Sleepy

How accurate is the die number information in ESC as I appear to have a sixpence whose die number is not recorded 36 on a 1872?

Rob, I visit your site quite regularly and I have not noticed any change in how quickly it runs in the 3 or 4 years I have been visiting. Have never opened it using a mobile so can't comment on that. Phill

Just from the top of my head I think all hammered silver coins were removed from legal tender during the reign of William III and early milled not long after 'the great re-coinage' of 1816, 1824 rings a bell. Think all copper was removed from legal tender a few years after the bronze issues of 1860. However I suspect something like Maundy issues were never removed from legal tender so there might lie the answer. Or it could be the simple answer, the 6d, 1/- and 2/6d issues of 1816. The interpretation of legal tender, even going back as early as 1970, was a lot more strictly applied, there were less alternatives to cash and fewer RM rip offs.

The diamond thing looks like a shirt button, they normally come as a set of 4.

Hit the link above and you can buy this years paperback version from Amazon!

Is that the same one sold by Rasmussen in 2006?

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog?

Is this the same Malcolm Lewendon who is given credit by Maurice Bull in ESC for helping with the Gothic Florin series (see today's posts about Gothic Florins) which is a bit of a coincidence.

From ESC, 1853 dot after date (dad) is R3 and no dot is common. 1856 there is only a no dot. 1858 ditto 1859 dad is normal, and no dot R 1865 has both no stop 2 varieties one R4 and the other S and colon which is R2 and no dad. 1866 no dot is R, colon is R3, no dad. and Davies appears to agrees. The Gothic Florins have got to be the most difficult and varied of all the milled silver issues.

Think mine's a "ship sinking on a choppy sea"!

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Whitman-Florins-Collection-1911-to-1940-Coin-Set-NO-1927-Proof-30-Silver-Coins/323985376838?hash=item4b6f088646:g:EAsAAOSwa2dd0-eb £180 and doesn't even include the 1927!

IMO the ear looks worn (or poorly struck) which could be indicative of a bit of polishing. It would be nice to see the reverse and check the roses and thistles. Unfortunately like everyone else I've only got the 1927 proof version to compare.

Compared to my 1896 it looks like a longer tooth variety.

Can anyone confirm if all of the 1953 proof sets (crown to farthing) had a frosted design or only the VIP sets? Regards Phill

My 1883 has both the ear and eye marks.

I notice that set doesn't have a crown and as such is not listed in any of my literature, I suspect it was a very small private run done by the mint. Pity the picture doesn't show the obverse as I cannot see if it has a frosted/cameo design.

The comparison between mine and Santa's Penny clearly shows the difference between reverses A and B.

I have the farthing as a F664 2B cross points between 2 beads and I of farthing points to a tooth.

and finally the whole set

The Penny, I know you guys love a Penny.

Now the Shilling, Scottish one.

As promised some pictures of some of the coins. Crown first

Disappointingly I have to report that the penny in my set is beaded both sides☹️

I shall take and post some photos in a few days, but right now I have a cold and daren't take them out of their coin covers.

Thanks for replying VS. I have recently got hold of a 1953 set and was surprised to find that the obverse portraits appear to be frosted. Both Davies and ESC seem to say that the frosted coins are VIP proofs. I sometimes think my eyes are playing tricks but I have compared them with other proof coins and they do look frosted.