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9 hours ago, Rob said:

The other point to consider about number 3 is that it is given PF status, but is it a genuine proof, or a just prooflike? Given the historical baggage in attribution by US TPGs I would want to see it in hand before parting with my hard earned cash.

It doesn't have the look of a proof to me, just a very well preserved currency issue, and not the near FDC you'd expect with a non impaired proof, given the dirt marks on closer inspection

Another alleged proof of the 1881H ilk, can be seen here. That went for £800, or about $1000. Bit more realistic.  

 

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15 minutes ago, 1949threepence said:

It doesn't have the look of a proof to me, just a very well preserved currency issue, and not the near FDC you'd expect with a non impaired proof, given the dirt marks on closer inspection

Another alleged proof of the 1881H ilk, can be seen here. That went for £800, or about $1000. Bit more realistic.  

 

And so we return to the question of Heaton proofs or specimens, proofs or prooflike.

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2 hours ago, Rob said:

And so we return to the question of Heaton proofs or specimens, proofs or prooflike.

I think we can safely assume that they produced specimens. When I successfully bid for the Freeman 74 at the Copthorne auction, the following was said about it, by way of reference:-

Quote

Specimen Issue. BMC 1698. F 74. Dies 7+H. Small rim nick at 3 o'clock. Virtually As Struck with some lustre.
Ex D. Wallis Collection, DNW Auction 83, 30 September 2009, lot 3372 [from J. Welsh January 2000]. Periodically, the Heaton mint struck carefully finished specimen coins of varying denominations as an example of what the company could produce; in some instances they were presented as gifts to dignitaries and government officials and in other cases were part of the travelling portfolio of a Heaton sales representative (cf. Gunstone, SNC December 1977, p.545; cf. Tansley Collection, DNW 67, lot 369)

Whether they ever did actual proofs is up for debate. But I'm not convinced those two 1881H's are even specimens. Although they might be early strikes.

This is the Freeman 74 (quasi proof):-  

 

Freeman 74 rev.jpg

Freeman 74 obv.jpg

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21 hours ago, Rob said:

At least that has decent rims

 

Yes.

Sometimes I do wonder if coins are put up for auction as proofs, without provenance, nor the coin showing any obvious evidence of being a proof. Yet the vendor's assertion is accepted without further question by the auction house, and the coin offered for bids on the basis that it's a proof, when it's actually just a very well preserved currency strike with mostly clear fields free of bag marks etc.  

 

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22 minutes ago, 1949threepence said:

Yes.

Sometimes I do wonder if coins are put up for auction as proofs, without provenance, nor the coin showing any obvious evidence of being a proof. Yet the vendor's assertion is accepted without further question by the auction house, and the coin offered for bids on the basis that it's a proof, when it's actually just a very well preserved currency strike with mostly clear fields free of bag marks etc.  

 

Its a good point Mike and another reason to view the coin and make the decision by seeing the coin in hand IMO.

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42 minutes ago, PWA 1967 said:

Its a good point Mike and another reason to view the coin and make the decision by seeing the coin in hand IMO.

Indeed it is Pete.

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Can anyone help me please.

The hypo solution used on some pennies i have a question.

I know what it is and the years etc.

What i would like to know is why it was used :blink:

Edited by PWA 1967

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I think it was because of the ghosting problems they had, but not 100%. There might be something in the prologue of Freeman about it?

I know they darkened some farthings because at the time people were trying to pass off the newly struck ones as half-sovereigns.

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Thanks Matt.

I have just picked up the freeman book who explains in detail.........i should of looked before posting :)

He says it was to keep the colour of bronze due to a tin reduction .

However the ones i have that are not mint toned are closer to the colour bronze than the Black/purple ones.

Pete.

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What do you guys make of this offering on e bay He is supposedly selling 6 rare 1860 penny varieties, and I do see the F6 & a nice F7, but I don't see an F8. Also I think he's confused with his die pairings towards the end.

It doesn't help that the coins aren't shown separately, but are instead on a slide show that seems to move two frames at a time. Moreover, he really ought to have got someone to do the write up, as his English is appallingly bad. Neverthless an interesting and intriguing offer. Not worth £2.5K in my opinion. Leastways, not from what I can see.  

  

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This person really is the scum of the earth. A while ago I emailed him/her politely correcting an Ebay entry for a penny described wrongly as Freeman 76 (as I recall) and the reply was "Who do you think you are - Michael Freeman ?"

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Shelly has featured before in these pages, and has been trying to sell these at more than ten times value for months. There is an F6, but there are no other beaded border coins despite the claims, and no rarities. Shelly also often polishes the coins, and over-grades in home slabs. He/she can also be quite abusive for no obvious reason, I have a sequence of increasingly bizzaire emails to which I did not respond following a request for a price on a coin in another of the strange multi-coin ads sometimes posted. I would not buy from this seller.

