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freewheels

Unidentified Variety
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Posts posted by freewheels


  1. Hi There,

    Wanted to get forum members opinion on the rarity (i.e. lack of availability and cost) of the following coins, that seem quite unavailable with an R2 or lower rarity rating:

    1682 sixpence sixpence (not the over date), no examples on London Coins auction prices realized in 15 years.

    1680 sixpence, 2 examples in 15 years from same source.

    1735 Half Crown, handful of examples from same source in last 15 years and only rated scarce in ESC and Bull?

    Ok I know London coins isn't the reference guide but it seems very hard to locate any of these coins?

    Also while we are here, any other 17th/18th century coins in same boat?


  2. Hi Forum,

    I have been interested in Charles 2 sixpences for many years. It seems to me that 1680 and 1682 are the keys. I own a 1680 in NVF but have been unable to find any 1682's. There is one 1682/1 on London coins sales in the last 10 years (which I don't participate in as not UK based but look at for reference) and have seen 1 more 1682/1 somewhere else. Anybody care to weigh in on the unaltered date?


  3. Hi Forum,

    I have been interested in Charles 2 sixpences for many years. It seems to me that 1680 and 1682 are the keys. I own a 1680 in NVF but have been unable to find any 1682's. There is one 1682/1 on London coins sales in the last 10 years (which I don't participate in as not UK based but look at for reference) and have seen 1 more 1682/1 somewhere else. Anybody care to weigh in on the unaltered date?


  4.  Hi There,

    I recently came across this shilling with a clear over-date. I'm calling it 6 over 8 because it looks to me like the 8 is struck over the 6.

    It is obviously not in the best of conditions and has the clear obverse strike-through on the reverse.

    Unfortunately, I tried to rotate but still comes across upside down.

    Curious if anyone has ever met one of these...

     

    Michael.

     

     

    IMG_0196.jpg


  5. Hi, I'm going to  try that Photoscape, sounds like I can get better coin pictures that wayB)

    Also any comments on my TPG comments. I am not a big slabber and generally unexcited by the concept, however I think this crown needs to be attributed correctly and so to that point?:

    Do you think LCGS, NGC or PCGS???


  6. Thanks Michael -Roo and Nonmortus!

    These images show the cloak frosting and obverse letter frosting clearly as well as both of the extra curls!

    I think the coin is an example of Rayner ESC 20A, Bull ESC 350 but also shows additional frosting since ESC 20A is only described as cloak frosting..

    Possible wreath and tie frosting.

    Note also position of ties that are possibly not consistent with image in Bull; however 11 harp strings are consistent.

    I don't think there is any reverse frosting but I'm not sure as not an expert (obviously).

    I really need to know to photograph/scan my coins better!

    My concern with NGC or PCGS is that they will slab as ESC 20 (VF or EF details for example, because of obverse hairlines) and miss the point...

    I live in California, how do I submit to LCGS, the membership thing and all that and if I can submit a letter with my observations so that they don't overlook stuff that you think would be obvious to professional graders but isn't always...it has happened to me and others and can they deal with hairlines???

    I really do appreciate everyone's input!!

     

    Freewheels.


  7. I have a 1662 crown (no rose) that has some unusual frosted areas as well as the JR curl and extra neck curl, I think ESC 20A but more frosting; should I submit to LCGS rather than PCGS because this will need too be researched in Bull and maybe other sources because there is more frosting over more parts of the coin and ties are different to photo given of ESC 20A?? Also complicated by hairlines on the obverse; nonetheless I think an interesting and probably rare coin in a decent state of preservation despite the hairlines.1662 crown 1.jpg


  8. Case in point, I own 2 3rd head 1711 shillings one in fine and one a whisker below VF, with no problems and good eye appeal for grade. I have been fascinated with this coin for years, the quintessential "Mule".

    Bull reaffirms rarity 4 which means I own between 10 and 20% of the supply extant!

    Catalog values for this coin are very anemic, indeed that worked in my favor acquiring them; the 1711 4th head shilling like the 1951 Crown is unbearably common but I find it satisfying that the variety jumps from the most common Anne shilling to the 2nd rarest (Ok 1704 plain is R5) through something like 7 grades of rarity.

    Perhaps if I can find a couple more I can control the market a little:D

    Do you think that one day people will find this coin fashionable?


  9. I don't have the latest ESC publication, nor do I patrol the English auctions as I am a expat living in California, but this topic has raised some questions for me, the answers to which might be helpful to other forum members.

    On the ESC rarity scale we have R4 given as 11-20 examples extant, how realistic is that numerical description of R4 in the modern information age?

    What does R3, R2 and R numerically mean nowadays in your opinions?

    Various coins like a 1723 arms at France shilling are obviously not rare in below VF condition yet a 1729 shilling that I never see in decent condition and a 1735 sixpence ditto seem far harder to obtain than an R rating would suggest. Why can't I ever find a 1735 halfcrown of rarity Scarce yet I can frequently see a 1720/17 offered for sale?

    how does one square these ESC anomalies or maybe this new publication answers some of these dilemmas?

     

    Please send me a link.


  10. Very nice Dave.A decent strike with extras. :)

    Crack it out of the slab?

    Hmmmm, slab cracking this one i'm not sure about as i bought it for the bay and in it's holder it may attract more potential buyers, so will probably leave it as is

    Very wise. As for the coin, it has nice detailing (EF!), but I wouldn't care for that scratch, and the obverse has quite a few flecks. Good luck with it though.

