pokal02

The one I got in the Apr 8 auction arrived on Apr 18. So expecting this one about Thur (knocking off a couple of days as the first one was over Easter). I'll be OK if he does them in lot number order - mine was lot 10!

I got one item @ DNW yesterday - had set a £200 limit - and I'm usually strict in applying pre-determined limits in real time - but went to £220 which I probably wouldn't have done pre-Covid (it wasn't the sort of coin that'll never turn up again). I guess there is some element of boredom here, with all my other hobbies (football, travel, playing bridge, eating out) firmly off the agenda for 6 months or more.

DNW was about average overall today I'd say, some items (including the groat I particularly wanted but didn't get) going for double estimate or more but a lot of the less desirable items going below estimate (picked up a James I shilling with a book value of £900 for £130 net - yes there are some scratches on obverse, but not bad enough for that sort of discount).

I can't see it being a total meltdown. Some auctions (eg Morton & Eden) have cancelled but most are going ahead on-line, where most people are now anyway compared to 'in the room' (and there's less chance bidders will be unavailable when their desired lots come up!) The few dealers I look at online still seem to be adding stock. Post offices OK round here, though not sure if Special Delivery still operates - even if not, I'm quite happy for dealers/auctioneers I trust to hold on to anything I buy until they can safely post it). As Rob says above, the lower end may take the bigger (proportional) hit due to 'budget' collectors having less income/other priorities now.

Still, it is reduced from £100 to £60 and is 'beautiful' and 'rare'. (only 121 million minted, so if every man, woman and child in the UK is sitting on one there are only 55 million left for our American, Australian and Chinese friends).

That's a very nice 1734 - one of the trickier dates too.

When I was first collecting Charles II crowns (late 80's but I don't think they went up much in the 90s), the common dates were about £25-30 in F and £55-65 in VF. Probably about £150-180 and £450-500 now, although Spink has them still higher. 1818-1847 have done OK too, 1887-1936 not as well although they certainly haven't decreased in value (other than by inflation).

It really depends what you're collecting. For post-1816 I'd agree with most of the above but for earlier milled and hammered my impression is that F coins have done reasonably well and VF's a bit better. It's taken me 20+ years (before then I didn't worry about grades at all) even to eliminate, with one exception, the words Poor, Fair and VG from my collection! I'd never collect much above VF anyway as part of the fun is imagining the coins having circulated/used by people hundreds of years ago.

A quick search for 'British Crowns' revealed 29,700 items. Clogged up is an understatement! I have had some good results selling my duplicates on ebay in the past (£105 for a very modest 1696 crown springs to mind) but the last two attempts were disappointing. I haven't got CCA, which was my other route, any more now either. I'll probably not upgrade existing specimens so much in the future.

ebay was fine 10 years ago, with decent coins being bid up to fair prices. Now 90% of it is tat and the other 10% is the same old stock being re-listed time & again at unrealistic prices. I'd like to see a minimum SP of £10 for coins, a listing fee even if it doesn't sell and a rule that nothing unsold could be re-listed more than twice in a 6 month period. I know it'd be impossible to implement/enforce though.

A shame to see them go - much of my early collecting was done via Graeme at Charing X Fair including virtually a complete date run of milled crowns, some of which I still have. In more recent years I've sold my lower grade duplicates at CCA (the 1665 crown yesterday was mine - originally bought from Graeme in the early 80's). Best wishes to Graeme & Linda for the future.

Thanks Rob, I was wondering whether Pirie 1996 or Lyon 2016 (about the same price) was the better way to go - will go with the former now.

Is there any way to apportion these to 1st or 2nd reign (where Spink lists moneyer for both reigns)? Mine - moneyer Wulfred - has an inner circle which seems more associated with 2nd reign but I'm not sure if this is conclusive? I'd welcome any help.

Croydon Coin Auctions still charge only 5% BP I think. Their sellers premium is 12% so that's half or less of the DNW mark up. (24% + ?10%)

..and now the Edw IV at DNW on 3/7/19. Not much to get for either groats or crowns now (excluding 5-figure or 'will never turn up'), although I'd like one of the 1634 pattern groats - they used to turn up regularly but haven't seen one for a few years now.