Edward

Sylvester, I appreciate the effort you're putting into this... Edward III has the same obverse legend, so that hasn't helped me at all. The only really notable thing is that the obverse N's are reverse, while the reverse N's are... obverse?? what's the opposite of a reverse N? When I first saw this I knew it wasn't the Edward IV halfgroat the seller was alleging, but thought rather this looked like a third coinage Edward III. I didn't see the similarities with Edward I until much later, as my acquaintance with this whole period is very much in its infancy. What I have come back to again and again is S.1546 or 1546A, but I have no idea really what 1546A are supposed to be like. Yes, S.1526 would have had me jumping. None of the Edward II that are pictured in Spink look like the portrait on my coin. Particularly, none have a collar like this one. Note that this Edward's collar goes up almost to the locks of his hair. By the way, for completeness' sake let me add that the diameter of this coin is 19-20 mm.

Thanks, Sylvester, I look forward.

Chris, is the pdf file ok? I have tried to access it a few times but Acrobat Reader says it's damaged and can't be opened.

Sylvester, I like the concept you are working with, and I like the blue better than the purple. Without being to articulate this early in the morning about color tones, I am wondering if you could bring the two blues slightly closer together, that is the top bar less dark and the lighter blue a tad stronger. Also, and more important, I think it would appeal to uncover the face of the portrait. The coin itself draws the viewer's interest, and having the text on top makes that difficult.

At least some of Edward I had mintmarks, but from what I can see in Spink, they are crosses pattée, that is, the bars of the cross have curved sides rather than straight, giving each bar points on either side. In a cross pattée, however, the points of adjoining bars do not meet, at least as far as I am able to gather from the table and pictures in Spink. The adjoining parts of the mintmark of my coin do, however, meet. If this is really a "cross 1" mintmark, then it can only be Edward III according to Spink, as "cross 1" was used during the reign of Edward III only. But I am not sure that this is, in fact, a "cross 1" and look to those of us with more extensive experience (i.e., beyond one Edward penny) for help. Another noteworthy feature of this coin is the very high double collar on the portrait. Spink does not show any Edward pennies like this. Does anyone know of particular numbers of SCBI or BNJ with articles on Edward I-III coinages?

Reverse:

Here at last is the Edward penny I promised so long ago. Is this Edward I or Edward III? I am leaning toward Ediii. Please note the mintmark, which I believe is Cross 1 in the Spink table. I would like to have as exact an identification as possible, including class letter, if any. I photographed the two sides in coin orientation. Obverse:

Although as for the TV or other mass marketing , now you've got me thinking. What about a starter kit, say uncirculated of smaller denominations that you can pick up en masse, a few other nVFs, and a CC2005 Geo3/later book? Something like this you could put up as a buy-it-now as well as advertising in elders magazines or something like that. Grandparents in the UK must be thinking of the good old days when a bob was something that you spent (or saved) and have some kind of yen to get their grandchildren acquainted with the history they know. Grandparents are always hard-pressed for gift ideas (I know, I field this question from my mother at least four times a year).

Chris, I think you'll find the colors are fairly universal, it's more the graphics and text that are going to make the cover more or less British. I wouldn't do blue and orange on a cover as they are across from each other on the color wheel. Blue and red can be very striking, or green and gold (yum), or blue and gold.

Blue sells very well, but a deep blue, like royal blue or a not-too-dark navy. A light blue, pastel or otherwise, is felt as cold and is somewhat offputting. Red, orange, and yellow sell well because of their warmth.

I like Aethelred's white-background cover the best for clarity and boldness. I think a different coin, one with real character, each year would help to link the titles and grab prospective buyers. For this purpose you could seek out not just a good example of a coin but an exceptional one, not necessarily UNC, that has high eye-appeal. I've just seen Chris' "way too yank" remark.... *ahem*...... <_<

What's a "doddle"? I hope that means Coincraft is easier to use than Spink on the classification of hammered. As much as I value the Spink, the paucity of pictures makes it hard for an American to read! Don't think for a minute anybody ever got that literature for the articles... Another problem for me with Spink has been identifying an Anne groat that I have (pesky buggers, those groats). Does anyone have a picture of the obverse of S.3595A or B, the second draped bust with hair not re-engraved? I take it that S.3595A has the reverse of S.3595 and that S.3595B has the reverse of S.3595C.

