Sword

The 2005 Sovereign 2012 Sovereign

I am thinking of just an ordinary customer account. Looks like they are not that bothered about references which is good.

Nice to hear about successful bids. Although an auctioneer is within his right to "reverse" a hammered decision, I think it is bad taste and against etiquette to do so. Spink's T&C states: "Subject to the auctioneer’s discretion, the striking of his hammer marks the acceptance of the highest bid, provided always that such bid is higher than the Reserve". I have been tempted to leave commission bids in the past but I noticed on their website that new clients need to supply bank and trade references. Bank references are no problem but trade references can be tricky for me as I normally buy at other auctions houses (and I doubt they are that keen to give references). Are references a strict requirement to open an account with Spink?

Pay your money and make your choice. I am currently very happy with quadrum and so I don't need to look any further at present.

I know this have been discussed before but I still need some advice. What is the safest way to store a high grade coin so that it can withstand some “rough handling”? We all know the conventional wisdom is to use a coin cabinet, wear gloves, don’t talk and control humidity. However, I am just not the careful type and have picked up some bad habits from my childhood days when I was collecting modern proofs sealed in plastic. I have a habit of looking at my coins during TV adverts and sometimes even on the garden table when the weather is nice. Initially I tried coin capsules but immediately realised that even with less than 1mm of extra space, the coins can rattle a bit and might pick up high point friction. I have read some nice things about quadrums. However, the foam holes also come in 1mm increments and so in theory the coins won’t be held totally tight either. I confess to using CGS when I was buying high grade coins from LCA. However, we all know what happened to CGS and it is no longer an option. Currently, I am using 2x2 self-adhesive coin holders. I like the way the coin is sealed in. However, the problem is that the coin stands proud of the card holder and I am worried it rubbing against surfaces. So to be safe, I would cut up another coin holder, remove the plastic windows and stick the two halves on the original holder. This way, I have double the thickness of the card and the coin is no longer proud. Am I just paranoid about friction? Are coin capsules and quadrums 100% safe even if there is a tiny bit of movement?

What I am concerned is the lack of quality control. You can be 100% sure that NGC get their plastic slabs from a reliable manufacture (whether in China or USA). NGC would undoubtedly be testing their slabs regularly to make sure they are up to standard. Otherwise, they would have to compensate if coins are damaged by harmful substances due to the degradation of plastic slabs. They can't afford to take that risk. I had a look on the web and it seems that the only places you can buy PCCB slabs are ebay and AliExpress. No one will take responsibility if things go wrong and so there is little incentive for quality control. Rather unfortunately, there is a profit for using inferior materials and faking even the cheapest of objects. You are not probably aware of a scandal a few years ago in China when people were selling ... wait for it ... fake chicken eggs. They look like the real thing too. Each fake egg can be made at half the price of a real egg. http://newsfeed.time.com/2012/11/06/how-to-make-a-rotten-egg/ I am not trying to scare you and the PCCB slabs are probably fine. But I just want to be cautious.

I think Quadrum Intercept is the more expensive version which is supposed to prevent the coin in the slab from tarnishing (for up to 15 years). They are claiming that the foam "neutralizes harmful atmospheric substances inside the capsule, so that the coin is stored in a non-corrosive micro-climate." For now, I think I will stick with the standard version as I only collect silver and not bronze.

I didn't know about them and thanks for mentioning. They do look nice as they allow the edge of the coin to be viewed. And yes, they do look very much like ngc slab. My major worry is that they are made in china and not by a manufacturer I have heard of. Quadrums are made by Leuchtturm / Lighthouse and one can be confident that they use inert materials. How can you be so certain that the PCCB materials are safe with coins in the long term? I think all the sellers are in China and counterfeits (using inferior materials) can be a potential problem.

Just to say I have now put all my non-slabbed coins into quadrums and I think they are the best things since sliced bread. The black foam can stretch quite a bit and a 28.5mm florin fits nicely into a 28mm quadrum. 37.6mm crowns fit into 37mm quadrums. I think the best way to put a coin into the foam is to have the coin on a flat surface. Bend back the foam and put place over the coin to ensure that half the coin is in. Then I stretch the foam over the other half of the coin. I don't have to worry about coins moving slightly in holders now. Many thanks for recommending quadrums!

