Sword

Talking of the Standing Britannia design, I recently put a commission bid for a British Empire Dollar. It went for £20 more than my bid. Not a candidate for this contest of course but a nice looking coin all the same. (It was designed by de Saulles but I still prefer the florin design)

The Petition crown is one of my top choices because it is a coin ahead of its time. The incredibly lifelike portrait of Charles II, the stunning shield reverse and the amazing two lines petition on the edge. It was indeed a real tragedy that that Simon’s design wasn’t adopted. The Oxford crown has a very impressive equestrian portrait of Charles I in front of the beautiful and cityscape of Oxford. One can recognise the Magdalene Tower and the University Church. I am also sentimental towards Oxford as it is the town I lived in after leaving home for the first time. And there is the historical declaration on the reverse. The fact that Charles I was exiled in Oxford at the time make this coin even more interesting.

I think you might want to use the "ring" test. Put the coin on your forefinger and tap gently on the edge with another coin. Bronze, cupro-nickel, sterling silver, 50% silver all give very different rings when taped. A bronze coin gives a long clear ring. A cupro-nickel coin gives a dull short ring. You can compare the rings of your two 1944 pennies. Since the coin is not in the highest grades, I don't think any harm can be done by this test.

Leaving prices aside, my two top choices would be the Petition Crown and the Charles I Oxford Crown.

Shot up to £398 in the last few seconds. A nine bob note has apparently been auctioned by Spink

"Chavs" was an unfortunate choice of word. But I understand what you are saying. And sometimes decent coins just get passed on or inherited by people who know nothing about coins. I do feel rather sad that so many quality coins have been ruined by careless polishing.

I think this is quite a sensible thing to do. Leave the coin alone but keep a close eye on it. Then you only need to consider doing something if you see the faintest signs of marks developing. And you might never have a problem.

It was a trial coin.

I am just a little surprised that the Royal Mint e-mail didn't quite say explicitly why the coins shouldn't be sold.

Can't see them now.

Personally, I won't risk rubbing with a spectacle cloth. The matt proof surface is kind of delicate. I have never tried acetone with coins but would consider dipping in acetone being a (much) safer option than water. Acetone evaporates easily and dissolves grease well. If I were ever to clean a coin, acetone would be my first choice. If the coin is a normal proof with mirrored surfaces, then you will not get away without damage after handling it like that. As it is a matt proof, then perhaps you might be lucky and finger prints marks won't develop later on? I am certain the more experienced collectors will give their opinions.

Thanks. I am sure that I have seen one for sale on ebay last weekend but it has been removed now. If I remember correctly, the bidding got to just over £30

Not sure. My guess would be that the 1937 3d were not trial pieces but advance release of the final article. They were issued to various business probably with no strings attached. However these £1 coins are clearly marked trial pieces and might be issued with the caveat that they cannot be resold and remain the property of the mint?

Shocking way to handle a coin. I didn't even notice the fingers until Azda's post.

That's a matt proof crown for sure ...

Undoubtedly. And hence undoubtedly it was initially brought from the Royal Mint for "investment". It will turn out to be a very bad investment when it is sold in the auction I am afraid. How can anyone tell if there are still coins inside? Someone could have removed them long ago and resealed in a box of junk ...

That's a good video clip. I find it incredible that so many people are happy to buy from the mints at hugely inflated prices mainly for "investment" purposes. Here is an extreme case I have just come across: This is one of the lots in the next Lockdale Auction. It was brought 20 years ago and none of the previous owners have even open the packet to look at the coins.

I plan to get an EF+ 1746 LIMA halfcrown in the future. I think they are only very common in lower grades. And I haven't met a drunk accountant in a nylon shirt at a wedding before ...

For me the answer is simple: keep the coins you most enjoy having and get rid of the others. Collecting is primarily about enjoyment. If investment becomes more important, then coins might not be the best things to invest in. I personally feel that a 100+ years BU coin is likely to have more potential from an investment viewpoint than a modern RM coin unless the price of bullion changes significantly.

The scaffolding still covered the other side of the bridge when this was taken last October.

It's a fake alright. Here is the article: http://www.checkyourchange.co.uk/fake-britannia-2-missing-two-pounds/ Jelida is referring to. The fakers have got the wrong obverse with the Britannia reverse. It should have been a type 3 dated obverse instead of a type 2 undated obverse. Criminals can be so careless sometimes. How's this for an ebay description? "Extremely rare undated Britannia £2 mule. This extraordinary pattern has no legend on reverse and milled edge"

A photo taken when my little niece and I were at Chester Zoo.

Photo of the Blue Mosque, taken in Istanbul before the troubles started.

You need to reduce the size of photo to less than 500Mb. I normally use Paint to open photo on my PC. Then select "resize" and chose "Pixels". Reducing the pixels number to about 400 in one of the dimension should do the trick. You photo will then be less than 500Mb.

1937 proof sets turn up very often in auctions. A nFDC set can be brought for around £240 + commission. Look out for sets with brass and bronze having good lustre. Avoid coins with fingerprints or hairlines of course.