TomGoodheart

If you do list on eBay, might be worth including the US site (for which pleasure you may have to pay extra) as it seems to me that error coins are a bit more popular that side of the Atlantic. And of course, good quality photos will be needed. Be interesting to hear how you get on! (Oh, shall I delete your other thread Tomo? This one seems busier and as it's appropriate to the topic ...)

I've yet to decide whether this is a terrible thing or not. Bottom line is that it seems to me that coin collecting has changed hugely from when the last decent collections were formed. Between the 1920s and, say, 1970s some fairly major collections were formed by teachers, pharmacists, solicitors and the like. They weren't all filled with top end material (although some were) but a steady scholarly approach meant that a good representative collection could be formed. Where there was a challenge it was as much for the need for patience as cash, as rarer pieces were less unaffordable and more that you'd have to wait your turn to get one. But for the most part I suspect that is no longer possible. Whether because of the number of buyers or amount of money available to buy, it seems to be becoming increasingly difficult to fill gaps in collections. I don't know what's happening to those coins because I don't know any 'investors'. They might be being collected and researched and studied. Or they may be locked straight into vaults only to see the light of day when next presented at some auction house. The terrible thing would be if collectors like me and Dave etc have to settle for lesser material because all the better pieces are taken out of numismatic circulation and transferred to the Fine Art market. However if those coins are carefully held and will become available to regular collectors in time (ideally after the taste for coins as investments cools a bit and prices return to more sensible levels) then it wouldn't perhaps be so bad. Obviously I don't expect the coins I want to return to the prices they were 5 or 3 years ago. Any more than I expect a house to cost what it did in 1980. But I'd like to think that a decent proportion of the coins I still would like to obtain will remain affordable. Otherwise I might as well pack it in today.

Sell? More likely they would just disappear into Baldwin's magic basement for a decade or ten.

For those that just want to see a pic:

LOLOL! Oh, and I've had confirmation both groats in the earlier listing are copies which means it's a hat-trick for the seller as all three coins listed are now confirmed fakes! :angry:

The shape of the bell shilling is the same as the ones on forgerynetwork. All are quite toned dirty and so it's difficult to be 100% from the photos. But I wouldn't buy any of them .. or advise anyone else to.

Pretty certain the Charles I shilling is fake. The rest ..well, I'm not sure about them, but they aren't my area. Anyone any views? http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/millfield2002/m.html?item=331254698500&hash=item4d20519204&pt=UK_Coins_BritishHammered_RL&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2562

Thanks Rob! That's very helpful. It would have been a bit below £100, so not ridiculous, but not a bargain either. Going to take me some time to get my eye in with this sort of thing I think! Maybe I'll just stick to Charlies!

OK Guys. Real or fake please? Thanks!

Good grief! One of the sellers has even called themselves PCGS! Sorry I sold my Northumberland now. Not sure I'd risk buying another!

Except that George and the Dragon is not British in origin - is it Maltese or something like that? That may well be so, but the US market will associate it with the UK surely, and would have done back then too? Maybe it just worked as a complex image that showed off the engraver's skill? The fact that it was (presumably) a recognisable image might even have been an advantage, giving recipients a chance to decide if it was a good rendition or not?

Anything exciting (to me that is!)? Maybe. I bought the E5/2That was the one! I thought the prices more realistic than of late. I'd be interested to see a photo if you take one Rob. Looked like a decent strike, but it can be hard to tell sometimes without viewing personally.

Anything exciting (to me that is!)?

I've just emailed Lockdales about Lot #1039 (Charles I silver shilling) in their next sale. Has the same broken inner circle as Dave's Scottish purchase. The groat afaik is fine.

Not sure about Taco Bell napkins, but Manilla envelopes used to be mentioned as being effective. Trouble is, as Stuart says (and of course, he's to the only one to have 'experimented') the results can rarely be guaranteed. This makes the slow approach probably a bit safer, though not as satisfactory as darkening a coin within minutes. But there's still a risk that you'll end up with something that you like less than the original. Or, and I presume this may be due to how or what was used to 'brighten' a coin previously, there do seem to be some that just stay bright. If someone could create a product that gave controllable, consistent results, I suspect they would make a lot of money!

Hi Westing. Welcome. We do have a couple of US based members, though they've not commented on this thread yet. Can you tell us which state (or city) you're in, in case they might be interested? An alternative is Coin Community Forum, which is a US based coin forum. The advantages are obviously geographic. The disadvantages are firstly, less specialised collectors of British coins there. Secondly you need to have a minimum number of posts (250) and have been a member there for a certain length of time (90 days) before you can offer items for sale. Not unreasonable, since they are trying to attract people who want to talk about coins, rather than just come on to sell. But a little inconvenient. Finally, as you've no doubt realised, many people, including dealers, will only really be interested in the rarest and best condition coins. If you are prepared to take a bit of time to identify any such 'key' coins (and I'm sure people here will be happy to guide you to scarcer dates, identify varieties etc) had you considered perhaps letting the remainder go, perhaps through a local coin club to some younger collectors or people looking for some British coins for diversity? A LCC might also help you thin, research or build the parts of your collection you are more interested in?

