secret santa

It seems to me that, in general, auction houses are taking less care and interest in the cataloguing of lots at a time when they could and should benefitting from the lack of coin fairs, dealers' premises etc. It looks like pure apathy and laziness to me.

Well done Mike. I got mine completely by chance as I didn't know it was a DFF until years after I'd bought it. I read somewhere about it and checked my coins and there it was !

I suspect that they won't add to their reply above ("The Royal Mint have alerted us to a minor printing/spelling mistake on the packaging of these BU Packs.")

Looking through the folder for this set, I've noticed that, for the John Logie Baird 50p, they write "From an early age he showed ingenuity, setting up a telephone exchange to connect his bedroom to his friend's houses." So, either his friend did have more than one house or they should have written "to his friends' houses." Perhaps this is the error in question ? I will continue looking.

The vendor has sent me some new pictures but they are still a little ambiguous (in my opinion) regarding whether the lustre has been previously enhanced, and so he's going to get it checked by a local coin person who will advise him on condition.

There's too much to show unfortunately - a cardboard cover and then 4 double sided pages. I keep looking but can't spot anything wrong.

I recently bought the 2021 Uncirculated set from Westminster Mint because it contains the Decimalisation 50p with original 1969 obverse and then received a letter saying that I should return it as there is an error and they would send a replacement. I asked for more details but they would only say that: "The Royal Mint have alerted us to a minor printing/spelling mistake on the packaging of these BU Packs." I have looked for this mistake but can't find it so I'm inclined to keep the set in case there's a more important mistake that might prove to be a rarity in the future. Has anyone else heard anything about this "error" ?

The penny is now withdrawn so either an honest person has pointed out its true identity or an unscrupulous person has tempted the unknowing buyer into a bad deal.

Great work !

I think you must be mistaken Martin, I've never had any privileged access rights.

Count me in - 1 2 3 o'clock 4 o'clock rock.

I can't wait................... https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DETAILS-TO-FOLLOW-GREAT-BRITAIN-UK/363301610497?hash=item549676a401:g:GcgAAOSw8-VgM~XT

I see that DNW have a 1953 VIP proof set in their next auction and yet the penny in the set is a standard proof die pairing (C+b) whereas the 3 previous VIP sets that I've seen had a penny with die-pairing of B+a (currency obv and toothed rev). Have DNW mis-catalogued a normal proof set or was the VIP set produced with differing contents ?

All pictured on my varieties site.

I'd appreciate photos of any 1961-65 pennies with missing waves.

September 2016 - looks like the same picture. With a halfpenny, sold for £240 + commission. Seems pricey to me. Looks like it's with the same halfpenny again ? Pete, do you not collect any more ?

Always open to (polite) suggestions.........

I have just worked through my penny websites adding a "return to top of page" function at the bottom of every page to save users scrolling all the way back to the top to get to the menu. Hopefully it will be useful.

There's wear on the queen's hair on the obverse, too.

Lot 1152 - slabbed as LCGS 78 - Uncirculated or Mint State 63-64. There's months of wear on that. Not even EF.

Would you say that this has been toned ? The other side is lustrous.

I posted this one last Thursday !

Another lot had a halfpenny with only the leaves on Victoria's head "double struck".

Yes, definitely a V with the incuse lines. It's a pity that Hiram didn't catalogue his coins in detail (I assume he didn't) as I'm sure that DNW could have made so much more from the sale(s). It would have paid them to get someone with a knowledge of pennies to go through them.