Temperatures somewhat above the seasonal norm......

[Temperatures somewhat above the seasonal norm......]

I am writing this at 20 past 7 in the evening, in the first week of June, and in my lounge it's 12˚C 

12.

 

Bloody freezing.

Got a scarf on.

Indoors.

In June.

[Coin prices continue to rise]

9 hours ago, copper123 said:

And I have two - Oh dear I feel a new south sea bubble coming on

Gaviscon.

[Coin prices continue to rise]

I can't afford one since putting all my money into phlogiston.

[Any garden pics this year?]

What slow cold start after a cold shock- clematis almost non- existent, caesalpinia gilliesii may be about to shoot, but may be dead,

and in the greenhouse the turmeric is stubbornly refusing to throw up shoots. 

Only one overwintering echium survived this year, but a whole crop of seedlings popped up

in the compost when I re-potted the Confederate Rose, which I hope chooses this year to start flowering,

but things better warm up for that to happen......

 

I had to type 'echium' so many times until i managed to stop this site from typing 'schism'....

.....having schisms popping up in the garden would really be surreal.....:-)

 

[Any garden pics this year?]

On 7/21/2021 at 8:33 PM, copper123 said:

On the subject of gardens again one of my faves is powys castle in mid wales the yews are a particular wonder  it pretty good in august- september, esp when the dahlias are out Bidulph grange staffs  also has a lovely display of dalias come sept

Finally did that castle- superb gardens, especially if you are into trees...

[Any garden pics this year?]

No big leaves yet- far too early.

Only put out the tropical stuff this week.

[Any garden pics this year?]

My clematis have been hammered, too.

But, there are upsides - anyone else with the happiest-looking roses for years?

It's like they enjoyed the freeze...

[Coin aquisition of the week.......]

14 hours ago, Silverlocks said:

I tried running it through an online compression tool called compress or die and knocked about a third off the file size, so one could probably get half a dozen coins into a post.

I email the coin pic to myself.

I can choose the rough file size before sending.

Very quick and easy, but does your way compress so that better detail is kept?

[The rarest coin you own?]

That's a tricky one - where do you draw the line as regards varieties?

I have some pennies that are not listed as 'varieties' yet, but more may exist, but for the moment, there are but one example.

Are these  'desirable' rare coins? Not yet, they're not.

I found a 1862 'B' halfpenny in a tin of crap coins a few years ago. That was rare and fun!

[Ebay listings explained!!!!]

3 hours ago, Flash said:

x

y

[Any garden pics this year?]

I haven't had my garden take such a winter hammering for years.

There was a 4 day period in mid-December where it stayed below zero by day, but by night was -5, -6 and -8....

1 dahlia left, 1 tiny canna shoot left, in very well sheltered large covered tubs, that have been there for 20 years.

I have a cordyline australis that is now mush.

I have just put out my tropical stuff, the latest in the year I have done that for 15 years.

[More Pennies]

10 hours ago, 1949threepence said:

GEF 1874 F67. Another example of a very difficult to obtain variety, which, at R12, shouldn't be too onerous to locate, but is, in fact, very difficult in higher grade. I actually won this at the Spink Auction of 22nd September 2015 (lot 565), but don't think I've shown it before. 

The dark patch on Britannia's legs is curious as it hardly shows at all in hand, but the photo brings it out. 

Incidentally, with regard to the 1874 varieties, I still believe that with the obvious exceptions of F69 & F76, the F77 & F78 still remain the most difficult to obtain in high grade, as evidenced by their extreme scarcity of appearance over the years.

 

 

Agree absolutely.

My F67 is NEF, an accidental find in a cheap tin of stuff.

My F77 is NVF, and my F78 is NEF, both cheap, not noticed, on Ebay.

I've yet to see any advances on those three on Ebay, and I've been looking for 10 years....

[Ebay listings explained!!!!]

After exhaustive research, I have decided it's time for me to pass on my knowledge of how to make sense of Ebay listings.

(Apologies if this has already been done.)

 

"Some luster" (sic)                                                                    Polished flat.

"Collectable condition"                                                                 Flat

"Unsorted"                                                                                   Sorted

"Unsearched"                                                                                 All valuable coins spotted and removed

"Mint error"                                                                                     Hit with hammer

"Rare"                                                                                               Common

"Very rare"                                                                                       Very common

"Great patina"                                                                                 Dug up

"Proof"                                                                                                Worn

"Wonderful natural toning"                                                          Terrible artificial toning

 

[name for large marbles]

When I was a child, in Kidderminster,   big marbles or ball bearings were called 'bolchies'

I cannot find a reference to this online anywhere.

Does this ring any bell with anyone?

 

Strangely, the only thing I've found is that a 'bolche' is a large boiled sweet, if you are Danish....

[Can anyone explain this?]

....anyway he said it was his fault as he's been run over before......

[Can anyone explain this?]

It is rather apt when discussing the Birmingham area to remember one of Jasper Carrot's better routines....

[Can anyone explain this?]

16 hours ago, Old Money said:

A study found that a speed of less than 11 mph 100% of cars stop for a pedestrian crossing., at 15mph only 28% stop for a pedestrian crossing.

Which would explain both road signs

I will never forget the sad face of the old man as he slid across my bonnet.....

[Can anyone explain this?]

Roadworks, M40 merging onto M42, South East of Birmingham.

Speed limit 50mph.

Speed limit for the workmen, 11 mph.

Not 10, or 15, but 11.  All the way along.

Why the strange figure?

Is it to stop drivers mistaking it as their speed limit, where a number divisible by 10 is the norm?

[Royal Mint quality control (or the lack of)]

Four words that I put together 30 years ago and has been my main mantra:

 

Hope    doesn't    change    reality.

 

What does anyone expect from the RM?

What?

[I cannot imagine what this will fetch -but it will be a lot]

On 4/30/2023 at 6:36 AM, blakeyboy said:

Pull up to the bumper baby...

 

 

...in your long black limousine.....ever looked into the lyrics?

BBC missed it...

[Medals, medallions and badges..]

...the amount of diamonds destroyed by hitting them with a hammer,  whilst 'proving' they weren't diamonds....the only thing that I think is amazing about diamonds is that they conduct heat five times as well as copper....

[I cannot imagine what this will fetch -but it will be a lot]

Pull up to the bumper baby...

 

 

[Stuff to Make Us Laugh]

[I cannot imagine what this will fetch -but it will be a lot]

Yes, very sad, and of course it took dear Kenny Everett too.

I had a 38 year old studio engineer in the workshop this week who had never heard of Kenny Everett.....how quickly people are forgotten.

[More Pennies]

1 hour ago, PWA 1967 said:

A couple just back from NGC both really nice in hand , sellers pictures who i bought them off.

1891 MS65 RED  1894 MS65 RB.

 

 

You mean "really nice in plastic"....