Chris Perkins

Some dealers pay full catalogue for rare coins if they know where they can sell it. Let's see a picture.

That's great, I'll have one of those please.

I don't think it's very likely that they reused old reverses after changing the dates on them. That happened in Victorian times, but I doubt quality control would have allowed it in the 70's/80's! But you never know, mistakes do happen.

Collectors' Banknotes 2006 is now going to print! I'm pretty excited about this new book. It's the 4th I've published at the Rotographic helm, and it's the 2nd to be printed in super quality at the new printers. I'll make a PDF version available soon, and have already started selling off some of the banknotes used for the pictures. They are listed on ebay under the id: rotographic So, if any of you want banknotes, I pretty much have a complete type set available for sale, and I need to sell them to pay for the printing costs until the money starts coming in from the resellers.

For the early large 10p's. I'm not too bothered about slow changes, but I am interested if 2 different coins exist for the same date.

Some of you may not be aware (Peck friend Mr D L F Sealy just informed me) that there are 2 slightly different early 10p and 2p types (i'm not sure what dates yet). Apparently the dies were strengthened by adding lines on the tail and nose of the lion on the 10p, and extra lines on the feathers of the 2p. Thus, both variants exist for one (or more?) dates.

It looks suspiciously well rounded to me, which is wrong because seige pieces were usually struck in a hurry without much care (even the 'proper' coinage of that era was often awful). On a quick glance I'd say it's modern, but your pictures are not very good. Any chance of some sharper ones? They're a bit big too.

Yes, Mr Sealy said they are all rare (1992 20p's). I wonder if that 31 million number includes coins dated 1993......Very probably, so the 1992 number is perhaps much lower.

I didn't read it somewhere, I was told it by Mr DLF Sealy, President of the London Numismatic Society and friend of Mr Peck himself (Mr Sealy's name is mentioned in Peck here and there). Apparently there are two different head sizes on 1992, and the smaller is less sharply struck. One of them is rarer, but I can't remember which (probably the smaller)! I've sent Mr Sealy a letter recently, he may have other knowledge well worth extracting!

What's all this with girls! Coins come first always, even my girlfriend knows that by now

It must just depend where the branch is. I expect the managers are responsible for the stock items, and if the branch has no real history of selling coin books, then they are probably unlikely to think about trying. And, it could also indicate that when you looked, the only copy they had was sold. I suspect they probably only carry ones and twos.....Still they bought over 1300 in the past 10 months, so they must be going somewhere.

I saw a CCGB2005 in Gillingham WHSmith. They also had a Coin Yearbook....And acidentally it slipped right down the back of the shelf, and I put mine of full frontal view.

Well, just to let people know that I now have just 160 copies of CCGB2005 left in my storage place over the road (plus about 20 in stock right in front on me). So out of the print run of 5000, 4820 have been sold, and the rest should last nicely until the 2006 version in printed. I have penciled October 10th as the publication date for the 2006 version. So, no more of the 2005 version will be printed, and that means that all of the 2005 version have the 'TT' error on the spine!! Damn. I'll do the same number of the 2006 version, and it will be of much better quality paper and print job. I think this one will further help the reputation and hopefully lead to an increased print run of the 2007 version. Sales of 10,000 per annum are the target (level with Spink and Coin Yearbook)

I'm sure I've seen a Heinz set, but can't remember the exact year, probably was 1983. On the subject of 1983, I have a set that seems to have been supplied by 'Martini'. It's exactly the same but has a slip of paper in it stating 'The Great British 1983 Coin Collection, with the compliments of Martini bla bla'. I'm sure I've also come across BU coins in other packaging, in fact, I'm sure I remember some kind of promotion as a child in the eighties when you got a coin in a pack of something (crisps, cereal, I can't remember) I remember getting BU pennies and I was once lucky enough to find a 20p! But those were just new coins in fancy packs so I don't suppose you'll want to include that kind of thing. I too have heard the same about the proof sets. I remeber finding out somehow that the 1970 was made in 1973, but I assumed it was so popular that it was made between 1970-1973. What you're researching is great, because even though they are decimals, comprehensive information about them exists nowhere despite the lack of age, and it is important that someone finds these things out somehow, and documents them!

The conversion goes something like this: http://www.predecimal.com/grading_standards.htm

The first one is not at all bad for those, but MS64 is outrageous!

I assume a professional grader is simply someone who grades coins for a living. An ameteur grader would be a grader who sold hot dogs during the week and graded coin at the weekend. The differences between MS63 and MS64 are minute. There is a guide somewhere that I read that states how many bag marks MS coins are allowed to have and where they're allowed to have them. It's great to think that you can make an exact science out of coin grading, a wonderful idea thorey. But with so many contributing factors it doesn't always work satisfactorily.

What grade is it? (and what is it)

That is very interesting. I had the odd 'discussion' with the person in charge of Certified GB Coins as I was not happy with all the 3 coins I purchased from him. The fact the site is no longer there perhaps suggests that British collectors simply don't like slabbed coins. Or perhaps their were flaws in the way they described the coins and the prices they charged. I wonder how this affects the customers, and how can they now spend enough in order to get their £250 worth of free coins?

Thanks for the recommendation Phil, but I think that one I sell may be too big.

I've never driven the Mazda/Toyota equivalents so I can't compare. It's an attractive fun car that goes really well (although a British registered Elise left me standing in the Czech Republic last week). It's great with the roof down. I must admit though, I thought I'd go right off the TR7 after picking up the MG, but I still really like the TR for some reason. On paper it's less powerful and should be slower, but it actually doesn't really seem to notice too much on the road. I like the TR because it's retro, was controversial, it's unusual and I just like it.

I'm leaving for England tomorrow morning to do the radio thing (friday) etc. I'll be gone until Tuesday next. For the first time in nearly 3 years I'll actually be staying in my own house, as it's awaiting new tenants at the moment, and I need to spend a little time decorating it with the old man. And I'll get to bomb around a bit in the TR7 too, which now has a new MOT and polyeurathane bushes on the front suspension (among other upgrades that dad has organised since it got home last month). So, 'Bis später', as they say in these parts.

I'd probably pay face value and a half for them, that's the deal I usually get from dealers and the same I offer the public.

Everything is historic, but not everything is made to be circulated....All modern coins that go straight into capsules aren't, and that is the difference in my mind between 'real coins' and novelty coins.

No, generally I leave modern stuff well alone, because it's overpriced and will just increase in value with bullion/inflation. You should have a word with the other young gents in here and perhaps try diversifying to some real coins