GateGateGo

There are often bargains to be found well hidden on distant shores, Mr T. Oddly, Aus is one of the few places I've never bought anything from - which is odd, considering there's a fair bit of MIJ guitar - shaped goodness lurking (although not usually on ebay). Plus, exchange rates are favourable, too - guess not so much for you, huh? That DCAM signifier is just the PCGS contraction of 'deep cameo', Nordle. I'd certainly class quite a few of my bullion Brits as cac(k), though

Hi Bagerap, Mr T Glad you like - it has good lustre and tone 'in the hand' - first one I actually bought, too - largely on impulse! It's fair to say that everything I've bagged so far looks far better than my photos would suggest - I need to work on my technique, that's for sure. Ebay is a funny 'ole place - I've seen coins that even this rank newbie wouldn't touch go for seemingly ludicrous sums but there are good buys to be had, too. I'm afraid I had a minor slip and crossed once more into 'the dark side' this evening & bagged a nice looking, PR69DCAM 2008 silver Brit...

Well, I'd take the view that: 1/. It's pretty unlikely that it's NEVER been cleaned, having obviously passed thru several collectors, one would assume. 2/. The seller offers a return (at your expense). 3/. Ebay (nearly) always side with the buyer. Take a punt - seems to me that all you have to lose is the cost of return postage, worse ways up. AND you might just bag yourself a really nice coin, too

Have you asked the seller directly? I know that might seem obvious, but it's always worth remembering. The vendor seems to be a business seller so in addition to Ebay rules, he'll also be subject to the usual, local laws, too. That said, their feedback is good, they claim to have been going for thirty years (should know their onions) and - if they're honest (& I'm assuming they are), should give you as much help and guidance as is possible. Regards, Frank

Hi, Nons. I agree entirely - well, my 'itchy finger' was never gonna allow me to avoid 'the contagion' really, was it? I'm genuinely happy with what I've bought thus far but readily accept that my opinions on what constitutes a wise purchase will not be the same twelve months hence (been here before - sorta - some time ago, I'd have been happy with a mid '70s Greco EG 450 Les Paul - a - like. Now, nothing less than at least a '78 - '80 Tokai LS80 will do!). I know that we're in 'silly season' on Ebay right now, but what I've tried to do thus far, is go for coins that 'float my boat' whilst also allowing for a (small) profit if & when I flip 'em. That might seem cynical to some, but money's money, & I like my hobbies to be as close to self - funding as possible For now, I'm having a great time just buying stuff with more intrinsic interest than bullion bars & coins and learning as I go.

Beautiful coins, Nons. I know less than nowt 'bout bronze, but that Teddy 7 ha'penny looks lovely.

1936 Half Crown - £5.50 delivered - n/aEF?

1900 Half Crown (at last!) - £16 delivered - much nicer than the dull photos provided by the seller suggest - inclined to give this a slightly bold VF.

Try again, Paul - seems okay now.

Yes, I'm happy so far - everything has been as expected (or better) on arrival. As for price / value, all I have to go off is what seems to be happening in 'the market' generally (and specifically, for these, Ebay) & having seen coins of similar and in some cases, lesser quality go for more, I don't think I can grumble. Damn books haven't turned up as yet - and nor, for that matter, have my two Vickie Half Crowns. I don't claim to have any particular skills behind the lens of a camera (and these are camera 'phone shots, remember!) but I think they pass muster. Give it a try - you might surprise yourself Higher res shots of my stuff may be found here, should anyone wish to take a peek: https://www.flickr.com/photos/128616359@N08/with/23586349803/

1946 Half Crown - £12 delivered inc Florin, Shillings & Sixpence) really pleased with this (and its companions - will photo 'em later). UNC?

1929 Half Crown - £14.50 delivered - nEF?

So it seems, Rob - damn fine town! Sorry to hear about the roof... Didn't know 'light blue' were flying outta Yeovilton, though!? I'm afraid my active participation in anything athletic is a good thirty years or more behind me, Stuntman. All thanks to these bitches...

Popped home for lunch to find the first of my coins had arrived - oddly, it's the third one I ordered (thx, Royal Mail...) & one I took a bit of a punt on as the pics available were, well, frankly a bit shit. I think my risk was justified for a tenner - what do you guys think? 1928 George V Half Crown:

Hey, Pete - thanks for the welcome! Ha, no - but my mate Dean was bullied by Liam at primary school, if that counts? Strictly speaking, I'm Stopfordian but that's impossible to alliterate with 'Frank', innit??

