Jump to content
British Coin Forum - Predecimal.com

50 Years of RotographicCoinpublications.com A Rotographic Imprint. Price guide reference book publishers since 1959. Lots of books on coins, banknotes and medals. Please visit and like Coin Publications on Facebook for offers and updates.

Coin Publications on Facebook

   Rotographic    

The current range of books. Click the image above to see them on Amazon (printed and Kindle format). More info on coinpublications.com

predecimal.comPredecimal.com. One of the most popular websites on British pre-decimal coins, with hundreds of coins for sale, advice for beginners and interesting information.

Sign in to follow this  
ozjohn

1927 Halfcrown

Recommended Posts

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Great-Britain-Half-Crown-1927-KM-835-Silver-Proof-ChVF/382510982516?hash=item590f6e6574:g:E8sAAOSwW9FbPV1c

You can only speculate about this coin but it's a fair chance that the original owner fell on bad times during the Great Depression and was forced to spend it.

  • Like 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Or that it’s not a silver proof? There is definitely that coppery tinge to the obverse hi lights.

Jerry

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

This coin was only issued as a proof. 15000 sets in total were issued some in leather presentation cases and others in cardboard

presentation boxes.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Ah, I see. Well it clearly entered circulation somehow, so that is one possibility. Another is a sticky fingered child. One of my pervading childhood guilts is that I took and spent a couple of half crowns from a bag in dad’s desk. He wasn’t pleased, he had previously collected better early C20 examples from circulation . I think I managed to share the guilt with my brother though, so a small victory.

Jerry

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

There were nearly 7 million of the 1927 old shield reverse issued, but as ozjohn says, only 15.000 proof versions of the new shield reverse. I bet the owner did fall on hard times. Either that or it was stolen and the thief just thought it was an ordinary halfcrown. 

The term "impaired proof" comes to mind. 

Edited by 1949threepence
  • Like 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Hi Jelida,

I notice among your interests are vintage HiFi. I worked for the MO Valve Co in the 1960s where they produced the KT 66 & KT 88 tubes. I was also interested in the Williamson amplifier with the Baxandall tone control circuit that were described in the Wireless World magazine. In fact early attempts to apply circuit theory to amplifier design. Then I worked at Sydney University  where the base reflex for loud speakers was designed again using second order linear control theory to tune the response of a cavity for critical damping at the low frequency end of the audio spectrum.Have to say when it comes to modern HiFi amps VFETS do a pretty good job as they have the same transfer characteristic as vacuum tubes ie 3/2 power curve as against a transistor (BJT) that has a qv/kt transfer characteristic. Still there is something about glowing tubes and power transformers..

Hope I am not boring you.

Regards,

Ozjojn

Edited by ozjohn
typo

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
2 hours ago, ozjohn said:

Hi Jelida,

I notice among your interests are vintage HiFi. I worked for the MO Valve Co in the 1960s where they produced the KT 66 & KT 88 tubes. I was also interested in the Williamson amplifier with the Baxandall tone control circuit that were described in the Wireless World magazine. In fact early attempts to apply circuit theory to amplifier design. Then I worked at Sydney University  where the base reflex for loud speakers was designed again using second order linear control theory to tune the response of a cavity for critical damping at the low frequency end of the audio spectrum.Have to say when it comes to modern HiFi amps VFETS do a pretty good job as they have the same transfer characteristic as vacuum tubes ie 3/2 power curve as against a transistor (BJT) that has a qv/kt transfer characteristic. Still there is something about glowing tubes and power transformers..

Hope I am not boring you.

Regards,

Ozjojn

Excellent! I just love vintage valve HiFi, particularly EL84 and KT66 amps, I still have a couple of dozen various makes/systems. M-O were widely considered one of the best manufacturers today, and command a premium. I am not technically particularly able, though I can generally undertake amplifier repairs. As in so many things, I am driven by the collecting bug, I also have thousands of LP’s,  several series Landrovers, many hundreds of antiquarian topography books and a very patient wife. I also collect real ale, but can never seem to hold on to it for long.

Jerry

  • Like 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Your post brings back memories of the gentle hum of a valve amplifier :)

  • Like 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
On 7/6/2018 at 8:02 AM, ozjohn said:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Great-Britain-Half-Crown-1927-KM-835-Silver-Proof-ChVF/382510982516?hash=item590f6e6574:g:E8sAAOSwW9FbPV1c

You can only speculate about this coin but it's a fair chance that the original owner fell on bad times during the Great Depression and was forced to spend it.

The issue price of the 1927 proof set in cardboard box was 15 shillings. Face value of the coins is 11 shillings 3d. (Information from a document posted by Gary D several years ago.) 

Hence, it would not have been a big loss for spending them if you were hard up.

 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
1 hour ago, Sword said:

The issue price of the 1927 proof set in cardboard box was 15 shillings. Face value of the coins is 11 shillings 3d. (Information from a document posted by Gary D several years ago.) 

Hence, it would not have been a big loss for spending them if you were hard up.

I'm more drawn to the sticky-fingered child theory. I find it harder to envisage a collector buying a proof set (which had to be applied for, by the way) then spending it especially when you consider that coin collecting was not an arena for the working classes of that time.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I guess it depends on how hungry you are. Something we are not so familiar with nowadays.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Has anyone seen the 1927 Proof halfcrown in gold coming up at heritage?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Yes indeed, breaks my heart that I don't have the means for that one.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

and the threepence you mentioned in a previous thread is up too, gonna go for that one and be competition for me? ;)

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

No. Out of it. Good luck though....

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
On 7/9/2018 at 5:47 PM, rpeddie said:

and the threepence you mentioned in a previous thread is up too, gonna go for that one and be competition for me? ;)

what 3d you on about ?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Coins went for:

 

1838 gold threepence   16.8k USD plus 20%  =  20.15k

 

1927 gold half crown  72k USD plus 20%!! juice = 87k

 

Broke my heart to not be able to compete, but WAAAAY too Rich!

 

  • Like 1
  • Confused 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

1927 Gold Halfcrown was 60,000 + 12000 juice - $72,000 😉

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
On 8/19/2018 at 6:26 PM, VickySilver said:

Coins went for:

1838 gold threepence   16.8k USD plus 20%  =  20.15k

 

I kinda figured about 16.5k for this, but the 20% didn't even cross my mind.
Glad I wan't the buyer in that sense....  :)

 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I saw a 1920 or 1922 gold florin a few years ago at a Sydney coin fair. I was told at the time it was struck by  the RM as a sample for Egypt.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Yes, that would be 1922. As the article by Graham stated, they were of different gold alloy (and different weigh, thickness, etc.) and were tests for the alloy of the Egyptian series - the accepted alloy was an 0.875 gold/silver that was counterstamped with an "A" on the reverse near the rim.

What were they asking price wise? In light of this half crown, I would have to guess at least 40k USD.

Edited by VickySilver

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
Sign in to follow this  

×