TomGoodheart

I did try John Taverner Geoff, but even speeded up and a with a radical bass line dropped in it just didn't mix with the Trance Nation tracks I've been listening to....

Hmmm... Is a rare Churchill crown any more desirable than an ordinary one?? In the past proof coins have been produced with a plain edge and so this could be the rarer, though why it wouldn't list as 'Proof' I don't know. Neither am I sure about a 'satin' version. Could be the VIP version listed in Spink. Or... Coins are sometimes made with a matt finish (the dies are actually sandblasted) to enable them to be photographed when first issued. Since they only need small numbers such coins are quite scarce. What's a VIP proof (or specimen)?, er..... over to .... Geoff??? (I'm sticking to hammered (where frosted proofs are produced by a quick application of brasso!))

So nobody likes Dance music then...

Spink's latest Numismatic Circular has a few dozen for sale. The Parys Mine Pennies are around £10 in fine, £20 vf though the rarest go up to £60 or so. Grade and type (depends on the number and arrangement of acorns etc) determine the final value (as always!) Oh - there are counterfeits too - similar values. If you're really keen and have a friendly local library you could always ask them to obtain a copy - Spink's Numismatic Circular June 2004, Vol CXII Number 3

Hang on HPJ - you want to leave a little room don't you? 28mm should do fine surely, or you'll not be able to get the coin out again. And with 20 recesses per tray the Mascle will hold 280 coins. Just watch out for the doors - mine are completely different grain from eachother - I was somewhat disappointed. Then again when it's open it's nice and I have a tray for each sub-type of Charles I shillings (plus a tray with larger recesses for seige coins that I can't afford!)

In what I regard as my 'collection' : Oldest.. Edward VI shilling (im Y 1551-53) Newest.. Charles I shilling, (im Sceptre 1647-48) The rest is just assorted odds and ends (including one of those R@RE 2004 2ps!)

Coffee please. Not instant - that's just something that rhymes with spit. Espresso (lots of sugar, not stirred, just sat at the bottom of the cup) or cappuccino. Filtered is ok with cream. Tea? Earl Grey.

Thanks Master JMD, I'll try that. No - bmps don't load. I don't have PE either but I think it may be possible to save from Paint as jpeg.. Thanks Oli. Not for now I'm afraid, and (sadly) nothing of the quality of the last offerings! However I'm happy I have realised enough to pay for the next 'tranche' of Charles 1st. Of course, eventually I will have to face the fact that I have been neglecting Edward, James and Phil & Mary so I'm saving anything else for now (unless anyone wants some 1967 pennies?!!).

But you can't beat a nice Charlie! (sorry - I can't figure out how to add two pictures to one post (or if that's even possible))

Fifth for me.. though this is my nicest condition....

A lifetimes collecting I'd say! Oh - thanks for the email re the 1663 PM, at first I didn't recognise you out in the big wide world!

And the other side. Does yours look like this one RRose?

Found this on Google. Lima 8 reals (wreck find). I daresay there will be better pictures in a book somewhere.

Well congratulations Chris and the best of luck! Someone going by the tag Multinational Conglomerate recently emailed me via ebay - it wasn't you by any chance?!

It was Chris actually, in his new listings. Quite a few of the shillings (the nice ones!) are ex-me. Gotta pay for these old scraps of silver somehow! Victorian and hammered? Why not!

Hmmm... maybe that's why Chris didn't take them with the rest of my stuff (see newsletter!) So do you think I could convert you to going for hammered in a few years?

Fraid not Edward. I got my info about the initials from the Coincraft catalogue! Can I be cheeky and ask what amount of capital we are talking about for the Charles shillling? (Or point me in the right direction!?) I don't know of any written descriptions for grading hammered. I think there's a degree of subjectivity that would make it difficult. Particularly those coins that are well struck in one bit and poorly in another. Tone is also really important of course. I subscribe to Spink's Numismatic Circular which I use as a reference work to compare grades (as well as a sale catalogue) and also occasionally buy aution catalogues. I have noticed Spink use the term 'for this issue' which basically means '.. it's not a VF but for this coin you won't find much nicer..' so it's kinda imprecise.

And the reverse

Thank you Will. Here's one I like better which I just got. BTW. If anyone wants a GeoIII Northumberland or Chas II 1663 shilling I have them on eBay (only a day to go and no bids yet!). (Oops - sorry Chris - I hope there isn't a rule about not advertising on this site?)

I have to say I LIKE the anonymity of an avatar, although SOME of us seem to have gotten a wee bit carried away... Having met Chris I can confirm that.... a) I suffered no petrific side effects nor burst into flames as a result of his gaze c) He is not TOTALLY unlike his avatar but d) he IS totally unlike Peter Morris and e) his car is nice. I hope that helps!

E: Tom, is that the other side of the Chas shilling I saw on here before? I don't think so.. I am getting so old I can't remember exactly what I've posted but I only recently got this one! This is one of the last ever coins issued for Charles I and is very difficult to obtain with a nice striking. I have called it 'weak but VF' if that means anything. You can see that where it is struck up it is very crisp so I guess it's good for this issue but it's a bit disappointing the face is so weak. North's English Hammered Coinage lists it as scarce, so it is likely to be a while before I can upgrade it. The light patch is actually silvery - maybe due to it's being a hoard coin it toned irregularly. W: I think he only comes on here certain days of the week, don't know why (??) I work from 2.30 pm to 2.30 pm, so an a 'bad' week when I don't have any days off (like this one) I am only at home every second night. Hence the eratic postings...

Everything has its price. The question is, how much money would you need to have in the bank to feel able to part with a sufficient some to pry those suckers loose. Do you mean the guys with the rare coins or my wife and child?

I think I've raised this before but... most gradings are only really useful for modern coins. That's because there are really fine examples out there that one can compare with. With the older coins it's much more subjective. I see no point in a fifty (or whatever) point scale with hammered coins. You get a coin 'as struck' that has perfect lettering but a weak bust and another with a strong bust but with weak lettering. Despite being as close as one gets to in 'mint' condition they could grade just good VF. How would you grade this for example?...

Hmm... I'm not sure a million would help me much. It's less the cost of the coins I collect that's the problem than the availability. There are a couple of guys I know who have pretty much the only known examples of some of the Charles I shillings and I'm not sure they would part with them! I'd probably just use the money to retire so I can spend (even more) time looking for examples I don't have. I think my wife may have different ideas however!

I don't use padding. The colour balance I just fiddle about with. The detail is determined by the dpi setting. Trouble is the higher the dpi, the more memory the file takes up. I find a setting of 300dpi adequate. I have gone up to 800 but you can't email 10 or 12 MB without people whinging! If you scan several coins on high resolution, I find you can cut out one you want with someting like Paint. This cuts down on size and it can then be posted etc. That Will IIII in Fave coins was scanned at 300 or 400dpi along with my other shillings and then edited like that. Oh - I find I can do more with the pics if I save as JPEGs. I'm sure some young'un can tell me why. (No, no, that wasn't a request, I'm happy not to know!)