TomGoodheart

Interesting. Daughter has decided that WFH just doesn't work for her. She gets distracted and needs the routine of going to a specific place for specific hours. Difficult for new starters if the people training you aren't physically present and you can't just call across the office for advice as you can in person. She also missed the social side having made some good friends in previous jobs. Where she currently works they have set days when the team all attend and it seems to work OK. But I also see that for many the benefits of not having to commute and working more to your own schedule is a positive. I work in a shop, so doesn't really apply.

I have split off the discussion about Gary Lineker as it didn't seem to fit the "Stuff to make us laugh" as it didn't seem very humorous. Feel free to continue the chat there if you wish.

That looks to me like a genuine Aberystwyth groat that has been gilded DrL. Possibly to try to pass off as a crown, however the IIII would surely be a real give away, even for the illiterate? (Crowns would have had V to the right of the bust to signify 5 shillings..)

I actually paid £5 to be on their mailing list a year or so back. Have I ever received a catalogue? No. 😠

August 2009 #125? Afraid I don't have copies for that year. @Rob might?

Paul Dawson's writing on the ticket, so pre 1997, when he took over his father's business. Not sure if he worked for Spink after 1985 which is when he joined his Dad. Still quite a wide date range I'm afraid ..

Another pair of tickets from the same mystery source as above. The more modern, in the same hand as above. The older is much more detailed than before (although, as far as I can see, the same hand) Usefully this one references the Numismatic Chronicle, thereby pinning down the date the ticket was written to between 1860 and 1880, the period within which the First series of the NC was referred to as the 'old series'. Similar use of Mionnet's scale as previously. The search continues..!

Here's another mystery ticket well, four actually. It's the larger ones that are most of interest to me. The numbers at the bottom state the sizes of medals using the Mionnet scale. A now obscure system first publicised in 1804 and apparently out of use by the 1920s. Which hopefully dates the tickets themselves to early 20th century. The smaller tickets are more recent, but I'm thinking 1950s 60s perhaps? The writing looks familiar, but I've just not managed to pin it down. Two pairs of tickets, describing different medals, but from the same sale and collection. Comments welcome!

That's why I decide how much I think something is worth to me in advance, decide my maximum bid and once placed in advance, I leave it be. The only exception to this is the last auction I took part in, where I'd set my budget but wanted several items. I had some 'left over' from my first successful bid so used the live online bidding to go for a subsequent lot. Despite being tempted to go rather over my budget I was the underbidder. A salutary lesson for me! I do feel there's scope for auction houses to do a 'roll over' scheme, where if you don't spend all of your first bid, the remainder is bid against another item. But my getting carried away last time is I guess precisely why they don't!

Yeah, I just set a maximum I want to go to and adjust for fees. Last purchase at Noonans, with the 5% supplement (because the seller was in the US), the additions came to just over 1/3 of my bid. I paid within my budget, but it meant less for the seller. As a collector, I just look at the overall price I have to pay. But I imagine it makes it difficult for dealers who will need to add their cut, unless they have the resources to hold onto stuff for a few years, to compete.

No, I just save any images of coin tickets I think might be useful later and this was one I spotted. The other ticket is a Baldwins one in Michael Sharp's hand. Hopefully both are still with the coin.

Cool. Thanks! I'll update my records.

So this (larger one) is Chris Comer, Stu?

Is the other (neater hand) ticket not John Jerrams? Or am I confused?

Yup. Left ticket (which looks grey to me and written in fountain pen) looks like Comber's writing to me too.

You might find your supermarket has a bin for them? Or if there's a larger stationary shop local to you?

😂

Gold doesn't tarnish. And gloves can make you clumsy. Dropping a coin like that is more risk than fingerprints to the edge that would clean if required.

On balance, I'd say yes. But the difference in focus and lighting meant I had to do a lot of checking! And yes the top looks mushy, but I assume it's out of focus. Can you buy it at the price of the top one? Because with that photo it should really be a lot lower than the price of the lower one!

Yes, definitely add Noonans. Davissons in the US do a regular list and auctions. There are different specialisms amongst auctioneers, some you may find better for what you want to collect than others. A quick search of coinarchives.com, numisbids.com and mcsearch.com (acsearch for ancients/mediaeval) might help there. Dealers similarly. Mike Vosper for ancients, Lloyd Bennet has a good selection including more modern pieces, AMR coins for good higher end. If you look at their sold archive you'll see if what you want features regularly enough. Many dealers will accept a 'wants' list, which might be worth considering?

Greetings and welcome back JMD!