Don't judge me! 'Tis a family thing - not my fault I comes from bumpkin stock

Nyet, comrade. Oh, you mean football? Nah, Dude - athletics & motorsport are more my thing, although if pushed, I may admit an (irrational) fondness for 'Latics (Oldham, of course!) & Yeovil.

Thanks, good to know I'm not wildly off beam! Yes, the reverse is better than the obverse - if it wasn't for the scratchiness (which looks nowhere near so bold 'in the hand'), I'd have been inclined to give this a straight EF. Not at all displeased with this for an early score.

Clearer pics.

Oh, and the reverse looks better 'in the metal' than my dodgy, camera 'phone shots suggest. Nice lustre, too. I'll try & get the DSLR / macro combo on it soon, in better light but this (novice opinion & possibly dead wrong!) looks n/aEF to me? Frank

Indeed, Stuntman - in fact, I'd be VERY surprised if an awful lot of perfectly nice coins with a perceived low value haven't been scrapped when silver has spiked - particularly in 2011! Re: Cleaned coins. Yes, there seem to be an awful lot out there, particularly G VI. In fact, I've deliberately ordered one (which is otherwise aUNC to my eyes) to get it under a loupe to see the effects of 'the dip'. I also plan on leaving this one outside to see how it re - tones, naturally but at an accelerated rate.

Idly rummaging thru ebay this morning & stumbled across a small set of G VI silvers (half crown, florin, shillings (English / Scottish) & sixpence) in nice condition - curiosity & my 'itchy finger' got the better of me, so threw in a bid of a tenner & won. Now, newbie or not, if they look remotely like the listing pics, I reckon this is something of a bargain, but it also set me thinking. Generally, George VI coinage, particularly the pre '47 silver, seems to be 'on the floor' pricewise & I can't help but wonder why. Were they minted in particularly large numbers, or has the hobby been too preoccupied with earlier stuff thus far? It seems to me that they could be decent mid - term sleepers, although perhaps I'm missing something? What do you think? Frank

Ha! Shill bidders? Try bidding for a vintage MIJ Les Paul on Yahoo Japan via a proxy service like Rinkya or Jauce, THEN you'll know about shill bidders. Frank

Hello, MIke Yes, I'm inclined to agree from what little I've already seen and based on a (not comprehensive - & certainly not for coins!) certain degree of understanding vis a vis market dynamics. Obviously, everyone here is FAR more knowledgeable than I regarding the coins themselves, but I suspect that: 1/. G VI mintage figures won't, broadly, be that dissimilar to earlier C. 20 Monarchs & 2/. 'Squirreling' would equally apply to all silver coinage pre '47 - particularly immediately prior to 1920, too - for the same reason. It may well be that they prove to be the 'low hanging fruit' for newer (also prolly younger than me!) collectors who can sit on 'em for twenty or so years. I too, in principle at least, am attracted to the idea of formal grading ( I have a few PCGS graded Britannia silver proofs) but how, or indeed if, I choose to make use of that in a pre - decimal context, has yet to be resolved! Frank

Hi Paul, Yes - one of the reasons for my ebay activities is to get a handle on grading - even at this stage, it's apparent there's quite a lot of, erm, 'bulldust' when it comes to ebay dealer grades. More surprising, to me at least, is that even when there are apparent (even to me!) 'howlers' in a coins grade or description, most times, the dealer seems to get away with it, judging by feedback records etc. There must be many 'casual' buyers out there - guess you're happy with what ya got until you know better, huh? I always bid multiple times (to a ceiling, obvs) on any item that's bid - free when I join the fray (max was £13, btw) - you'd be surprised (or not) at how effective this can be at putting others off bidding. (I have much more ebay history than my current 'buying' account would suggest). In turn, my bid maxima was based upon what I assume to be able to re - sell for, with some degree of surety, should the need arise. Yes, silver isn't where it was in the heady days of 2011, but I'm a bit of a 'stacker' (ingots, mainly) & always have a keen eye on 'live' spot Arguably, the floor for any coin with a bullion content will always be what it scraps at - but was the George VI stuff really minted in such huge quantities? How do these figures stack up against George V / Edward VII figures - are they that different? What about the late '30s coins? They seem just as depressed, pricewise, as the mid forties issues? Oh, and yes - book ordered - just waitin' on delivery. Frank