Jerry

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25 minutes ago, secret santa said:

This person really is the scum of the earth. A while ago I emailed him/her politely correcting an Ebay entry for a penny described wrongly as Freeman 76 (as I recall) and the reply was "Who do you think you are - Michael Freeman ?"

 

11 minutes ago, jelida said:

Shelly has featured before in these pages, and has been trying to sell these at more than ten times value for months. There is an F6, but there are no other beaded border coins despite the claims, and no rarities. Shelly also often polishes the coins, and over-grades in home slabs. He/she can also be quite abusive for no obvious reason, I have a sequence of increasingly bizzaire emails to which I did not respond following a request for a price on a coin in another of the strange multi-coin ads sometimes posted. I would not buy from this seller.

Jerry

Thanks gents. Think the message is to stay well clear of this seller.  

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Jerry more or less hit the nail on the head there.

I've bought from Shelly before when she first started listing all these pennies and alas the coins were cleaned, I got in touch and explained that they weren't advertised as such and she told me she didn't know if a coin was cleaned or not, and I returned them for a full refund, including postage. I wouldn't buy from her again, but in her defence the return was trouble free, albeit a bit intense.

 

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A few i have had a while and decided to get graded and put away for Freya as dont think i will find any much better that are problem free.

BP1872Ab

1908 F164A

1909 Dot

Pete.

1.png

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19 minutes ago, PWA 1967 said:

A few i have had a while and decided to get graded and put away for Freya as dont think i will find any much better that are problem free.

BP1872Ab

1908 F164A

1909 Dot

Pete.

 

That was my F164A  :angry: lol

Good haul Pete.

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17 hours ago, 1949threepence said:

What do you guys make of this offering on e bay He is supposedly selling 6 rare 1860 penny varieties, and I do see the F6 & a nice F7, but I don't see an F8. Also I think he's confused with his die pairings towards the end.

It doesn't help that the coins aren't shown separately, but are instead on a slide show that seems to move two frames at a time. Moreover, he really ought to have got someone to do the write up, as his English is appallingly bad. Neverthless an interesting and intriguing offer. Not worth £2.5K in my opinion. Leastways, not from what I can see.  

  

This guy is a total bellend. I also corrected him on a few things plus he was selling coins that had been bought through LCs, which he in turn bought from someone else on ebay and doubled the price he paid. After a while he became quite rude, even telling me that his "dealer friend" told him the 1862 die letter A halfpenny was only worth 1k :lol: I blocked him at that point but previously he'd been asking for help ID-ing coins. I think i added a couple of his listings in the ebay section of the forum

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It's funny you should mention this seller - I saw this yesterday but couldn't quite get past the listing title to get to the coin. :lol:

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1 minute ago, mrbadexample said:

It's funny you should mention this seller - I saw this yesterday but couldn't quite get past the listing title to get to the coin. :lol:

<_<:blink::unsure::o         :lol:

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12 hours ago, Nordle11 said:

Jerry more or less hit the nail on the head there.

I've bought from Shelly before when she first started listing all these pennies and alas the coins were cleaned, I got in touch and explained that they weren't advertised as such and she told me she didn't know if a coin was cleaned or not, and I returned them for a full refund, including postage. I wouldn't buy from her again, but in her defence the return was trouble free, albeit a bit intense.

 

The guy - signs himself as Tony, although seller name is Shelly - obviously has major issues with written communication. In the link Jon posted just a few minutes ago, he entitles his worn and overpriced 1926 ME penny, as follows:-

 

Quote

1926 King George V F195 Me Penny Ebay Sale Off Sorry Your To Take Chancers

What does that even mean? 

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8 hours ago, 1949threepence said:

The guy - signs himself as Tony, although seller name is Shelly - obviously has major issues with written communication. In the link Jon posted just a few minutes ago, he entitles his worn and overpriced 1926 ME penny, as follows:-

 

What does that even mean? 

Strange, because each and every time I've spoken to her, she has reminded me of the fact she is selling her husbands coins because he has a terminal illness. A fact which she has shared with many for some reason. And she always signed off with Shelly.

Also I have no idea what that listing means :D 

 

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3 hours ago, Nordle11 said:

Strange, because each and every time I've spoken to her, she has reminded me of the fact she is selling her husbands coins because he has a terminal illness. A fact which she has shared with many for some reason. And she always signed off with Shelly.

Also I have no idea what that listing means :D 

 

Oh well, the gender of this seller is as mysterious as his/her written ramblings :ph34r::blink::wacko:B)

Edited by 1949threepence
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3 hours ago, Nordle11 said:

...she is selling her husbands coins because he has a terminal illness.

Well he's been hanging on in there for a fair old time. Or is it the terminal illness otherwise known as "life"? :rolleyes:

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