ozjohn

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/154897378303?hash=item24 shows a 1942 florin graded at MS 64. The reverse of the coin shows considerable wear or poor strike to the center rose. At best this coin should be marked at a poor strike but IMO should not be grades as MS 64. It has to be said the obverse is good but the whole coin should be appraised not just one side. If I have a coin that has a perfect obverse but the reverse has been damaged then it should be graded as such.

The reverse of the coin is badly minted, worn or damaged in some way and IMO shouldn't receive a MS 64 grade.

I think the condition of the coin and the accuracy of the grading is the issue not the slabbing of a coin of little value.

I can remember a discussion about rain some time ago that descended into imperial v SI units. In the last 2 days we have had 1000 mm of rain in Brisbane ie 1 meter or 39,4" of rain,

Unfortunately more dead in the NSW Northern Rivers region as the rain depression moved further south and now heading towards Newcastle and the Hunter region and then probably Sydney. where Warragamba dam is already spilling.

Fortunately Brisbane doesn’t get any snow. Winter in Brisbane is similar to summer in the UK with a July average of 22 deg C.

WE had some roof leaks and drain blockages but so far survived relatively unscathed.

It would help if Ebay followed their own guidelines on fakes, reproductions etc. ie they should be marked as such. Anything else is a deliberate attempt to defraud

I wouldn't like to comment of whether the 1859 coin is a proof. However the parallel lines on the reverse of the coin may be due to some cleaning or wiping in the past.

Doesn't look right to me. Both the obverse and reverse are badly minted with the reverse showing a very low relief compared with the Sydney 5 pound piece in the Victoria museum with St. Georges head lacking most detail and King Edwards beard and ear are in a similar condition. Also there is no line down the center of St Georges sword. The only other thing is the coin has seen some circulation but lacks the normal bumps and abrasions associated associated with circulation. Certainly much to be concerned about with this coin.

Must be April fool's day.

I've just received a CGS 70 .925 1920 silver sixpence. I do not normally collect sixpences but this one is different as it is .925 Silver not .500 silver. Does anyone know why these were produced? I've seen many 1920 florins and halfcrowns and some seem more like like silver than others. but verifying the metal content of a coin is difficult at home. Were any of the higher value coins minted in .925 blanks left over from 1919?

Apologies to Daniel Craig and James Bond. The Australian Newspaper 9/11/2021

Just noticed the typo in the title of this post. My apologies.

Downloaded the 2021 edition of Spink yesterday for $15 from Amazon which is pretty good value. Still have my 2016 edition if I have the need for a real book in my hands.

Coins of England & The United Kingdom, Pre-Decimal Issues, Standard Catalog. 55th. Edition.

A couple of “metric” anomalies in Australia. In aviation altitude is in feet, distance in nautical miles and speed knots and finally although all the Whitworth and BA threads have been replaced by their metric equivalents pipes and gas fittings are still BSP British standard pipe.

Nothing unusual with 3” of rain in eastern Australia. 10” of rain (25.4 cm. or 254 mm.) is not un common but it’s usually a feast or famine with rain fall. At the moment in Brisbane we are being threatened with restrictions and in Sydney the dams are 100% full.

I noticed that said the beer measure was US fluid oz which was incorrect. An imperial pint is 20 fluid oz. and the US pint 16 fluid oz. Sorry for the mistake. I guess 16 fluid oz to a pint does make sense as it weighs a pound for water as does a liter of water weighs a kilo. As to returning to pounds, shillings etc. I think there is a distinct possibility COVID may have dealt a death blow to circulating currency. I’ve had bills in my wallet for six months without spending them while inflation has made circulating coins worthless. Most transactions seem to be tap and go nowadays.

Australia changed to the metric system in the early 1970s and is now entrenched.However many things retained their imperial size and were soft converted. For example 3” x 2” timber became 75 mm x 50 mm. Drinks in pubs stayed the same as a midi or pot was half a pint or 10 oz.a schooner three quarters of a pint or 15 oz and a pint or 20 oz. I think these were US fluid oz. as a UK pint is 16 fluid oz. and if it is water weighs a pound.. Having said that I think the adoption of the metric system has led to a marked decline in arithmetic skills in this country as the imperial system required an understanding of units to survive. For example when school leavers were confronted with a time sheet they were incapable of performing the calculations necessary to complete their weekly time sheet. For the most part they could not handle a system based on 60 rather than 10. Not only that a good understanding of units is essential for anyone considering a science based career. Imperial units are still in the language ie missed by miles, give or take an inch etc. Babies birth weights and the surf have also retained their imperial units

.Correction the coin was PCGS MS62 not NGS MS 62 as previously advised. Sorry if there has been any confusion

Hi Blakeybou, I guess you would expect the coin to look different if it is cleaned. The real question is. Has it damaged the coin in some way? The images show a NGC MS 62 coin I cleaned using the bicarb Al foil method. I think I prefer the cleaned version. Like I say cleaning is something that should be approached with caution. In addition when you think about it toning is really a form of corrosion that has already effected the coin's surface. PS how did those seeds go? Regards, Ozjohn

I've seen small ultrasonic jewelry cleaners in Aldi here in Australia. no doubt there are similar in the UK. Don't know how effective they would be for cleaning coins but I suspect they wouldn't inflict any damage as they are low power devices. However any attempt to clean coins should be approached with caution, Personally I still think the bicarb of soda and Al foil in hot water is the best method as it does not attack the coin's surface and the silver sulfide is converted back to silver metal.

https://www.coingradingservices.co.uk/index_org.php They still seem to be in business. like all grading services they can be patchy with their appraisals. Personally I have never used a TPG'er but have acquired coins that have been slabbed by these companies NGS , PCGS and CGS. IMO judge the coin not the grade TPG'ers assign to the coin. If you are new to coin collecting I suggest that you obtain a copy of the excellent book The Standard Guide to Grading British Coins published by Rotographic available from Amazon in book and Kindle formats.

Date of my 1903 florin. Looks about the same as the previous example.