Chris Perkins

I sold a mis strike aluminium (or similar metal) 1979 (I think) penny recently for £25, and that absolutley wasn't plated or spray painted. I also have what looks like a silver coloured 2p, yet to be investigated. There is no way in the world anyone would pay £3000 even if it is some kind of genuine error.

Realistically I suppose it should (if everything goes smoothly) hit the shops in early November. I will of course hopefully have a few copies myself, and don't forget that everyone reading this will get one free for helping out!

German. Just down the road in a small town called Thalheim. It was fun at first with my Pidgeon German trying to get across what was needed, but I'm sure they have the hang of it now. I did get a couple of UK printer quotes of course, but they were absolutely mad compared to the German ones. The origin of the book will not be marked inside, so for all those that prefer to just 'Buy British' they'll never know!

Today I received the first ever copy of Collectors Coins GB 2005 from the printers! It looks wonderful in its technicolour jacket, and it's so good to see a proper spine on the side. Overall it's a million times better than the previous (dare I say, very ameteur) editions. Seeing it in print, there are a couple of minor changes to be made to the cover design, and the proof reading has to be finished before a final book can be produced. If all goes well it should be mass produced from about next Wednesday. I have instructed the printer to simply print as many as he can, as quick as he can (without compromising the quality of course). The first batch of 5000 should be finished before Christmas, but I will of course have hopefully 500-1500 by the end of this month to satisfy demand. All very exciting.

Gavin, I've never heard the term subsidiary coins. Usually, your right, they are 'current' or perhaps even 'contemporary', like with the term 'contemporary forgeries'.

Those mintage numbers can be decieving because they are the number of coins made that year, but not always with that date. 1869 is rare, and the Collectors Coins 2004 book is probably quite conservative with its prices for the 1869 Penny. Low grade examples are worth just a few pounds. (Juan, sorry I have no list for you yet. It would be so much easier if you could just pop round and have a look!)

Unlikely I'm afraid, it's a romantic thought, but as long as there are enough better examples to go around and supply demand, your 1952 NZ penny will be worth about the same in 100 years (plus inflation). And by then a copy of Krause 2001-2100 will probably set you back more than £200! The kind of coins that go up in value usually have a mintage of just a few thousand or are in extremely high grade (the best few thousand of any particular coin). Sorry to sound really miserable and negative, but it has to be said. (although, i realise you were probably joking!)

Todd, You're right, no pennies were made in any other metal than bronze delibrately, but I wouldn't be surprised it someone had plated it as a momento of some kind, especially as that was the year the king died. If you register you can post a picture.

of course it isn't a real one for £33. And it's bloody mis leading to novices the fact that 'Modern Repro' is not clearly stated. It really shouldn't be allowed.

Absolutely lovely Geoff!

But JMD, regardless of what Saddam was doing or planning on doing (or had done), the whole case for war was based on his weapons of mass dissapearance that were capable of being deployed within 45 mins.

Yes, I was going to say that Mr Bush basically represents the captains of industry, and that while those captains may certainly have the leadership skills, you cannot trust a country to in the hands of any commercial industry, for it would not be a neutral leadership. Tony Blair has his faults, and he did really cock up over the Iraq thing, but who else is there? He'll get a third term, and after that perhaps he can go and become Governor of California and then President of the USA.

If old men need time to think, perhaps they shouldn't be in charge of countries....And he isn't that old. I mean he's naturally ancient compared to all us young spring chickens.

Or maybe he's not human, and is actually falling apart under the pressure, like a stressed out Dalak. The US President is a robot!

Are you implying that the President of the United States of America might possibly be being told what to say, by someone who knows better exactly what to say? Perhaps someone with better geographical knowledge, someone who can prompt Mr Bush when he forgets the names of other world leaders etc? Surely not!

Without consulting any books I can tell you that those are either too new or too common to be of much value if they are all circulated examples. Sell them to 'Unknown', who is actually quite known to me!

Yes I think they're all paperback. Although I do have some kind of dim memory of a hardback, but I either imagined it, or it was a while hence.

Thanks Geoff, I'll print those out and change them when the proof reader has finished. I daren't say to him "Hang on, stop, here's another version with some corrections!", because that's bound to get on his thrupennies. And I'll let him get credit for them!

If you have a really dirty coin that looks horrible, then use soap and water perhaps. If it still looks awful, then keep it until you can find a better example. If you polish it, it'll be hairlined and worth a fraction of whatever you paid for it. (Which is pretty silly, unless of course all of your coins will be bought for 20p each) Collectors go through many runs of upgrading before they feel comfortable with a particular coin, that's what you need to do. Don't ruin them for future generations, polished coins look awful. They look artificial, they get hairlined and they never get back to how they were. If you want one that looks nice, save up, don't buy rubbish and buy coins that have remained shiny looking from new. You pay a premium for a BU coin because it's escaped being ruined by a bloody idiot in the past. Far be it from me to tell you what to do with any coins you may own, but please, don't be a pleb!

Yes it's a Conder token, a little info here: http://www.predecimal.com/books/condersframed.htm

Yes for British coins, but it's just a book on the last 2500 years of British coins. Each Krause volume contains just 100 years of all World Coins.

Well mainly it covers a lot more, it includes gold coins and goes right back to Celtic times. It's a wonderful book, every serious collector and dealer buys it. Most dealers use it to price their coins too. It's a little worrying that basically Spink control a lot of coin prices, in that dealers charge whatever it says and then Spink put the prices up slightly the next year (maybe that creates a bubble). Sometimes though it's out on some prices. It doesn't go into huge detail with some coin varieties, and if you just collect, or are just likely to encounter non gold coins from 1797 to today, then Collectors Coins GB 2005 will save you over £15.00.

£20's a lot of money though. 11% price increase on last years, I wonder if it contains 11% more pages.

Do you perhaps mean 'politicians' JMD? Politics is generally accepted as being better than the alternatives, whether you agree with the system or not.

I think those are really very general SE England things.