Peckris 2

"You seem to deny..." is quite clear. No paranoia here. No misinterpretation. It's why I wondered what your "rebuttal" meant as it then got contradicted. Maybe it was clumsy wording on your part? In which case you could understand any misinterpretation which - if it existed - was not wilful at all.

That is good value. You will find F191 well struck up more often, as the head is shallower relief allowing Britannia to be fully struck up, and much less ghosting.

It came from this, towards the end of your first paragraph : "You seem to deny the “working classes” the ability to come to the same reasoned decisions with the same access to media as the rest of us, which ever way the individual verdict was. It seems a popular remainer conception that the outcome of the referendum was determined by a protest vote by the ignorant, despite the “working classes” having exactly the same average IQ as the rest of the population."

I actually said "dispossessed" not ignorant. But the Northern areas of neglect (former Lancashire mill towns, Yorkshire wool and coal, Northeast shipbuilding to name but three) were pretty fed up with Westminster deciding their fate ever since Maggie T oversaw the running down of our traditional industrial base. Many of them - outside the bigger cities - felt ignored, sidelined, even trodden down, by the comparative wealth of the South. Why wouldn't they protest? General Elections hadn't made much difference to them from 1979 on, so a referendum where the government of the day was "advising" them to vote Remain was a prime opportunity to make their voices heard. I can't speak for you obviously, but yes, there is a definite contradiction between 'hating Westminster' and voting to hand London even more control over their lives. But I guess we'll have to put that one down to emotion, which has been the dominant factor on both sides - increasingly so since 2016.

No. The dispossessed working class northerners were about thumbing their noses at the Westminster elite, which is what many Leave votes were about. Sure, The Mail et al claimed we had lost sovereignty - we hadn't. Nor self-determination, as our policies on defence, welfare, education, housing, industrial stratgy, defence, broad taxation, prove clearly enough. It's probably something we will never know. What we do know is that Dominic Cummings came up with the slogan "Take back control", BoJo with "Independence Day", and the Leave campaign was sold the social networking targeted adverts app. Then there are the more shadowy figures of Cambridge Analytica, Steve Bannon, Arron Banks, etc. I think you'll find that though those things WERE mentioned often enough, the customs union wasn't. I watched most of the TV debate s and analysis and didn't hear it once. And the stuff about "taking back control of our money, our laws and our borders" are soundbites that sound much more rooted in reality than they are. May's deal actually does include the prospect of a permanent customs union, just not in so many words. Good points, well made. It doesn't matter how many times Brexiters repeat that "everyone knew what they were voting for", the clear and only answer is "Leave the EU" or "Remain in the EU". The implications of both have been made clearer in 2019 than at any other time. Not during the campaign they didn't. Yes, the Single Market was mentioned, but more often in the terms of "Who on earth wants the UK to leave the Single Market? It's the EU we plan to leave not the SM."

Hence the need for proper, informative, full and accurate campaigning, which both sides can agree was not the case. Yes, that is odd. Cameron didn't expect to win the 2015 GE outright, but having done so, and seen off the UKIP threat, there was no particular urgency. Indeed he apparently told the EU heads - when asked why he had promised a referendum - that he didn't expect to win the GE and that the LibDems would block it. Perhaps - his majority being decisive but hardly massive - he was being threatened by the ERG that they would vote legislation down if he didn't deliver?

Even then it's not a sure way to proceed. There can be many reasons why some sales do better than others at the same auction house: - competing sales elsewhere - other types of events in the vicinity - whether there are certain lots that will pull in the punters, or just a so-so catalogue - even the weather and time of year can affect things

1. MPs voted for an advisory referendum 2. I still don't understand why so many voted to trigger A50 before there was even a plan in place 3. MPs have to subscribe to their manifesto, but they're not consulted on what goes in it - and ask yourself, how many voters plumped for Tory or Labour because of the party stance on Brexit? A GE is not a referendum. Most of them are, even Remainers. The question is one that no-one can answer, least of all the barroom attorneys so quick to put their two-pennorth in, viz HOW? The worst scenario is a hard Brexit, even the government says so. However the ERG are doing their damnedest to ensure that happens even though many of them claim it's not what they really want.

Interesting. Sometime in the early 70s, the Royal Mint changed from a 'satin' finish (commonly seen on most Unc CuNi decimals from 1968-73) to a mirror finish. True BU specimens can look 'prooflike' in that respect, but otherwise lacking the crisp detail and sharp edges of a true proof.

So Alfred Hitchcock was following a long tradition!

Not the full story. We already have heaps of trade deals with other countries due to being in the EU. All those and more would have to be renegotiated from scratch. And why would any other nation give us - with a population of 66m - more favourable terms than the combined Single Market of the other 27? Also, the ECJ would only be able to rule on trade deals and tariffs if we were in a customs union - all other regulations would be outside their jurisdiction. It IS a fair market place for those who are in it. No lobbyists have the power to deal with 27 or 28 separate heads of state. Agreed. Winston Churchill said all MPs have three priorities in the following order: 1. National interest. 2. Interests of constituents. 3. Political Party. I think it's extremely insulting to call MPs traitors when they are trying their best to avoid what would harm the nation for who knows how many years ahead.

There are some very suspicious abrasions beneath both '8's. Someone lend me a bargepole please, so that I have something not to touch it with?

Lions and lambs, anyone?

You get a 'feel' for Obverses 1 and 2, and Reverses A & B after a while. I could see that was the second obverse even without checking the teeth.

Not quite. They all lost, but every option got some votes. Anyway, that was just a beginning : I think Labour would probably end up supporting Norway + now that May's deal has failed (for good? how many votes does she want?? she's already lost "best of 5"!!!) and if the DUP also decide to go that way, then the ERG + a few Labour rebels can't muster enough support to block it.

That's still a good picture with plenty of detail on the coin. I don't think the border detracts.

I think personally that price is rather heavy, but if the market will pay it then fair enough. I would like to say though, that the comparative rarity of Ed VII halfcrowns decreases the higher the grade; in other words, a Fair 1905 is greatly rarer than a Fair 1908 (for example), but when you get close to mint state that gulf has narrowed significantly.

I had the good fortune to get to know DaveC at the Midland and see his operation at first hand. So I'd trust his descriptions of coins even sight unseen.

Personally, I think most people would accept either Norway or Norway+ (i.e. with a customs union, or at least arrangement). After all, no-one was objecting to that during the referendum campaign, indeed Farage was positively waxing lyrical about Norway at one point. I think it would command a majority in Parliament, and among the >66% of the voters who are either Remain or who want out but are not hardline. Theresa May can pretend all she likes that it doesn't deliver what people voted for, but actually they just voted to Leave, and a Norway option would be least harmful to the economy.

Dealers as long term as they are, should really be expected to have learned how to take pictures of stock. I remember a similar situation with Glenn Ogden some years ago, but he may have improved since then. (No he hasn't. Just checked - NO pictures on his website. Sigh.)

Such irony. Very many Remainers have been saying that reform of the EU from within was the ultimate thing, and something we could have helped achieve if we had stayed.

I think they could just go into the Part II Decimals book.

Doesn't work on a desktop. You just get what's shown above, and the thumbnails stay there covering the date.

I think that issue of Coin News was where I first learned of M.R.'s association with the coin.