TomGoodheart

You say bust punches but I'm not sure if you're aware that at least some of the busts weremade using several puncheons. One for the crown for example, another for the face/head and another for the collar/ body details. I'm not sure that anyone has done a comprehensive study of which busts stand alone and which might be the result of the same puncheons being used in slightly different orientations/positions. Osborne is the only one I'm aware of that has studied aspects of the coinage (such as differing harp designs, shield garniture and so on) and while his work is very good, it's not as detailed as to go as far as identifying specific die parings and so on as for some other coins. I think the coins of Charles will be a challenge because they are the most varied of any reign and at time quality control was very poor. Personally I find just a broad identification of type and variety as per Michael Sharp is adequate for me to use as a basis for my collection. I'm not so interested in the micro-variety sort of thing as having an example of each castle mint mark, however I know another member here has taken more of an interest in Osborne's work. Horses for courses I guess!

As for storage, if I was collecting copper then I'd be a lot more careful than I am with my current coins (stored in trays in a traditional cabinet) which have been handled for the last few hundred years and aren't going to be much affected by a bit more! You don't want finger prints on your nice coins, so a pair of gloves (available from Chris P, owner of predecimal) or some coin slips might be sensible. Acid free paper envelopes are good, but you cant see the coin! For that you need holders/flips. The cheapest are a piece of card with two windows. Pop your coin in, fold the flip over and your coin is safely sandwiched between but can be admired through the windows. They come in different window sizes to suit the coin and you can also get storage trays or books to hold them. Of course there are also capsules (little round boxes) and so on, depending on choice.

The problem is, the best way to learn is to see some actual coins. However a chap called Colin Cooke (now sadly passed away) was a notable collector of base metal coins, in particulat farthings. His successors still have unparallelled experience in this area and you might want to chech their stock for examples with and without lustre: Colin Cooke halfpennies Plus he sold the Basil Nicholson collection which is worth a look: http://www.colincooke.com/coinpages/nicholsoncollection.html Just remember that the original 'red' colour of a coin will also shine through after it has been cleaned: Such a coin is not desirable and will never regain it's original lustre. However shiny it may be, it's ruined. A nicely tones coin will always be preferable to a cleaned one. Particularly in good grade: So don't dismiss 'brown' coins out of hand!

Welcome David! Lustre is more than the original colour of a coin, it's an effect you get with uncleaned coins and I think is rather like a shimmer. The problem is it's difficult to always tell from a photo becasue lustre is often best seen by moving the coin around and observing the play of the light on the surfaces. However here is a coin that looks to have full lustre that was sold by the auction house Baldwins a while back: However it's important not to get carried away with lustre! This for example is a proof coin and while deep brown in colour is a splendid thing (and went for a splendid price!):

I don't think it's the roundness that's a problem! Perhaps people are missing that this isn't actually a hammered coin after all, but an early machine made coin produced by Nicholas Briot. Second milled issue (1638-39, Spink 2860) Typically they are very round being made from specially prepared blanks and very rarely found clipped. Here's a similar example that sold through Baldwins 18 months ago: What concerns me, like Rob, is the rather odd 'frothiness' to the worn areas. That doesn't look like the adjustment marks caused by a file (which is typically what was used). Nor does it really look as I'd expect if it's silver. Coupled with the low weight, I too am ... unsure about it.

Not that I'm aware. I don't believe I've had any problems (but I only get notifications when someone pms me). I wonder if it might be your email system? Have you checked that it doesn't think there's something dodgy about predecimal.com and isn't filtering them somehow? Oh, and I replied to your pm at 17.20 today Fri 6 July, in case you don't get it until later and are interested to know when it was sent!

Mine are straightforward, all being the same monarch and denomination, but I have a space for the Spink reference number (and one for the specialised notation suggested by Michael Sharp for Charles I shillings. No point checking, thinking 'Oh, I have an 1873 shilling already' only to find out you have an A1-B and have just missed out on a B1-A (I made up those for illustration, but you get the idea)) I also, it being a spreadsheet, keep a running total of how much I have spent. When I sell on a coin and upgrade it I delete the initial entry and price and put in the new one. Hopefully you'll never need to tell an insurance company the value of your collection (which is of course, not the same as what you spent!), but a total might be useful one day. (Actually I have two spereadsheets, one in Spink/type/date of minting order so I can check if I have a particular variety, the other in date purchased order which tells me how much of my budget I have left to spend. I guess most people spend out of income so maybe that's not relevant, but I have a fixed amount and it's useful to know at a glance how much is there.) The other things I do are keep a photographic record of all my coins. Partly against loss, but mainly so I can check a photo against a potential purchase. If you have one of those new-fangled mobile devices you can carry around with your records on a memory stick or card, all the handier. Finally, each coin has a ticket. A few came with one, (some came with bloody irritating square ones that don't fit my storage trays, thank you DNW et al!) but I always write one myself. It sits under the felt at the bottom of the tray hole, but less and less people seem to use them, so it's more of a quirk than a useful thing I guess!

