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Rob

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Posts posted by Rob

  1. Posted · Edited by Rob

    We've had guess the grade in the past and frequently bemoaned the TPG mistakes. Now let's highlight the absurdity of what they consider acceptable references. They only use Peck and ESC as references, and not Freeman, Gouby, Davies etc. leaving the attribution of a coin in the lap of the gods.

    There are many things on this planet that it isn't. More useful would be to use a reference to say what it is.

    Anyone like to guess the coin in question based on this label?

    901.jpg

  2. Posted

    1 hour ago, Diaconis said:

    IMG_3666.thumb.jpeg.4e2832c99e8be18e1262dd96032b37df.jpegParticipated at Noonans today, some interesting lots. This Cromwell shilling surprised me hammering at £2k incl premium. I had convinced myself that I might pick it up for a song however another bidder had seen something I didn’t. Im still looking 🧐

    I was looking too today. Some strong prices for some indifferent material at times and really difficult to buy for stock. 

    The shilling is only 1250 book in fine, and that one's struggling to get there. On the plus side, mine must make me a millionaire, Rodney :)

     

  7. Posted

    On 4/6/2024 at 9:21 AM, Kipster said:

    Agreed. They all have great eye appeal and some of those numbers are an insult.

    As is the description of the 1860 TB/BB mule on the slab. NGC have identified it as a halfpenny on the label, thus creating a variety that didn't exist previously and at same time producing a population report for said fantasy piece. Still, at least it fills the gap between penny and farthing. Another box to tick. ;)

     

  8. Posted · Edited by Rob

    1 hour ago, oldcopper said:

    and many of the estimates are obvious teasers as well.

    Yes they're low, but most people bidding on these will be fully aware of a rough market value, so will bid accordingly, and the prices he paid for some of the heavyweight items are well documented. The quality and rarity of a significant number of pieces relative to their peers renders the expected results uncertain in any case, so it is better for the auctioneer to get the ball rolling with multiple bids than it is to start close to where you think it will end up and end up having to pass lots.

    Low estimates may in fact benefit the bidder, because in virtually every sale something goes under the radar. e.g. in Noonans last December, I paid the same for the Edward III Reading penny (@one bid over starting price), as it sold for in 1983 - not bad for the best of 3 known given Stewartby's (second best) sold for nearly £1K in 2016. It wouldn't have happened if the estimate had been a more realistic £500-600. 

  10. Posted

    1 hour ago, Master Jmd said:

    Does anyone else find their handling of the coins hard to watch? Maybe I'm just sensitive, but this one has a £52k estimate and I wouldn't touch coins in my collection that are worth a small fraction of that the way they do in these videos:

    They could at least wear gloves. 😓

     

     

    It's only really detrimental to coppers and proofs. As long as you don't coat it with your egg mayo sandwich, it will be fine. It's only the last 100 years we have had inert materials, so this had 300 years of exposure to handling prior to that.

    • Like 2

  14. Posted · Edited by Rob

    Double struck and either flipped over unintentionally between two strikes, or possibly was replaced upside down having fallen out. We'll never know but it happens occasionally. Here is a clearer example on an Anne farthing (P732) showing the same thing. Date on Anne's head and ties to left of shield.

     

    c2147 1713 farthing P732 FLIPPED IN DIES.jpg

    • Like 2

  16. Posted · Edited by Rob

    Not ebay, but it transcends this dubious online establishment. An email landed in my inbox today offering coins, watches and other items. Coins section attached.

    Esteemed Antique and Coin Dealers,

     
    As Trotters Jewellers UK, we find ourselves at the intersection of elegance and legacy. Today, we extend an exclusive invitation to discerning collectors like you-a chance to acquire remarkable pieces that transcend time.
     
    1. The Back Story Our recent transaction was no ordinary affair. Through a seamless part-exchange sale, our coveted watches found new homes, and in return, we acquired an eclectic assortment of antique items and coins. These treasures, meticulously curated, now await your discerning eye. 
     
    A. British Coins.
    • 47 British Coins Collection: A symphony of £2 coins, each bearing rare errors subtly hidden within their circular motifs. These coins are not mere currency; they are whispers of history. Yours for £3000.00.
    • 1971 New Pence 2p Coin: A relic from the past, its copper gleam carries memories. Valued at £2500.00.
    • Rare 1p Coin Set: Three monarchs, three eras-these copper coins, minted in 1936, 1945 and 1967, bear the weight of time. Yours for £2150.00
    • Bank of England Queen Elizabeth One Pound Notes: A pristine set of two consecutive notes, a testament to regal elegance. Priced at £2250.00
    • Rare Two Pound (£2) UK Coin, The First World War 1914 - 1918: Commemorating valor and sacrifice, this coin stands tall at £3800.00
    • King Charles 50 pence Coin: An elusive find, steeped in history. Yours for £2850.00.

    etc.

    THE INVITATION - 
     
    These treasures await their next custodian. Contact us at salesdepartment@trottersjewellersltd.co.uk
     
    Disclaimer: Prices are subject to market fluctuations. Each piece carries a story; let it become part of yours. 
     
    Judd Green, 
    Trotters Jewellers UK, 
    19 Great Winchester St, 
    EC2N 2JA, London
     
    The 50p might be worth it if it's a Charles I.
    • Haha 2
    • Confused 3

  17. Posted

    Too many people are anxious not to cause upset, but you need to call a spade a spade.

