Coys55

Nothing very interesting for you, just an 1866 penny that I found in a bag when I was about 12 (so almost 60 years ago). I remember finding it because it was the best Victoria Penny I ever found in my numerous 10/- (?) penny bag searches. When I found it it had been highly polished, but has mostly toned again now, although I assume that it can still be recognised as polished. I assume it was someone's lucky penny and it accidentally found its way back into circulation. Anyone care to ID it variety-wise?

Here's my 11b with :

It does look copperish TBH, but at 28.28g compared to my 1890 and 1892 at 28.29g I think it's fine.

What about the aluminium and baking soda method? Is that better or worse than Goddards? Or are they equally good/bad?

It’s certainly the darkest and most even I’ve seen.

It certainly looks like it been exposed to something. Would it be one for dipping?

Any comments on the heavy toning on this 1891 crown? I was wondering how would it get that dark even colour on both sides? Or has it been treated somehow?

I have used Irfanview for many years; it's a great little package for basic image viewing and manipulation - and it's free with no nasty ads or spyware attached. I always set it as the default viewer for jpg files on my computers and any I setup for friends and family. Download it here: https://www.irfanview.com/ Irfanview offers many ways to change the size and resolution of a file (Image -> Resize/Resample image), but for reducing a file to a set size simply open a file, click on File->Save as, tick set file size on the small JPEG/GIF save options box and enter the desired file size in kB. Simples. Steve.

I've not seen a commonwealth before, but double struck short-cross pennies are fairly common - there are usually a couple on eBay at any one time, sometimes with bizarre descriptions claiming rarity (one was being sold as a "sceptre-less penny" last week). I suspect they were struck in such quantities and with little or no quality control that if one fell out of the die it was just put back in whatever side up and whacked again. Interestingly there's a double struck example in the hoard memntioned in this thread: https://www.predecimal.com/forum/topic/14678-nice-hoard-of-henry-ii-to-henry-iii-found-in-norfolk/ It's the top-most penny in the picture. I can't tell from the fairly low-res image if it's two sided or the reverse rotated for the second strike though.

Almost worth setting up a dummy account and bidding it up to win. Then not paying because it's wrongly described.

It annoys me that he's going to rip someone off so I decided to message him anyway. Won't do any good, but at least I feel better...

If the bidders can't tell that's not a Rhuddlan from those images I suspect that they will just label it and stick it in their collection. Oh and I also note that this is his first auction. Under that name anyway...

Ah right. I was going to message him too, but no point.

https://tinyurl.com/yc23ymyf It's certainly not a Rhuddlan, but what is it? The reverse looks like NICHOLEONCA with a cross pommee and no stops or other punctation, which would make it class 8c, Mass 2150. Correct? I definitely don't think it's worth upwards of £106 in any case...

Thanks. Another short cross expert said it looked fine too so I did bid, but lost out at £312.99. Didn’t surprise me that it went for that much though. I’ll just have to be content with my cut half from the same dies for now.

An unidentified full-flan Rhuddlan Simon retrograde with a start price of 99p? Am I being overly supicious in not trusting this as far as I could throw it? https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/275741516660?hash=item403379a374:g:ScEAAOSw97tkDhac&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAA4CyTquAa%2F97BBtwMvOfbNj8%2FFNTLd4vOyUXdBdJo7u22PBB8R%2FA%2BuWMvNoVUKcPz6QqTL2KqQTJc%2BbJTS668TgbreA2DCF4PKiuvMR6khMg%2BjfB6c0jKdTU4wZQXeebJZXgRI381xFaKW%2BSS4YxhbCBJ4HQcPpGzbFO%2FW6mxSioWpGjJmLhE6vWK%2B14Mz0BKd30K%2Fd0NUXPjmzMi6juO7r3cRAgbGrPaANKY0DljCKifiJCPyjmDrqGwcO7tpy%2F71iqkw%2FjKkmP%2F8kDPEIvgSW7DYLZcMDsBO37LjvOI7aMx|tkp%3ABk9SR5jEirvbYQ

Very interesting. I’ve just checked my tiny (9.5mm) commonwealth halfpenny and that appears to have same bumps and/or dents at 90 degree intervals. I can’t see them on the penny or half groat though.

Mint and moneyer?

It’s Henry III, not Edward I. The R on the reverse is quite distinctive and looks like a class Va to me.

I picked this one up as an unidentified hammered a couple of weeks ago. Obverse: HEИRICVS.R/EX Reverse: +HALLI.OИ.RVLA Same dies as Brand1020. It was very cheap for a full Rhuddlan in any condition (judging by recent auction prices where I've missed out on a couple) so I don't think anyone else spotted it.

Very nice indeed. Certainly puts my example and my 1653 shilling to shame, although the shilling does have the Commonwealh spelling error.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ANGLO-SAXON-JOHN-LACKLAND-1199-1216-Silver-Penny-Short-Cross-Type/184455456382?hash=item2af266e67e%3Ag%3AfD8AAOSwO7NfZx1P&LH_Auction=1 😯

Ooh, that's nice, although I'm not sure what DNW are talking about with the Mass number of the obverse or class; the only OSBEI in Mass is 116 and it's a 1a5, unless it's a mule and/or Mass was wrong on the 1a5. Whatever, I sttill think that there are a number of differences with the eBay example: e.g. on the obverse the hand on the septre looks a bit weird (long fingers) as does the R of REX and the cross on the crown looks different. There are also what look like a couple of die flaws at 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock and another above (his) left eye. Could all that be down to die wear? Or a poor photo? I don't know.

Well it's similar to Mass 116, a class 1a5 which is the only example in Mass with the reverse spelling OSBEI.ON.EXECES (Osbei instead of Osber). It doesn't look to be the same die pairing to me though and I'm not convinced it's right.

I had a Saturday job in the local pet shop for about three years in the late 60's and 70's and used to save anything interesting to exchange for cash at the end of the day. I remember finding one Churchill crown. I don't remember if I kept it, but I think probably not.