Again, not a laugh, but John Newman seems to have a run of Charles II farthings as buy-it-nows on ebay. I don't know the things from my Uncle George's left lawnmower, but in case anyone is interested you can use this link to look at his other items for sale ... http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CHARLES-II-FARTHING-1679-/280914453380?pt=UK_Coins_BritishMilled_RL&hash=item4167ce6384

Interesting. Is that Elizabeth I? Aha. Bit more info here: http://www.pccoinsandcollectables.com/product.php?cat_id=6&sub_id=62&pro_id=460

There. I corrected it for you.

NOPE! All looking promising! I did scan the web for the 8 over 7 and didn't find any matches! I don't suppose there would have been THAT many 8/7 dies either...any rough ideas on how many I would have to rule out? More Rob's teritory that I'm afraid. But there were two ebay listings supposedly for 1578/7/6 sixpences. Maybe email the buyers/ sellers and see if they have photos they would send you? http://feedback.ebay.com.my/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewFeedback2&userid=jerseyjohnjames&ftab=FeedbackAsSeller http://feedback.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewFeedback2&userid=oldgroats&iid=-1&de=off&items=25&which=positive&interval=365

Well, the alternative is to compare it with CR-b dies. You could start by comparing it with the 7/8 here. If it matches, you have your answer. If not .. the search goes on! DNW sale 16 March 2011, Lot 278 (part)

And if you can post a photo of all of the reverse of your coin I can check searches if I get the chance ...

Dies for hammered coins were made by hand. Consequently if two reverses tally in more than a couple of points then, rather like fingerprints, they must be from the same die. Now you need to allow for striking weaknesses, gradual wear and doubling and so on. But essentially the letters will point to the same dot of the outer or inner circle, odd shaped letters will match and so on. Find a photo of an example of a CR-2/CRa reverse and Robert is the brother of one of your parents! And if you post it here alongside a photo of your coin then I will be happy to compare the two and give my views. Now ... do you have a photo of a CR-2/CRa reverse?

Quite possibly IMHO. As you'll know, the figure 8 appears to be quite small by comparison with the 7s and I wouldn't think would extend above the top of that. Whereas the 6 is larger and sticks out above the 7. But I have no expertise in this area. Just my opinion based on the photos.

Not me, no. I spotted it but I'm saving my pennies! And I'm never sure what ebay thinks of listings ending if there are bids on a item. Not that they can do anything, but a bid is supposed to be a contract ...

Not a laugh, just wondered if anyone is following this: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Edward-v1-siver-Hammered-coin-/150847991480?pt=UK_Coins_BritishHammered_RL&hash=item231f3daeb8? Assuming it's genuine, and I have no reason to think otherwise, and not ruined by say polishing, could be worth a bid. High starting bids often put people off and if you could get it for close to the opening price .... (I've tweaked the photo for my own purposes)

I'm sure you've seen this Rob? http://www.cngcoins.com/Coin.aspx?CoinID=212679

was that a lavender blue coin by any chance? Quite likely. Or suzuki4x4, cmoon or any of his other aliases. The photos are a give away.

Did the seller say where he got it? These things have been around a while. I have a pic of one from ebay from 2010 so unless he obtained it well before then I'd say the chances are it's duff.

Yeah, the issued design was know as 'the rocking horse' and that describes it quite well. I suspect there are quite a few coins that with our modern eyes would have looked better with designs that were rejected at the time. Now, if you could just find a coin that had slipped out of the mint with this reverse ... that would solve the problem of funding a collection I'd imagine!

I've inspected the obv mark many times to see if I could see more than the blurred tun, but have never been able to make it out any better, so presume it's just over crown, like the reverse. Oh, and I've pm'd you!

Not afaik, Rob. The Prestbury (creased) and tun over crown coin I got from Bob Lyall. The latter has a couple of tiny spots of red wax on it, but whether that's of any significance I don't know. He didn't tell me where he got it and there was no ticket. But apart from yours I've only ever seen two others, so I think it's quite rare with this overmark (though obviously, it's not the easiest to spot). Perhaps I should ask more for it? The photographs are frustrating. Our old camera which just eats up battery life is fine. This new one, despite having a supposed macro facility (and the pic looking nice and crisp on the screen) just doesn't produce such sharp images. Grrr. As for the site, while I've bought milled coins from lists in the past, with hammered there are so many potential variations I really need to see a photo to make a decision. And while I'm limiting my choices, I don't (yet) attend fairs or auctions so online dealers are my major source for new material. Those without photos I tend to just pass by as it gets embarassing constantly asking 'so have you got a photo of .. you could send me?' Please do Dave. I'm in no hurry and will just leave them up for people to see. If you want more images of any I'll do my best! That's OK Chris. And if anyone disagrees with my opinions, do say! It's always interesting to hear people's views on grading and I'm always prepared to learn.

*wonders if that's some obscure reference to sex?* Jolly good! It's been breezy in Blighty so you haven't missed much I don't think!

Well Done Debbie! And after that little challenge it should be no problem at all for you to convince my wife that all the time and effort I spend on coin related stuff is worthwhile and that a few more £,000 to spend on the things would be an entirely justified and welcome gift. Somehow she just doesn't see it ..!