Sword

Incredibly difficult to find! Also look at the edge of the coin :-) Come on, make an effort with the photography. £95 p + p

Timeless British sitcom. Never fail to make me laugh no matter how many times I have watched it. Some of the signs:

Multiple system atrophy is a much rarer form of progressive neurological disorder than MS. An ex-colleague of mine had it and it is a truly dreadful disease. Sorry that you are having a really stressful time Blake. (However, drinking a good Malt or Amarone is a definite sign that you have things under control.)

I think auctioneers deliberately set low estimates with "exciting lots" to generate more interest. Then will be brag about how many times it sold above estimate. But to be honest, the coin doesn't do anything for me. It is just visually very unimpressive. An "unloved" series as VS has pointed out. I would much rather own an Edward VIII threepence if both are the same price. (But in reality, I will of course never own neither!)

It does seem likely that a mint employee has kept a coin back. But at least he didn't do it for quick money as it is resurfacing for the first time 74 years after it was minted.

Adjustment lines do reduce eye appeal and will inevitably lower the value of a coin. I imagine the impact on price can range from insignificance to considerable depending on severity and locations and also on the quality and rarity of the rest of the piece. As Rob say, it's about aesthetics. For the coin in question, there is no doubt that it would had sold more "more" money in LCA if there were no adjustment lines. The reverse lines are right in the centre and damaged the garter star. But the coin still has very good eye appeal overall and so would be welcome in quality collections. This is from the Heritage: " As a rule, adjustment marks do not reduce the value of a coin nearly as much as a series of equally visible scratches, which were not "mint-applied".

https://www.ngccoin.com/news/article/7956/

I also think that NGC holders are easier to photograph than other TPGs (but admittedly have only done it a few times). For example, I had no problem getting photos of my 1902 halfcrown in NGC holder.

Would be nice if PCGS and NGC would actually use the term "technical MS" in their grading. "Technical" meaning you must look at the coin in hand or you will be in for a surprise.

I think that's probably what the graders were thinking on this occasion. But NGC's definition of MS63 is "Slightly weak or average strike". The strike appear to be terrible rather than just "slightly" weak. (The official NGC photos are similar but the ear looks better.)

The strike is so weak that even the chin is gone!

According to data from the Royal Mint which was previously posted, the issue prices were: 1927 proof set (in cardboard box): 15 shillings (11 shillings 3 pence face). Extra for leather case. 1935 raised edge proof in cardboard box: 7 shillings 6 pence 1935 specimen in cardboard box: 5 shillings 6 pence. So the 1935 currency was probably issued at 5 shillings face. It is therefore possible that the 1928 -34, 36 wreath crown which were issued in currency without boxes were also issued at face value (or with just a very small premium). I think they were issued at the end of each year so that people might want them for Christmas presents.

I guess I am rather literal with the term "commemorative" but do accept that it is not clear cut with certain coins. I do however agree that 1951, 1953 and 1960 crowns are commemoratives. 1951 was for the Festival of Britain, 1953 was for the coronation and 1960 was related to the New York Exhibition. Of these three, 1960 is more debatable. The 1927 wreath crown in sets weren't good sellers. In fact, the 15000 sets were only sold out in 1933. My opinion is that the low mintages of wreath crown was simply because demand was low but the mint produced them because of tradition rather than as some money making scheme. True commenoratives like the 1935, 1951 etc were far more popular with the public and much greater numbers were minted.

Having a look at the non coinage works of Benedetto Pistrucci. I thought it might be interesting to see how his training as a cameo engraver might influence his work on coin dies.

For me, the first commemorative crown is the 1935 rocking horse. A commemorative coin generally features a one-off design and only issued for a single year for which the event took place. Making a commemorative coin to commemorate new coin designs sounds a bit strange. The Wreath crown were also struck for 9 years, not one. If the wreath crowns were "commemorative", then the currency halfcrowns, florins of the fourth coinage might also be classified as "commemorative" by the same argument which doesn't make much sense. By 1927, the production of crowns has ceased for more than a quarter of a century and it was obvious that it will not be minted again for general currency use. I think coin collectors regretted the absence of this large size coin and was nostalgic with this denomination. Hence, Oxford MP and president of the Royal Numismatic Society , Sir Charles Oman, pushed for crown pieces to be minted in small numbers each year.

What grade would you give yours Rob? Nice even tone!

EF doesn't look unreasonable to me. Perhaps just a little less than EF. That mark across the lion's nose is a little distracting also. You will get expert opinions soon. My grading of early milled is naive.

It's difficult to tell, especially for the reverse without bigger photos (for me anyway). It can very well be EF but I think it would be prudent to ask for bigger photos if you are thinking of buying.

But the wreath crowns weren't commemorating anything though. It was more of a nostalgic item.

It's a real shame that the crown is missing. The 1911 set would look significantly more impressive with it. Mind you, I guess it would add another £700 or so to the price of the set making the whole thing rather expensive. Great toning by the way. Really nice!

I have always thought that Pistrucci's refusal to copy Chantrey's bust of George IV got him sacked as Chief Engraver. But apparently, he was never officially appointed to the post as he was a foreigner (and was forbidden to hold the office by a law of William III). When William Wyon was appointed to the technically "vacant" post of Chief Engraver, Wyon and Pistrucci got the same salary of £350 which was the average of the top two engraving posts at the mint. It was alleged that to avoid being sack as the Chief Medallist, Pistrucci deliberately took 30 years to complete his great work, the Waterloo Medal. Sacking him would mean that the immense down payment would be wasted. When the dies were finished, the medal was never struck partly because all the intended recipients have already died with the exception of the Iron Duke.