declanwmagee

Risky move, Dave, if you think that people have cottoned on the MP ring. Perhaps something like "notintheirclub"

Looks like you'll have to score another one now that MP has changed his eBay name again - keep him on the run!

o***t (2001) I reckon. Although only 11% bids with this seller, and shops for all sorts of other stuff, he's retracted 49 bids. I've been shopping on eBay nearly 10 years and I've never retracted a bid.

Fair point Rob. It's easy for me to say when I let eBay do all the donkey work for me. All I've managed to do is secure a domain name. (www.declanmageecoins.co.uk). Since then I've done precisely nothing on that particular project!

Dorset Coins were there - I should have thanked him for his EF halfcrown groups that he's been knocking out for years. I made quite a lot of money splitting those up in my early days. Lockdales were there, but only to show the lots in their upcoming auction - I did ask them if they had any for sale, because the pennies really caught my eye, but no. They did give me one of their glossy catalogues though, which is a lovely thing in itself! I might try a bit of bidding on Lockdales on Sunday if I can work out how to do it - that's another new world to explore! Carlton Coins - no website! Amazes me too.

I like these: plus these. 100 coins to a box, and each box takes up the same amount of space as 2 Screwfix catalogues...

If you look down sonofcorks FB, you 'll find Country Cottage interiors, Surrey Coins (richparfishing), and dear old Roy Dinsdale. I wonder if they're all in the same lodge?

Found it, Nick! The scalloped edges are very clear - and that's an excellent tip for differentiation. Now if only there was something so clear to distinguish early strike silver threepences from Maundy!

See, I'll wean you off eBay eventually. You can't beat a coin fair. What you see is what you get, unlike eBay where what you see you might get applies. Coin fairs also filter out the washers, because nobody wants to carry them around for the day. They go into the melting pot as a default action. It's actually quite difficult to find something in less than fine at a coin fair unless it is at the very least scarce or rare. You will, Rob, of that there's no doubt! I even caught myself fantasising about having a table but I'd have to get into buying stock for stock's sake, and I'm not sure I want to do down that route. I have always avoided buying downgrades, so, unlike most dealers, I don't have sacks of junk in the cellar that I have cherry picked.

Most dealers there I'd never heard of, Clive, and looking them up afterwards quite a few have no internet presence at all, which is remarkable. Quite old school in a way - it almost felt a bit "underground", compared to the mainstream I'm used to swimming in. As well as Rob, the other people who sold me stuff were: David Craddock Birmingham Coins Ian Pratt Paul Davis Numismatic Legends D T Peake K B Coins

Tell you what else I noticed - the almost complete absence of slabs. Lockett & Co were there,, but they didn't seem to be selling anything. Odd.

I did 3 laps in the time before they all started packing up. It was such a relief after years of wading through eBay dross looking for the gems - which of course, everyone else is always after too. Sure, there was dross there too, but your eyes pass over it much quicker than an endlessly scrolling screen.

What a different experience it was, compared to shopping from photos. So tactile! I loved it.

1909 Penny. Looks like your best 1967 in the hand.

1896 large rose Shilling. Very easy on the eye. I'll say. 1901 Halfcrown. Closest to perfect I've ever seen.

1887 Sixpence. What's this? Why one of these. Look closely - yes, Obv 1, JEB ON trunc, not under. Blimey. 1893 small lettering Shilling. Blistering.

1870 Shilling, Die 5, amazing 1875 8+J Penny F82. Also amazing

1816 Shilling. Suits you, Sir. 1847 far colon Penny: bloody gorgeous with more lustre than I captured in the photo

1799 halfpenny 5 guns 1816 halfcrown. I didn't know it at the time but this turned out to be my Star Buy when I did the numbers back home. First coin I bought, from an outfit called RP Coins...

Well, I had a fantastic day, and I don't care who knows it. Here's what I came home with - feast your eyes... 1893 1+A halfcrown 1853 sixpence. Very prooflike - I know there was an 1853 proof set -what do you think the chances are that it is one? The only coin I paid slightly over my £200 per coin limit.

Hi Terry. Unfortunately graffiti or defacement of a coin never enhances its value. Quite the opposite really. Sometimes they can have some historical significance - I'm thinking of the "Votes for Women" campaign in the 19teens, although there are some recent replicas of those. Antimonarchy factions were known to deface the Kings head at various times, and Irish Republicans have been known to counterstamp regal coinage from the 1790s till, well, now. I doubt a single letter "A" has any such meaning though - probably just someone mucking about with a punch.

Any ideas on relative scarcity, Varietalis? Quite a few of us here like a good microvariety...

No idea, Gary, but lovely to meet you and Rob at the Midland! Did you have a good day?

£5000 in 24 hours! Has to be a hack, surely...

Well, that's just one survey - I used it to indicate what penny collectors just know - a Gouby X is much harder to find. That survey just gave it some numbers; 38 times harder!