I think Chris has the final word on this one. If it is gold, you have at least the bullion value to cash it in for, otherwise a deserving niece or nephew might like it.

Sorry I have been away so long, I could have added something to this in a more timely fashion. This appears to me a genuine striking error. I don't know all the ins and outs of the minting process, but what happens more or less is that a 1p piece got stuck on top of a 5p piece and the pattern struck in mirror onto the 5p piece. The remark about Americans being able to give an accurate picture of what happened is probably quite correct, I know a few collectors over here, including one of my sons, who make a specialty of errors. I can try to run this by a couple people in the coming weeks, but my time is very limited at the moment. I would imagine that the price for this will climb substantially above the winning eBay bid (£43).

I'm glad to have the anniversary of the re-issued Sovereign brought to my attention. Where do you get the information on the exact date of issue? As a Friend of Hammered Coinage I would like however to remind us all gently of the original issuance of the Sovereign Enthroned in Majesty during the reign of Henry VII, also valued at 20 shillings and weighing 240 grains, of which I unfortunately have no picture to post. Would Chris or some other archivist-type have one? There were also double-sovereign and treble-sovereign piedforts issued under Hank7.

I might get up there next year. I have ex-in-laws in Middleton (N Yorks, about an hour from York) and want to get over to see them, but this year is going to be a loss for trying to get over. You should all try to get to the US coin shows, however, where there is almost always some good British to pick up fairly reasonably.

William, thanks for digging this up, and thanks for the pics. I wonder if we can find anything written after the auction.

Lest this get lost at the bottom of the pile and not fall under the eye of anyone knowlegdeable but visiting less frequently, I would like to ask any for any help you can give with specifics about Edward III coinage, particularly the third issue.

William, I don't offhand, it was told in some detail in the NY Times last year, and I must have the clipping, but that won't help. I would just try Google and see what you come up with.

Sylvester, I am eating my heart out. Chris already knows how much I like early milled. Two of the first coins I got from him were EM 6d's for my mom, a Geo II and the Anne I referred to yesterday. Willam I don't have any Edward VIII. What I would really like from him is the commemorative medal of his abdication. I was joking the other day with a local dealer about the Ed VIII 3d's that crept into circulation and how wouldn't that be lovely? Where's Tom these days? I wanted to hear how he would grade that Chas II reverse, and what it's the reverse of exactly.

Sylvester, I think my oldest US coin is about that too. I don't even really have any idea anymore. My oldest AUNC though is an AD 758 T'ang Dynasty cash that I picked up with 5 identical ones at a very decent lot price. Sam, you know a lot of dealers have masses of silver coins that they sell at bullion value, which is 4.18 times face value right now, so if you go to the right one you could probably pick up a lot of low-grade Mercs and pre-64 quarters and some Franklin and earlier halves pretty cheap. My kids and I got a lot that way and it gave us a good place to start our Whitman folders from. Now that they have the basis of a collection they are filling it in slowly with higher-grade pieces.

Yes, William, my whole family now that I got my mom started. My ex-wife even has a couple that I gave her, she's Dutch, so one that she got is an 1848 guilder. Does that count as a collection? Does she count as family? Sylvester you're right, the sixpence size is really great, although my mom can't see them too well anymore. So I'm starting her on crowns too. I am trying still though to get her at least one sixpence from every reign, so I'm also looking for James II. Never saw one of his on the hoof yet, but I'm sure it will happen soon.

Can you submit a scan?

I emailed Joanne Bray telling her that Sam had posted an answer to her question, so we'll see if she takes up the invitation to come back.

That Double Eagle story is amazing, isn't it? It's really worth a novel.