Kipster

It's a big improvement on the last, but still the up-close finish is lacking. As someone once said to me in the 90's, "nice from far, but far from nice", and I've never forgotten it. We get plagued by tree rats here, so pots will be at a minimum which is a shame as they give you so much more versatility. I need to get a Jack Russell, a proper countryman's dog.

Couldn't add the second one, so here it is

Here is a before and after pics of the back garden. I haven't got pictures of it planted yet as that's a work in progress.

Nice chap is Mark. Spent a few quid with him over the past year and has some nice pieces. Always ready for a chat.

That's the NGC premium for you

That's interesting. Just comparing it to an 1823 and the diagonal stroke of the 3 would roughly be in the right spot. Interested to hear what you think when in hand 👍

Acers are stunners. I have several of them and have had great success, although the ones I've planted in my customers gardens have been a mixed bunch. At £4, that's less than a pint so well worth it. This Acer was put in my front yard in about 2008 and literally only as thick as broomstick. Now it's about a 6"trunk so obviously in the right spot.

That's about where I would expect them to be really. It doesn't seem a scarce variety

Just had my garden re-landscaped by an 'approved' landscaper. All I can say is that if you want a job done properly, make sure you go and see first hand the quality of the work that gets done. I certainly wouldn't be happy to put my name to the job as a company, and you should never hear ''It'll be behind the shed, so you won't see it'' from someone you're paying through the nose for. Anyway, I'll put up some before and after pics when I can get round to it. Even though it's an average at best job, it's still an improvement on the last.

Thanks both. I have Freeman and use the linked website quite regularly, but don't really know how accurate those pricings are for the varieties. I've just picked up another 5 over higher 5 farthing in high grade, but allcoinvalues seem to put a value on extremely fine at £275, which I think is probably a bit off bearing in mind the frequency that I find them. But then again, I am looking.

I watched a lot of the auction today as I wasn't working, but missed the later Victorian stuff as I acquired what I was after earlier on and went out to get some ice creams. Priorities 🙂 That's quite an impressive figure in these times of belt tightening and all that.

Thanks for posting these. I'm confident they are wrong at NGC. I'll see what happens. I'm actually taking it into the London office for them to sort out with the States, so hopefully there'll be no issue. I also have a similar issue with another farthing I have which seems to have some crumb like debris on Victoria's chest. I've told them I wanted it removed and the London office have said they will deal with it, but time will tell. I have said that I don't want it coming back as a details grade, so don't mess about with it if it will. Who knows what they'll do.

Nice coin, if you don't mind paying around ten times it's value. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/295698268997?_trkparms=amclksrc%3DITM%26aid%3D777008%26algo%3DPERSONAL.TOPIC%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20220705100511%26meid%3Dc37fc3406ef140acbcbb21494311c853%26pid%3D101524%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D1%26itm%3D295698268997%26pmt%3D0%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D2380057%26algv%3DRecentlyViewedItemsV2&_trksid=p2380057.c101524.m146925&_trkparms=pageci%3Aea972ba3-fd75-11ed-b848-ce50d4f4e3a3|parentrq%3A6338b4751880a55daf6abeb9fffa146e|iid%3A1

Very true, if someone needed to put the final piece of a run together. I'd have a job selling anything though as I'm a bit of a Mr Trebus, unless it was something I was quite sterile to.

True that. About 6 miles up the road from me in Hatfield they were called 'dobbers'

Does anyone know where you can check the scarcity of farthing varieties and potential values at all please? I know the usual sources, but wondered if anyone had any other pointers with more listed? I have a look at allcoinvalues as a very general guide, but have no idea how accurate this is. I've just picked up a second 1825 over higher 5 farthing which seems to be close to uncirculated for a very reasonable sum, and wondered just how scarce these are.

When I was a kid in the late 70's/early 80's, we used to do the same. The Pakistani kids in the class used to do a kind of coconut shy but with marbles, and had their various wares lined up at the back of the concave drain grates that were just narrow enough to stop marbles falling through. You paid your entry fee in marbles, and dependent on what you handed over dictated how many shots you were allowed to fire at the prizes. If you hit one and it landed it in the drain cover, you won it. The simplicity of a playground childhood in that era will always stick with me. But in answer to the question, around St Albans, they were called Giants.

I find all these fascinating, so thanks for your replies. Each of us has something that obviously means something to us individually, and that's a wonderful thing.

I've not been on these boards long but it's very clear that there are some very serious collectors that post on here. I don't own anything which could be classed as 'rare', but have a few 'scarce' coins, with probably the scarcest a toned uncirculated 1851 Rev A Halfpenny. So I was wondering what is the rarest coin in your collection? And out of curiosity, would you ever part with it?

Reply just received from NGC following my email: They asked for photos, so I simply took their photos off the registry and voila. 🤷‍♂️

Absolutely. So if I'm reading this correctly, they state that there was an estimated mintage of 150 for the bronzed proof. According to their population report, they have graded 26 specimens of this variety, which equates to almost 18% of that mintage figure! Highly improbable. If the mintage was 1.5m, then maybe. I would say they have these arse about face.

Just had this reply so would welcome some opinion please.

Thanks for confirming it. I've had a confirmation email back from NGC saying it's been passed over to their registry people to investigate, so will just wait and see what they say.

Always useful to know, ta. I always have an eye on the ebay for bits and bobs, so just in case will make sure I look out for them.

I see. Thank you. This is the coin in question from the NGC registry: https://www.ngccoin.com/certlookup/6673730-006/64/ I'd say it was the same brown colouration as the 1831 of mine, with perhaps just a bit more warmth to it.