NRP

Nordle thank you again and I will try and be more active on here in future, this is still by far the uk's best forum!!

Ha as opposed to shorts and flip flops you saw me in, the other day ;-)

Thank you nordle!! I'm looking forward to the challenge as there is much to be done in getting Baldwins back on course but I believe things will only get better!! Ofcourse you are all welcome to come in if you are down in London!! I would also like to re-iterate that Colin Cooke will carry on with business as usual and lee will continue to run the firm with the same standards and values!!

Azda that is a fair point about the pictures, the only problem I have is that we are often picturing 300 - 500 pictures at a time and that is where the problem lies, if I got my it guy to singularly picture the coin and take his time with it he would have the picture looking superb I have no doubt. Lee only mentioned to me the other day that we need to go through the website and decide which need picturing again because he had noticed a few that didn't do the coins justice.

Unfortunately I would say with so many collectors/dealers slabbing coins grading terms have changed, take pcgs/ngc most proofs are between a scale of pf58 to pf70. This gothic in question I would guess make a pf 60 or 61 but then that opens another can of worms!!!

As it happens I listed it at £1850 and have a 10% offer on my list so the price was actually £1665 so you are spot on!!

Proof coins are tricky, I called this coin about FDC, I always think with proof coins and this is just my opinion and yes many will disagree here with me but I find it works well this is based on my own terms nobody else's . FDC - the coin is perfect no marks, no hairlines, no edge nicks Practically FDC - superb coin as above with only the slightest hairlines Virtually FDC - same as above with perhaps a few more hairlines. Almost FDC - slightest of cabinet friction, may have some hairlines and may have some very trivial marks About FDC - slight wear on the high points, hasn't seen circulation but also might have some surface marks. This is a guide I generally use and yes it is my guide. Chris, as said before and also Paulus confirmed the coin is nicer in the flesh, there are no edge nicks, it does only have slight wear on the high points and the surface marks are enhanced in the picture. I am certainly not leading anyone on unlike most dealers I am actually trying to explain the reason for my logic, most wouldn't care but at least by my replies I hope you will all see that I do care very much and only want people in this hobby to be treated fairly

Hi azda,I know you weren't having an attack and you know I wouldn't fall out with you over something like this. It would be boring if everyone had the same opinion!! As I have said before, on my website I use grades as a guide. If I am too harsh on a grade then someone will simply not look at the picture, whereas if they do just take a moment to look at it they might decide they like it regardless of the grade stated. We do take pride in our pictures and especially like to think that if the person likes the photo they will be even happier with the coin in the flesh. I remember the edward vi shilling conversation and will sheepishly admit I didn't get my it guy to retake the pictures and hence why the coin is still there, my mistake!! You will note on my new website I do have large pictures of the featured coins on the homepage, though coins that strongly magnified can make them look worse but again if I sent one of those coins on then the customer would be pleasantly surprised. You are right azda I do need to chill and will try and contribute a lot more on here!!

Thank you for your kind comments mark. As I said before I am not having a go at anyone as everyone is entitled to their opinions and I must admit I take these things too personally and I shouldnt, I guess I am just passionate about what I do.

I have not been on here for a quite a while and to be honest I was getting fed up of people unjustly putting coins down when they know it is a dealers coin. I have said many times before that a picture does not always accurately reflect the coin which Is why I have always sent on approval for the collector to decide. The coin has not been polished, there is only light wear on the high parts and yes there are some surface marks but unfortunately these are enhanced in the picture. I called the coin about FDC because I admit it is not perfect but it is actually an attractive coin for the price. Oz john was probably pretty accurate with his description. I am not sure where the grade of GVF has come from? I don't think I have ever seen a gothic in GVF if it was then then the braids in Victoria's hair would be heavily worn. If I called this gothic GVF on my website then quite simply nobody would look at it and thus it would never sell. I know many dealers who would try and charge £2500 - 3000 which I agree it simply just wouldn't be worth it. Looking on my database I have sold 45 Undecimo edge gothics, 8 plain edge gothics and 2 1853 gothics in the last 10 years and after handling that many I do feel that I know a fair bit about Gothic Crowns. I am not falling out with anybody and everyone is entitled to their opinions but I just felt as I have watched this thread since paul started it that a fairly decent example of a gothic crown at a very reasonable price was being too harshly criticised.

At least 75% full lustre on both sides?? Maybe more?

I was offered one recently but it had been mounted, it was around 4000 and I turned it down, you might struggle under 5 grand

All the bun head penny die pairing pictures were from me, I think it is important to provide as many pictures etc as possible if it is going to help others

Well I know the chap that bought the one from alderly wants to own them all, I am sure he told me he had them all but I definitely could have my wires crossed!!!

I believe the chap that bought it has all of them that are available to the public

Yes I have just checked it was 24500 10 years ago. Unfortunately I don't have the picture of the reverse, sorry :-(

From memory, £24,500 but that was around 10 years ago!!

Yes that's the picture on my website, I will have a look tomorrow though that picture is about 10 years old, still I might have the reverse pic somewhere!!

Add a zero to the 50000 I reckon ;-)

As my name has been mentioned at some point in this thread inappropriately in my opinion, I would like to mention it was not me. Peter will back me up on that, whether he tells you who it was or not!!

No offense taken because you are absolutely correct, it will be sent to the re picturing pile ;-)

Azda your shilling I suspect is probably nearer EF than gvf ;-) we photograph them but in batches of 100 so it is easy for a bad picture to slip through!!! Really I should check each one as it is our IT guy that pictures them

Interestingly I am at the Birmingham show as I write this and have just pulled that shilling out of the tray and to be honest I agree with you from the picture but it isn't a good picture of the coin. The coin looks much better in the flesh as the picture makes the coin look rather flat it is definitely one which needs re picturing. At least if somebody does but it from the picture they will be extremely happy when they receive the coin.

Back on the grading, numerous well known dealers buy from my list every month and then the same coins appear on other dealers lists/sites at a higher grade and price, plus numerous coins I have sold have come back from cgs at near or finest known and I haven't charged a premium for these coins. Sorry to harp on about this but I was a little taken aback by one of the previous comments!!

Really? I think their coins are often way over-graded. Not as good as they used to be.With due respect every coin is pictured on our website over £20 and we do not enhance our pictures in any way. Our grades are guides because everyone grades differently but usually our customers think our coins are better in the flesh than in the pictures. We send on full approval to known customers and I go out of my way to make it easy for someone to return a coin which is very seldom.