were from the same individual) I don't know if anyone has ever watched the NGC corporate video on their website that proudly takes potential customers through their NASA-esque facility. I couldn't help noticing in the video that their graders handle the coins without gloves, albeit very deftly.

My biggest fear when receiving back slabbed coins is fluff. You send off a 100% lint free specimen only for it to come back to you with a piece of what can only be described as belly button fluff stuck to the coin. Almost invariably this problem occurs with a prized coin which the grading company have duly recognised as such by giving it a high grade and valuation. There lies the dilemma... do I de-slab it and lose the grading, do I send it back and risk coming across as an OCD complainer, or do I just learn to live with it?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=360571306847&ssPageName=ADME:X:RTQ:GB:1123 Proof or ex-plastic set?

It's a case of horses for courses. If you have a British coin and you want a slab to validate its variety attribution then you've got to go with CGS. US graders just don't seem to have the depth of experience with British coin varieties. Frustratingly, NGC don't recognise Groom's 20th Century varieties. They only recognise a very few bog standard 20th Century varieties such as the 1902 low tide penny.

I'd personally be surprised if they were quite that systematic although it might be worth asking NGC that question. I was quite surprised last week when I emailed NGC with a question and got a response back THE NEXT DAY that, moreover, actually answered my question. I know slabbers come in for a bit of stick but I was quite shocked by their efficiency and good manners.

I totally agree with this. The aesthetics of a scratch across the cheek or nose of an effigy can kill a coin's appeal. If the same scratch were in the field it wouldn't impact as adversely. Recently I took delivery of a potentially very nice example of a QEII coin that was pretty much ruined by a small scratch that extended the line of the Queen's mouth giving her a sort of Chelsea smile.

Absolutely, Peck, I've always liked them, and they are a nice starter collection for the budding numismatist. Not too many years (31), no complex varieties, but sufficient mix of common and rare/scarce in high grade, to make assembling the collection interesting. Plus two attractive designs. Brass threepences seem especially vulnerable to verdigris. Perhaps it is this very tendency to acquire atmospheric damage (of various sorts) that makes the brass 3d such a challenge to collect. If you want (virtually) tone-spot free examples then you will have your work cut out to find them even among the commoner years and varieties.

Looks like the dreaded verdigris might have got to the obv legend, which, if it has, will massively devalue it as a proof specimen (its not a business strike in my opinion). £10 -15 tops.

Does anyone know what has happened to onlinecoins.co.uk? Their website appears to have been experiencing technical difficulties for some time now making it impossible to use. Has anyone else found this to be the case, or is it just me?

My 1877 appears to have two inner circles. I also noticed that there's an 1874 (new year in this variety?) in a VG grade coming up at the December London Coins auction (lot 2094). This is NOT mine, merely pointing it out.

Just had a look at vcoins. The nuts and bolts of the site are excellent, particularly the search facility. It could be a lucrative alternative to ebay for those dealers prepared to support a UK equivalent.

Thanks, that pretty much answers my question.

There website is there but I can't browse any catagories. Is that the problem you are seeing? Exactly, also when you attempt to sign in you are directed to an error page. I've emailed them but after some weeks still not received a reply. Shame as they had a good range of stock. Going off on a complete tangent, what would be good is if someone could come up with a web-site that acts as a one-stop hub for all the decent online coin dealers... beyond my abilities I'm afraid.