It's worth remembering that for most of us a collecting plan isn't set in stone. We all buy things that don't quite fit because we fancy them or things that we told ourselves we wouldn't (I still buy the occasional crap rarity because it's rare, even though I know there are barely half a dozen people who will ever want one and it falls well below the grade minimum I normally set myself). But that's OK. We all make mistakes. We learn. We keep going. I myself buy less than six coins most years. I have a little sideline of foreign coins I try to pick up cheap. When there are no coins I buy literature, dealer lists and auction catalogues. I think all I can say is think of the research and reading as part of the collecting. And that sometimes it's fun to break the rules. Even if they are only rules we've set ourselves!

Undoubtedly the most important thing when collecting is knowledge. I learnt most of what I know from other collectors who were happy to share their knowledge. And I add to this by spending far too many hours searching for and looking at coins on the internet and in books. I think that, given that you aren't constrained to collect a particular denomination or date for most reigns, you should be able to get a decent idea of which issues are more easily obtained in better grades from people here. And of course, since you're unlikely to be competing for many rarities, as Paul says, you can afford to ask here for views before buying. Until you feel more confident assessing coins yourself of course!

As Rob says, the rules state that "collectors pieces of numismatic interest" (tariff code 9706 00 00) of more than 22€ value are liable to no import duty, but VAT at the equivalent to 5%. Sometimes the Border Agency get confused and I've had to claim for a refund on overcharging. Other times the package is completely overlooked. I had to pay on a purchase that including postage was only US$70 (£40) but not for a coin from Stacks Bowers in a clearly labelled envelope which cost me over £200. And as Colin says, the RM's 'handling charge' seems disproportionate for smaller purchases. However it's worth remembering that the way the system works is that Royal Mail actually pay the import charges to the BA and then have to reclaim them from the recipient!! It's a bloody stupid system, but when you know how it works, perhaps £8 isn't too unfair?

On first glance the more contrasty 1819 looks nice. But there are the more apparent scratches (a wipe in the past? Though maybe just be a result of a slightly different angle of light in the photo). And it looks to me as if there are slightly better rims and reverse detail to the 18. So it's 1818 for me too, if that helps?

A first for me. A cheap opportunity to get a Lucien Bazor 'Marianne' portrait: But.. it's not a coin! Here's the reverse: It's a zinc PTT (telephone) token!

It certainly is. And on the site of that reputable dealer, Mr eBay no less. Yours for £525. Or an acceptable offer .. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/321425722637?_trksid=p2055120.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

Another eBay 191205699916. Not CGS slabbed:

So.. what do we think? eBay 321425722637 .. CGS graded 45. UIN 22437 (Sorry, had tolink to photobucket as the stupid forum won't let me link direct .. And a pic from forgerynetwork:

I admit it. I'm a Europhile. I see myself as European as much as British. Yes, the EU isn't perfect. But what institution is? But I believe we gain more from being part of it than not. We don't often hear from the thousands of Brits living out their retirements in the sunnier parts of Europe whiles receiving their pensions and local healthcare. The thousands working in Europe because they have a right to travel and work. The thousands in places like Germany claiming benefits ... benefits they are entitled to. You don't hear much about European professionals and graduates, working here having accepted jobs below their qualifications. Who in many cases plan to return home once the economy has improved. Instead the newspapers are full of scare stories about 'scroungers' from the East. Well, we have quite enough home-grown scroungers too. Those who were born here but feel entitled to claim benefits and hang on until they are entitled to buy their council houses. You get those everywhere. People who could work but don't want to. Does that mean we should just stop people from claiming benefits? Close the gates? Force the unemployed and disabled to 'do something' during the day, rather than sit at home or whatever? I strongly believe not. Our benefits system helps far more people than abuse it. Our immigration and asylum policies benefit the country far more than they are abused. Our 'belonging' to Europe is of far more benefit to us that if we were to cut ourselves off and go it alone. UKIP is a reflection of a general public dissatisfaction with politicians and the current parties who don't seem to be able to decide whether they wish to run on principles (these are our policies - if you agree vote for us) or pragmatism (we want to get elected so vote for us and we'll do whatever you want when in power). Once the world economy improves, as eventually it surely will since these things seem to be cyclical, UKIP and the reasons it garners interest will be forgotten. Rather like SNP and Scottish 'independence' I just hope that in the meantime we don't do anything stupid and irreversible that we will regret.