    Hi Everyone I haven't posted for a while.

    First of all you can all lol because I don't see the scratch please clarify location. Second of all to my eye there is an overstrike on E of Rex which to me makes this coin special. My grade (as an American ex pat who still grades the English way) it is GVF regardless of the verbage on the slab.

    Also I actually do think PCGS can be quite consistent in their slabbing grades.


  11. Hi Forum knowledgeable types,

    There have been a lot of recent postings about comparative rarity of bun head pennies, Freeman or Gouby maybe Peck.

    Victorian sovereigns seem to be Marsh and silver seems to be Esc (and Peck?).

    As you can tell from the way I have phrased it, I don't own publications authored by these sources, so I admit to being out of my depth here, but my question is...

    What would be an appropriate way to calibrate the different R #'s of these various sources. Freeman seems to have far higher numbers than these other scales.

    What for example would be a Marsh "scarce" on a Freeman scale?

    Another example I hear is a silver coin "R4 11 - 20 examples known", what scale is that and what would Freeman call an 1882 "London Mint(?)" penny on his scale?

    Any thoughts?

    and..

    That leads me to want to know the comparative rarities of widely different coins from different eras such as 1841halfcrown in high grade vis a vis 1905 high grade, 1922 2nd reverse 1d, 1926 me penny (top grade) , 1726 halfcrown, 1697 crown, 1841 sovereign etc,etc, etc.

    Staying away from minor or controversial varieties, how about a top 10 or top 25 grade dependent and then rarest issues in any grade?

    Any thoughts?

    Freewheels.


  12. Thanks for response Peckris and I now see the faint dot. When you say a 'filled die', what does that mean? Is it unusual?

    Regards,

    Bob P.

    A filled die often means that dots don't get struck up, but are more noticeable when letters or numbers go wholly or partly missing. They tend to go in and out of fashion. For example, there was once a variety of 1961 halfcrown where the designer initials "EF" were missing on the reverse. It carried a modest premium in most price books. Then it fell out of favour, and you won't see it listed anywhere now, except perhaps in DAvies or (at a pinch) in ESC.

    Filled dies are quite common from the machine age (1797) onwards, and there are quite a few in the 19th Century.

    Interesting about that 1961 halfcrown, I have one where both the EF and CT are missing, had it since I was a kid.


  13. It looks quite strange how the rim has a silver look yet the coin itself the look of iron. It would worry me enough not to touch it with a barge pole

    I know I keep banging on about it but it's also got the broken R in George.

    This is Edward lol

    Luckily there is an R in Edward as well :D

    What an entertaining gap filler...

    It is actually quite attractive in hand esp the reverse and is very similar in color to one of my 1906's although Eddy looks a little haggard on the gap filler.

    Coincraft notes that these pieces often look ghostly or concave esp obverse and I think there is some reference in there about being made in Lebanon in the 60's.

    It weighs 14.1 gram.

    Going back to the 06, the rim is about 2mm wider on the currency issue.

    It doesn't ring true when gently dropped and I think there is a seam just inside the collar.

    I've had it 10 years and it still fascinates me.

    How do these people get their hands on dies?


  14. RLC wrote:

    eBay only allows slabs certified by the following private companies, to be listed as "Certified."

    ANACS

    PCGS

    NGC

    NCS (division of NGC)

    PMG

    Of the above companies, PCGS and NGC are usually considered the "Premium" slabbing companies. I am sure some will disagree on that fact however! LOL!

    I have some English coins slabbed by NGC, and I think their grading is fair by US standards. The grading is not accurate by UK standards though, so you might want to keep that in mind with US grading companies.

    eBay does allow pictures of other company slabs, but you cannot list coins as "certified" unless it is one of the above companies (or the Government, and the US Mint). The "pull down menu" for certification does not have any companies, except those listed above!

    coin watch wrote:

    Posted 01 October 2010 - 11:54 PM

    I am not a great believer in slabs of any kind and also not an expert by any means on what is a good slabbing company or a bad one, but I just want to add my recent experience with the NNC slabs. I too have seen a lot of these NNC`s sold by this one ebay seller and as a collector of Charles I Tower hammered it`s not very often you come across a slabbed Chas coins but recently there have been many sold on ebay (US) and as previously said by this one seller.

    Now I have to admit (with embarrassment) I recently purchased one. I have never purchased a slabbed coin before and thought it would be a novelty to put a low bid on this one particular item, I don`t know why? just boredom I suppose, but to my surprise (and later horrer) I was the winning bidder of the damn thing.

    It was cheep enough but be warned if you are tempted to buy one go by the photo and judge the condition yourself and please do not spend a lot by the given condition rate. Before I received the coin I did a bit of info serching on this slabbing `company` and what I found out was quite alarming. Apparently there are 4 main well established slabbing companies and a couple more of good stand out of about 20 odd in the US alone, but the most interesting thing was the reliabilty of the `others` with the mentioned NNC coming out as one of the worst if not THE worst.

    Freewheels:

    How does ICG stack up (some of their grading opinions look doable to me)?

    Also a corny question: PCGS AU 58 on a Chas 2 sixpence (without being able to upload pics until my scanner talks to my computer) in UK grading is it NEF or could it make it to EF?

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