TomGoodheart

I know a couple of mine were cleaned a while back and have a feeling one or two might be AT, but I can't remember now whether any in the tray I posted might be the ones. Certainly the Briot hammered has been dipped (quite a bit I suspect) and isn't toning particularly nicely. But it would be difficult to replace, so ...

£20! Ouch. I don't remember Noble being quite so bad when I bought a coin from them, but that was a while back and postage prices have increased quite a bit since then. Hopefully your sixpence came tracked and insured for that price Garrett! Photos?

And of course, I like this one:

I find it almost impossible to photograph toning satisfactorily with individual coins! However you get an idea of the range of colours in this photo of a tray. I've still had to play around with it but it's a bit more representative of what they look like 'in real life' Not all are as I would prefer, but sometimes you just have to put up with what you have!

PCGS info on 'Amazing' eye appeal: "This is a coin you look at and think "Wow!" This coin could have incredible luster and/or color, and/or mind boggling contrast if a proof or proof-like, and/or incredible mirror surfaces if a proof. Amazing eye appeal can add up to a full point to the "technical" grade." "Wow"? I'm thinking "Where's the eye bleach??!" I'm also thinking "original toning always follows the color spectrum of the rainbow, in nature, if the colors are in a different order then it is most likely artificial toning and not worth buying". Eh?

http://www.pcgs.com/eyeappeal.html?utm_source=pepperjam&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=14510

Having sowed a few unobtrusive seeds of doubt I've not bothered posting more in that thread. Rather in the same way that I refrain from shouting throughout all the threads on NCLT "But they AREN'T bloody coins, they have NEVER circulated, they're just overpriced rounds of silver, so WHY do you need to slab and grade them?!?!" because it would be bad for my blood pressure. No point pursuing arguments you can't win, I reckon!

Another quote from the thread: "I took a great course on toning at the ANA many years ago, presented by Bob Campbell, he said always look for attractive toning, and that original toning always follows the color spectrum of the rainbow, in nature, if the colors are in a different order then it is most likely artificial toning and not worth buying. As to how much premium to pay? That is totally up to the buyer. Some of the monster toned Morgans can be astronomical priced when compared to a price sheet." Colours of the rainbow?? But coins don't tone red, then orange, yellow, green, blue and violet, do they? They start a pinkish grey and go a bluish grey with occasional gold highlights. Of if dipped they seem to go a bit yellower. And eventually, black. But a progression? Not in my (admittedly limited) experience. I suspect there's less science than wishful thinking myself. After all, who is going to admit to paying over the odds for an AT coin? Attractive? Then it must be natural (they tell themselves...)

So it was quiet here and I was browsing an American forum I frequent and came across a thread on toning. And I happened to mention that British coins just don't appear to tone in those brilliant(!) rainbow shades you find with US ones. I wondered that, since variations in storage and metal composition aren't to my knowledge that different over here to those in the US, how that might be? One respondant suggested that since he'd observed that British silver coins tone all-of-a-piece rather than in a rainbow progression, it's an artifact of how our Mint prepared the planchets. He went on to say "Some favor toning - especially Morgans - to the point where they'll pay a substantial premium over normal prices." I decided not to post my immediate reply, which was along the lines that I find it curious that something that commands a premium in the US is more often found there than in the UK, where it does not. Or am I just being cynical?

Hmm .. that's a heck of a difference in price realised! And if any Americans are reading this, remember guys, always buy the slab, not the coin!

That's the one.

Well done Dan. Don't be too disappointed at missing by £10. That is likely just the bidding step. There's no way of knowing if you'd have got it by offering another £20 or if it would have just kept going. (My bid was over £100 more than the hammer price! Unsurprisingly I'm delighted it didn't go that high!)

Hi Geoff! Long time no see! But interesting observations as always, thank you! Although I could have done without the reminder that 2013 is drawing to a close. It's bad enough seeing the Christmas decorations in the shops without coins making me feel as if my life is flying along at breakneck speed!

Well, my coin arrived this morning. So in answer to the original question, I think W&W's grading is accurate. I would call this good Fine, on the basis of how other examples have been graded, admittedly in the 1970s. Of course, if anyone would like to insist it's better (and I do think that it might have been graded a bit more generously by some other auction houses), feel free! A few old and minor scratches that weren't in the description but nicely toned and a satisfactory upgrade. Weight is fine at 6.01g The photo isn't brilliant (and aplolgies for the specks of dust!), but I was in a hurry to get it done before I go to work!

'Bag marks' are not so much scrapes as dints/knocks caused by the rim/edge of one coin striking another. They can be caused on modern coins as they drop off the conveyor into collection bins, or with older ones as bags of coins are man-handled from one location to another. I could be wrong of course, but die damage is normally due to cracking/splitting or clash marks. In such instances the damage to the die is concave leading to a mark on the coin in relief (ie sticking out). For a flaw to cause an indented mark on the coin there would have to be additional metal on the face of the die, or in this case because it lies across a letter, a blockage in the die. But this doesn't look like die blockage to me. Just explaining how I came to my view, in case it helps!

I'm not an expert Jim, but considering the dint that runs across the 'N' I'd be inclined to say that's also what has happened to the 'T'. A bag mark, or Post Mint Damage (PMD) it's called in coiny circles I believe. Sorry.

I came home just now to find my invoice waiting for me. Hopefully the coin will arrive as promptly as I left my debit card number with them yesterday morning and payment has been taken .. Did you manage to get them Danz? If not, pm me the lot numbers and I'll look them up for you.

When I went to the main page there was a 'Realisations' drop down from the auctions tab. That brought up a list of auction results. However they were in Excel format, so it might depend on whether you have software that can open such a file. Plus I suspect you need cookies enables as I'm currently at work and can't get the dropdowns to function ...

Yes it is his 3rd time, I think that this is a good idea Colin, everyone knows someone who is fairly "handy" or at least large in size, I bet for £50 to £100 you could get them as a minder if only to come with you to and from a showHmmm ... now who was it here who had a photo of himself and lot of mates all wearing black belts ....

Welcome Connor! I was at work, so oblivious to the fact that there was a football match. Was it anything important?

I just spoke to them. The auction has only just finished (15.45) and the staff are on their way back to the office. Once there they will then check bids against bidders and they hope to update the website with prices realised later today. Tomorrow they will start to draw up invoices to send out. Exciting, eh?

Photos needed I'm afraid! You can directly insert images up to 150KB into a post using the 'More Perly Options' button below a reply, or add a link to a photohosting site such as flikr or photobucket via the picture icon at the top. http://www.predecimal.com/forum/topic/7880-posting-pics/

http://www.roderickrichardson.com/coins/coin-details.aspx?id=JD95

If you see him Neil, please let him know we were all concerned to hear about it and hope he's OK and that insurance will cover it (or the coins are recovered of course).

Afraid not, just one off ebay. Nice looking indeed, but like most here, I wouldn't have a clue as to whether it was the real deal (LOL) or a fake!