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I took this pic- got a T adapter so my telescope became my cheap camera's lens. No tracking, quick snap, no stacking software to build up the image. Even though it's not up to the standards you see a lot, I'm chuffed I caught the fact that Jupiter is striped! No moons visible- had to stop it right down...

Can I be very rude, and say that I'm overwhelmed with indifference??

Indeed, really bad. It was working earlier today fine - I saw the new uploads of the 13#+L's of Bernie's and Bob's. One thought - does your web host not have a facility for undoing recent changes, and returning to a previous state where all worked fine? They usually do for exactly this reason. Fingers crossed.

Well Done!!!

...especially if you are in jail....

I think you nailed it with “my priorities would be ….” This brings to the fore how subjective grading must be. This does not, of course, mean that there is no objectivity. But necessarily different people will give different weighting to different attributes. The Sheldon scale does have more categories (i.e., numbers, now further calibrated into + and *; and with several third party services adding stickers to add yet more nuance). But I am skeptical that increased nominal granularity corresponds to real distinctions in actual coins that can be reliably and consistently replicated across different issues, years and graders. Grading provides a useful heuristic but I think the claims of objectivity are as much marketing as science.

Our left-side brains are seduced by quantitative scales (such as Sheldon - the American system), as if they somehow represent greater certainty than qualitative grades (such as extra fine etc of the British system). This is a pure mirage, but a good one and it is what the PCGS and NGC make money from. A fine business model! In reality, all grading is qualitative - and all qualitative judgments are (to a degree) subjective and error prone. In my view, TPG provides a useful rule of thumb to purchase at a distance; no better nor worse than qualitative grading provided by a reputable auction house. Neither is a substitute for the expanded qualitative descriptions and exchange of observations as per the thread above. None of this is a substitute for the subjective feel of a coin in hand - preferably broken out of it’s slab with a hammer and victory dance.

... and the very clear triangle mintmark on the Charles I sixpence dates it to 1639/1640, minted at the Tower under the king's control.

Portcullis mintmark on the Elizabeth sixpence…not the commonest of the Elizabeth 6d marks and a better grade 👍

Generally the best place to find decent hammered is online with the better coin auctioneers and specialist dealers. Ebay tends to have them over-priced or over graded - when they are not fake. Henry II is more difficult to find in decent grade, but Noonan's have some nice ones at auction on the 6th September. (noonans.co.uk).

This small flan penny of Edward the Confessor was found by a detecting cub member on a rally in the south of England, and I am trying to identify the mint and moneyer. The latter seems to read ESTAN or similar, and the mint clearly ends in DI but I cannot find the combination in North or Seaby and would welcome some help here! Thanks, Jerry

Henry VI Groat Annulet Issue c.1422-1427 Calais Mint Incurved pierced cross mintmark.

I feel foolish for only just realising this but of course, the question also comes down to what sort of collector we are. When I started I was I guess a 'completist'. I had a book with all varieties illustrated and I wanted to assemble a collection, like that. One example of each type/ variety. Hence I was prepared to accept this: A coin for which three examples are known. Now? I wouldn't bother. Because my focus has shifted. I realised that while I do get a slight thrill from owning one of the very few examples of a really rare coin, I get far more pleasure from better looking coins. And on my budget I can't afford to collect both, so there are some gaps that will remain until budget and opportunity come together. And if they don't? That no longer troubles me as much as it once did. I am happy to have a representative collection of the types, sometimes several, as hammered coins are never perfect and different examples can have different pleasing strengths.

Has become corrupted and all the information on Victoria obverses has been lost. Victoria reverses will be gone next and I don't have the hard copies to recreate them. I will probably take the site down soon. Sorry to halfpenny collectors.