Chris Perkins

I have a later dated 'gold' Spanish forgery that is copper plated with a gold wash, and I know that Spain was another country plagued with forgery. If it's gold coloured, i'd say it's either gold, or gold coin forgery!

I think perhaps there is still a general stigma attached to coin collecting/dealing. People think it's boring and well, perhaps even a bit nerdy. I'm lucky enough to have a girlfriend that really seems to like helping me sort through coins and she even puts them on eBay using her id in German for me. People that are not interested in coins are always very nice and creepy to us when they find a coin they want to know about!

Please do, I know it's hard to scan something that isn't flat though.

Very dodgy ground, I had a GVF 1821 Half Crown once with 2 huge brooch marks on the back. If they are lead, you may be able to melt them off, but anything you do will affect the coin adversely. (Heating it up will probably speed up oxidisation and turn it unnaturally dark). The value with that kind of thing depends exactly what it looks like, and basically how much the potential owners want it.

A Chinese chap once contacted me, keen to show me the results of ultrasonic cleaning. He worked in the jewellery trade and showed me some interesting before and after pictures of a Chinese coin (that I can't find now!). It certainly looked more pleasing than if it had been polished/whizzed/cleaned, but it still look kind of artificial. Saying that though, I don't really know how high grade natural toned Chinese coins are supposed to look. He suggested I could send him some coins for him to clean. I believe he was genuine, but he said that the post where he was was very insecure, so nothing became of it.

It absolutely is Coin collecting! Pretty much anything made of metal that could be spent somewhere at some stage, is a coin. The Sheffield tokens you are refering to are know as either just 19th Century regional tokens or 'Condor tokens'. They were issued by factories, merchants, rich people etc to be used locally as small change, and when you'd saved enough you could usually exchange them at a certain place (often stated on them) for regal 'proper' money. Small change was very short at that time and the issuers got free advertising out of it, as well as making a profit on the ones that never found their way back! They didn't actually contain metal to the value of one penny/halfpenny/farthing. After the so called Great recoinage in 1816 they were phased out and made illegal not long after. In fact they were never actually legal, they just were not illegal!

Looks brass to me! And the portraits were always awful, but that one looks especially crude.

Yes of course it is!

Oh yes, thought I recognised it, that's the one with the fingerprint isn't it.

How many of those have you got?

Ok, remind me when I get back next week and I'll specify Round/Sharp on my Brass Threepence listings.

Alright alright! ABU 1926 and a nice UNC 1922? How about the 1953 proof?

I have a stunning ABU 1925 Farthing with just a darker area near the edge, and I have a wonderful 1943. Do you have those? William: I have 2 JH groats at the moment, however one has a small loop welded to it and the other has a die flaw on the back. Both are around Fine.

I expect legions of little Roman children went to your Primary School Olli

Good idea Olli, I ammended the title a bit to make it more obvious what it contains for people browsing. I have a stunning 1951 Farthing, I'll call it ABU because it has a couple on tiny weeny pin prick dark spots on the rev. Obv is perfect. It'll be in my next newsletter, unless you want it for £4.00. You's be hard pressed to find better.

That's a very long time for a primary school, any of the original teachers still teach there?

I'll PM you, I don't want to clutter up this area any further.

William, I have lots of Victorian 1887 Half Crowns, Florins, shillings and sixpences. Priced from a couple of pounds upwards. I can't remember if you have all that series? They are not on the website yet.

Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on what way you look at it) English really is the global language, and although other languages are very important, and to learn them certainly broadens horizons...If English is your first language you perhaps have less need to learn another. I'm finding German very difficult, I suppose partly because of lack of time, and not actually needing to speak German every day. I'm also not very disciplined, and like George I, I just can't be bothered even though I know it has to be done!

I hope you knocked his lights out for that.

Very sensible I suppose. I can never keep anything to myself, especially when I'm excited about something!

That sounds fair, lot of money for a student to spend on a sixpence though! I bet your mates must think you're loopy.

Go on, how much is it?

You're right, I always take that legend with a pinch of salt because people always write it wrong, start in the wrong place or the letters are too worn, so they guess. You need to post a picture Karen.

Thanks, mine's a bit better too, from memory.