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JLS

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Everything posted by JLS

  1. A new addition to my unofficial farthing collection, the "T.B." farthing of Bolton, Lancashire, minted by Taylor and Galloway in Bolton, probably for Thomas Bridson, dyer and bleacher. W1100 - listed as "RRR". This specimen ex-Brian Dawson I know of the definite existence of two other examples - the Withers plate coin, and another sold in DNW's British Tokens sale in December 2015 (Lot 446) - if anyone here has one, or knows of others, please do let me know !
  2. Another seemingly recorded unofficial farthing variety - the extremely rare Pembroke Bros. farthing token (343 Mile End East and High Street Walthamstow), but struck in brass rather than bronze. Weight 2.14 g, medal die axis.
  3. JLS

    Ebay's Worst Offerings

    This might make a nice substrate for a fantasy countermark, or a Georgian style love token. Good fun until someone tries to pass it off as original.
  4. JLS

    First hammered coins

    The design is of a medal commemorating Cromwell's death in 1658, thought to be of Dutch origin. I've only seen before in silver; I know of a gold example (see here). There could of course have been a contemporary cast in white metal as per your example, or it could be a more modern copy. What's the weight ? Is there a seam on the edge ?
  5. JLS

    Ebay's Worst Offerings

    https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/153628735052 The nose...
  6. I have slowly been acquiring a small group of countermarked shillings and sixpences; mainly the former. The host coins are all extremely worn early milled pieces, with generally no details discernible. The countermarks are typically initials and words, with late 18th century style fonts. Here's an example of a piece with 5 different countermarks: L..[two letters], PC, R.R., RE AA and MANHIC. Anyone aware of any literature or theories on these pieces ?
  7. Thanks - wouldn't have thought these would be in Davis, but it's a sensible place to look - they definitely cover a lot of countermarked copper coins, can't remember there being much countermarked silver listed. Should be able to get access to a copy in the British Library.
  8. JLS

    Ebay's Worst Offerings

    With the obverse damage that’s really a net fair to me...
  9. Recently was pleased to pick up an example of the very rare W860 1/4d issued by the coiner T Pope & Co. of Birmingham. Later noticed that the name of "POPE" appears to have been crudely obliterated from the die - replaced by a random series of raised marks. I don't think this is merely damage to the token because the raised marks left look nothing like POPE. Alternative explanations most welcome !
  10. Interesting that it's also in BHM - will have a look when I next get a chance. Definitely not a filled die, and hard to see it as damage to the die from normal use when the rim and inner circle are unaffected, although it's impossible to completely rule this out,. My theory is that someone tried to replace the "Pope" on the original die with something (it looks vaguely like "PAID" to me; would make sense if this is really a 1/4d token as presumed by Withers) but damaged the die in the process so that the tokens struck were unsatisfactory.
  11. Recently picked up this 1701 halfpenny. The obverse legend appears to read GVEIELMVS with an E replacing the first L. Any thoughts ? Not listed in Peck.
  12. I did some measuring using image editing software. It seems that the upright bars of all three letters are roughly the same thickness - and height. The lower bar of the second L is significantly shorter (about 10%) than the lower bar of the first L/E though.
  13. The second "L" actually has a very strange shape - I compared my other 1700 and 1701 specimens and all have the usual wedge shaped bottom, even the well worn ones. Suspect I'm not going to find out what was going on with this die unless another coin with this obverse die turns up.
  14. I don’t think they’re really needed for most of the British series. For the French series though, where rarity of mintmarks etc. in the 19th century coinage is pretty decoupled from prices they can be quite useful.
  15. People seem to be willing to pay a lot more for coins with lustre in this series for some reason. Here’s a nice brown one on eBay at a sensible price: https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F382649170075
  16. JLS

    Ebay's Worst Offerings

    Yeah - if you dipped it would still be a problem coin. The AT on the obverse looks disgusting though. Doesn’t look like she’s getting any better with practice.
  17. JLS

    Ebay's Worst Offerings

    https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/123867267564 People are actually bidding on Marlybob's "toned" junk....
  18. Lovely condition too ! Have you sent these photos on to Paul Withers ?
  19. The W4640 is great - nice to see it for the first time ! Do you have examples of any of the other ones the Withers couldn't find ? I don't own any "RRR" pieces yet, although I have a few "RR" tokens.
  20. Nice piece - I like the swan ! That's a plausible theory. My piece does have gilding inside the stamped initials on the reverse. Don't know if that precludes the letters having been stamped after the piece was gilded.
  21. Here is another item from my "unofficial farthing" collection - actually probably a gaming counter. I've seen the same obverse die used for a "To Hanover" token. Anyone familiar with these blank reverse/initialed pieces ?
  22. I've not been collecting the unofficial farthings for long but I have a fair few now. I agree that it's really difficult to find perfect specimens of any of these - I don't want to buy the common gilded tokens unless they have complete and unworn gilding, which is starting to look like an unreasonable expectation ! My main areas of interest in British numismatics are 18th century tokens and countermarked/engraved coins from the 18th and 19th centuries, so it's a natural continuation. Most of my coin budget goes on thalers so it's nice to collect a field where rarities aren't too expensive yet ! Do you collect the series ?
  23. Recently picked up this unofficial farthing token - W.B. Reeves of Birmingham, 1867 dated type (Withers 870). Not the nicest grade but tough to find.
  24. JLS

    Ebay's Worst Offerings

    https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/254319712890 "Authentic coin", countermark described as "fantasy". Why anyone would pay anything for this I don't know. It's not even a good fantasy - the S.F. Maria Theresa thalers have only been minted since 1853 - looks like a 20th century Vienna coin. The guy is selling a lot of other countermarked "fantasies". Wonder where they come from... ...ah.
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