I would be surprised if that was a genuine positive feedback.

Here's a photo. The micro letters on the obverse state "one pound" all round the edge. On the reverse, you have micro numbers "2017" all round instead of "one pound". You need magnification to read the letters or numbers.

One type has the date 2016 on the obverse and micro 2017s on the reverse. I have checked some of mine and realised that the micro numbers on the reverse are not always legible even on near mint condition coins.

This guy has now got a single feedback for "selling" a for £350. Description "we have a George v. penny 1933. in gd nick for its age ok. im open to sensible offers ok. thanks for looking." http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/george-v-penny-1933-/112367093733?nma=true&si=EJc8Vr6AdQ0ojMyWPof4yNoqs10%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557 Or is the last digit a glued on 3? There appears to be a lot of glue residue.

But the tone won't be the same though. AT will need to be used after the "fix" I think.

An absolute beauty! I understand that the earlier proof DC coins do have significant premiums. However, for the sake of argument, if VS's superb halfcrown were to be deeply toned even with the most amazing of colours, would it lose it DC designation? It seem to me that the DC term tends to be mostly used for coins that are near blast white.

NVF or VF I think, but might have been previously cleaned

1057 USD or £842 for the second one is reasonable isn't it? (Not that I have spent that much money on a single coin before). Doesn't look like the slab has inflated the value by much.

Likely to be weak strike rather than wear. Wear obviously lowers grade sharply but weak strike does not.

I gave this a go with a little help from Google Translator. However, my knowledge of written Chinese only peaked at GCSE standard and so I can't be held responsible for inaccuracies ... Ping An of China Insurance (holding) limited company commissioned Old Feng Yang Ltd of Shanghai to mint " Commemoration of Ping An of China's successful flotation on the Stock Market" silver medallions. Each piece has diameter of 40mm, weighs 1 ounce, fineness of 9999 silver. The article [i.e. medal] is of the specified standards. Old Feng Yang of Shanghai Limited Company. March 2007.

Christo Rei in Portugal. The 28m statue of Christ is supported on an 82m pedestal. Breathtaking views from the top.

Bearing in mind that 50% of the alloy should be silver, the weight loss is therefore about 20% of the copper content (as silver shouldn't be affected). I can't honestly see how it is possible that the coin can get fatter (I assume you meant thicker) despite losing such a high proportion of copper. So probably a fake I think. You can put the coin on your forefinger and give the edge a tap with another coin. The ring from a 50% silver coin sounds different to one with no silver (the ring from a 92.5% silver coin is particularly distinctive)

Just had a quick search and found some some photos of the two types. http://www.worldofcoins.eu/forum/index.php?topic=13836.0

I have just brought my second hammered coin, this Charles I shilling from Lloyd Bennett. (My first hammered was a Charles I Halfcrown from LCA). Size Approx. 30 -31.50 mm. Weight 5.91g. Group E, type 4.1 var., Sharp F5/1, mm. anchor to the right. Ex:- Alan Morris (bgt.Mark Senior.2/99). Lloyd graded it as better than VF/VF. It's now in the post and I look forward to receiving it tomorrow. I like it a lot because of its well struck portrait. There are no weak areas and grade is decent too. I would have preferred the flan to be rounder but the shape is good enough for me. I am obviously still very inexperienced with hammered as this is only my second example. Any comments, advice, opinions most welcome and appreciated. Right now a decent hammered coin tend to get me a lot more excited than a milled coin of comparable price!

Many thanks indeed. But I don't think I will be in a position to specialise anytime soon. At the moment, my approach is to buy coins which have eye appeal for me and then find out more about them afterwards. However, my modest hobby budget means that it can a while between purchases...

That's not a very helpful comment I think. We all made mistakes when we first started collecting. (I still have a cleaned matt proof 1902 crown sold to me (by W&W) as an AU currency from my early days.) It's much better to make mistakes (and learn) with lower value coins like this one than diving into something serious like a Gothic Crown. My advice would be to buy from respected dealers / auction houses. They are expected to point out problems.