Leaderboard

I can't see it as a protest - the cuts would relate more to the king's bust if that was the intention. (Across the neck or defacing the features.) Maybe someone testing the hardness of a tool?

Empty 11 coin cases are not too difficult, if expensive, but I'm not into proof £5, £2 etc. gold pieces - not without the lottery anyway. Cases of any sort for the 7 coin silver set are more tricky as far as I can judge. I have a shagreen one with a toned set of high grade ordinary strike coins, but I was hoping to establish what the official ones look like and then keep on looking. I take your point about it being difficult to find, though I thought this for the 1893 silver set box, which is rarer than the full set, yet I managed to find one. I live in hope!! I find that everything comes to those who wait. Not long back, I managed to find a rare variety of a 20thC coin that I had been looking for the best part of 25 years, when suddenly one came along, so you never know.

I agree. If it was intended as a protest, then two marks making a cross over the face would seem more likely.

Although I think he means 1881 as 1880 is P and P*.