    Russia may take a typical empirical stance in its treatment, and may be only one of several players operating in this manner, but there's nothing wrong in specifically calling them out for what they are doing because the reason for and scale of the operation demands it. They are the major aggressor on the world stage at the moment because the war is the only really significant conflict between two nations on any scale, and with Russia promising to go to the next place which wants to be free of Russian interference when they've finished in Ukraine it would be a moral abrogation to just shrug our collective shoulders and say Ah, but they are an empire, so excuse them.

    Obviously there are other active areas of conflict such as Myanmar, various African states or Gaza to name but a few, but these are generally internal affairs despite attempts to draw in external parties.

    The problem is that they all have the same modus operandi. Legitimate military targets are hit, but this is accompanied by a very healthy dose of indiscriminate shelling or bombing of civilian targets.

    • Like 1

  18. Posted

    5 minutes ago, Menger said:

    I wouldn’t single out the Russians. There is not an empire in the whole of human history that has not been expansionist. Human history is the ebb and flow between the two poles of tribalism and empire: the one gives way to the other, back and forth, the world over. The birth of the nation state in Western Europe (and the Westphalian system that it became) is an historical anomaly and alien to much of the world relative to endless tribalism and empire. 

    I didn't. I was quoting Paddy's post and expanding on their innate inability to take on board the right of alternative cultures to exist. Any neighbour is viewed as a threat to be conquered/pillaged/eliminated. Problem is, that requires them to claim the world, because up to that point they would always have a neighbour. Saving grace is their inability to breed fast enough to replace losses in continuous conflict.

    • Like 1

  19. Posted · Edited by Rob

    1 hour ago, Paddy said:

    I was unfortunate enough to meet up with a group of Russians on holiday in Turkey ten or more years ago. Their attitude was very high-handed and patronising to everyone else. They were quite certain that they were the superior race and it was their destiny and right to rule the world - much as the British had 100 years ago.

    Hence it was no surprise when they set about increasing their empire by invading Ukraine, and if they are allowed to win there, I fear they will be straight on to the next target - probably the Baltic States.

    They've had the same mentality for hundreds of years. The problem is not that they believe themselves superior, also that they also believe in destroying the cultures they overrun and the Russification of everything. They've been killing Ukrainians for centuries for what they are. Or take the Circassian genocide where they reduced the population from 1.5m to 30-40K in a few years as a result of starvation and forced migration. Any neighbour not under their control is to be invaded and at the least, a puppet installed. Dudayev was precise in his 1995 analysis of how Russia would turn out post the collapse of the Soviet Union. Then they killed him...........

    All this crap about denazification is complete bollocks. There are Nazis in every country on this planet - usually a small percentage. Problem with Russia is that they are in power in the Kremlin.

    Hope springs eternal that one day they will make the connection between their actions and why only the likes of Trump and Orban think Putin is great. Then they can drag themselves into the 20th century.

    • Like 2

  21. Posted · Edited by Rob

    1 hour ago, Peckris 2 said:

    can you decipher those "desig"s? I infer that PF stands for 'proof' but what the hell is the rest of it?

    RB is red/brown, RD is red, BN is brown, C is cameo, U is ultra cameo, and based on M having no big numbers, I assume it means it's a minger. :ph34r:

    This really is a triumph of marketing over gullibility. How do they scientifically determine what constitutes cameo or deep cameo? It's all in the eyes of the beholder, or maybe a sop to the submitter. After all, this got an ultra cameo rating, conveniently ignoring the repair. Before and after pictures. In the slab - £21K ($30K) hammer + juice to the US dealer who bought it, and something on top of that for the client. 

    Plymouth 1791 halfpenny.jpg

    Plymouth 1791 halfpenny St. James catalogue image.jpg

    19.JPG

    • Like 1

  23. Posted

    8 hours ago, Peckris 2 said:

    Possibly you meant it IS an error? But not a fake.

    No, there has to be some play in the press as things are never going to be a perfect fit. The point I was making was if the edge milling is as it should be, then it is not an error. If the milling is missing, then you have an out of collar strike

    6 hours ago, Bronze & Copper Collector said:

    If memory is not playing tricks on me, I believe that that sort of mis-strike was called a "railroad rim". At least in the USA.

    Now, the TPGs define it as "struck out of collar", which is a more accurate description anyway. If it is struck sufficiently out of the collar to have part of the design missing, then it would be classified as an "off center strike".

    See above

  24. Posted

    Is the colour right? It looks very washed out. It could of course have been harshly cleaned. Weight correct?

    As for the original question. There is a bit of lateral play in the press. If the milling is good, then I would say not an error.

  25. Posted

    2 hours ago, SilverAge3 said:

    Oh, especially because w/ the high priced coins the grading price hinges on a percentage of retail price estimate, it's not just a flat fee. Gee, wonder if there's room for insincere grades, and 'missing' cleanings, etc?

    Unquestionably.

    A gold halfpenny formerly in my possession had a large scuff to the cheek which was subsequently filled and magically achieved a proof 64 cameo grade 6 months after I sold it. It sounds better and sells better than unc details damaged, and adds to the TPG coffers. ;) 

    And it cost the US buyer in excess of $30K in 2010, but hey, he was happy as it had been certified as genuine and not tampered with. Doubles all round - everyone's happy.

    If they are going to have variable standards for certain high price items, it would help their reputation if they introduced a special label to reflect that.

    • Haha 2
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