TomGoodheart

Though oddly, I haven't had a demand to change from eBay yet, even though it was suggested this would be rolled out worldwide yesterday. But I changed it anyway. Why wait I figured. Probably a good idea for anyone else who hasn't seen the news yet, too.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-27503290

Eaglen certainly suggested that museums might not be as good as collectors when it comes to coin records. Re-ticketing leading to loss, or even disposal, of earlier tickets. Less than brilliant record keeping ... and of course, as Nick alludes, museum staff are not necessarily numismatists. Or even interested in the coins in their care at all. .

Well, if anyone particularly wants to be known as the owner of the most expensive British coin I'll happily add a few noughts to one of the coins I have listed on eBay? Just pm me how ridiculously high you'd like to go and I'll do my best to accommodate you.

I'm never sure. There are so many on ebay I do wonder if Ashmore isn't still making the things! I find it odd that people seem to collect them. I have bought contemporary (ie 17th century) counterfeits before, but modern copies? I guess if there was a decent-enough-to-fool-Joe-public shilling of Charles I, I might buy it for my 'black' collection. Providing it wasn't expensive of course!

I don't mind the true rarities as much. You just don't see them until one turns up. It's the 'conditional' ones that I find frustrating! The coins that you can find by the dozen on eBay, but that might take years (and many coins checked and dismissed) to actually find a really nice example. And of course, when you see something a little better .. you wonder whether to get it in case you regret it later, or to hold out in the hope that perfect coin is out there! Oh, well. As I tell my wife, it keeps me off the streets. If I didn't collect coins I might have turned to a life of crime and we could be retired in luxury somewhere sunny by now.

Hi and welcome p1lyp. Many people join just to ask a question. It's fine! Though you might have to wait a bit for a reply as there are fewer members with knowledge of such issues than for milled coins. I dare say someone will be on this evening who might be able to help. .. Meantime, I've tweaked your image. Are you sure the moneyer is there? If I had to guess (on the basis that I think I can see two 'N's at 3 o'clock and 5 o'clock of the image) I'd say it says [..] LINCON before the : I'm wondering if the moneyer's name is in the missing bit of legend? Not that I know anything about such things! Edit: ..PAEN:ON ?? (again Lincoln) http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=6&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CEoQFjAF&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.britnumsoc.org%2Fpublications%2FDigital%20BNJ%2Fpdfs%2F1966_BNJ_35_9.pdf&ei=GeRwU52hKai57Aa1yIDwAQ&usg=AFQjCNF1dT0-C9v956XLebFskLPYGqH_Rw Yeah, really scraping the guess barrel now!

The London Coin Company does not have anything to do with The London Mint Office. Rather like Steven Mitchell does (studiocoins.net, but not studiocoins.com or studiocoins.co.uk!), had you thought of a disclaimer on your website, just to emphasise that you have no association with them? Just an idea.

I've not done the sums (though perhaps Rob has?), but get the impression that throughout the earlier part of the last century, probably to the late 1960s, most coins were comfortably affordable by your average professional. If you look through the descriptions of collectors it's not just landed gentry but teachers, solicitors, doctors, plumbers and electrical contractors. Some of whom amassed impressive collections. I'm starting to think that if prices for better pieces continue to rise then in another few years that may no longer be the case. Certainly my budget is feeling the strain, though it was pretty small to start with! Perhaps I should just collect tickets? Might be a bit cheaper! And I've gaps already. I've sadly no Brooker ticket with my coin. None for Roger Shuttlewood (do any exist?) No Lockett or Francis. Though I did confirm one of Alan Rayner's from the article and on old Format one too. Such fun!

Welcome Justin. I hope you don't mind but I've deleted your duplicate post as all the answers seem to be coming here!

LOL Sadly, having now bought three BNJs in their original form, I've realised that very handy though they are, the digital scans aren't terribly good for showing detail in illustrations. So no, I went for the paper copy. Which I am very happy to confirm is much better for my purposes. .

I recently bought the 2001 BNJ for the Eaglen article. ("Coin Tickets in the British Hammered Series Robin J. Eaglen, Peter D. Mitchell and Hugh E. Pagan") And I've now spent an enjoyable evening photocopying my coin tickets and cutting them out to replace, or supplement, those illustrated in the article. What can I say!

The seller. This could have happened with any dealer/auction house whether on or off eBay. Um, yeah. I think Rob was suggesting a 'name and shame' Clive!

Clive Dennett's website has just gone. Not sure how long they last until they need to be renewed, but I'm guessing it (and therefore he) has not been active for a couple of years now. I only know a few of these guys by name. I started (comparatively) late. Some of my first purchases were from Bob Ilsley at Dolphin Coins (in the 'Double Sovereign') days. I'd quite like to pay some of those prices now ...

Members can send messages to each other via the forum, so it's not necessary to include your email address in posts. However, if you want an opinion on a coin, a photo is pretty much essential! Information about adding pics to posts here: http://www.predecimal.com/forum/topic/7880-posting-pics/

Don't know about 'good' but some Russian coins. Though not for cheap I'm afraid. ma-shops PGN

Yes. When you hover near the bottom of your post you'll see an edit button.

Thanks Rob! My feeling is it's nVF. Probably impossible to pin down without a photo, but the Rayner link is nice to have.

Oddly, the 'reverse' mostly restates what's on the other side but in a different hand ..

Here's the 'obverse' which I wondered if it might be Alan Rayner's. Anyone seen similar? .

Do we need the smiley here?

.. from humble beginnings .. I'm sure it's the same for most of us. Modest buys at first, some from ebay, then more from online dealers and then the big world of auction houses. Gradually coins that other people have owned start to creep in and provenance starts to mean a bit more ... .. some of us actually seek out such coins. For others I guess if the coin is pleasing it's neither here nor there where it lived 10, 20 or 30 years ago. Horses for courses, as always.

Cough. Cough. LOL Well played that man.

Yes, the BNJs are a great resource. And of course you can pick and choose articles at leisure. Just realised I assumed pies wants coin related books! Maybe he wanted historical research! In which case I'm afraid Amazon might be better for recommendations as I wouldn't have a clue!

Very much depends on what you want! Yes, Brooker is a good overview of a collection assembled over many years by an enthusiast! 1300 coins is it(?) pretty much all illustrated (B&W) with provenances and weights and short appendices on the pyx (which yields the dates the various privy marks were used) and provenances (which I have then used to track down auction catalogues of interest!) Tower and provincial/obsidional issues are all covered. Only proviso is that Brooker was keen on things like legend variations so collected some poorer examples just because they were different and he liked some rarities which are therefore over-represented and make you think they were commoner than they actually are! Then there are specialised publications on various denominations. The BNJ published several for example by Grant Francis on the various Tower mint issues which largely established the classifications. Michael Sharp's paper on Tower mint shillings (which also touched on those issued at Aberystwyth) is the basis for the numbering system used by many shilling collectors. All available online: http://www.britnumsoc.org/publications/Digital%20BNJ.shtml Halfcrowns are covered by Bull's series(!) of books which go into great detail. As does Roy Osborne's 1984 paper (BNJ again) on Tower coin varieties. More readable is Beasley's Coins and Medals of the English Civil War. Finally (probably not actually!) George Boon wrote a book on the Aberystwyth silver mines which touches on the coinage. Amongst other things! Not sure about gold as it's not an area I've looked at. Again I'd start with the BNJ maybe? And of course I'm always happy to help. I've learnt as much, if not more, from talking to other collectors as from books. .