Kipster

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.

Yep. I saw an NGC MS64 BN graded 1825 halfpenny for sale the other day, but it was clearly an 1825 farthing. I let the dealer know it was misattributed and they pulled it. But that said, that's a pretty basic thing to get wrong. Interesting. Would it be easy to spot the difference between the two?

Yes indeed. Even came with the original care instructions. I think the recesses will be fine for what I need. I'm only really after bronze and copper and don't really have anything bigger than a Victorian copper penny, so there's at least 3 of each size recess trays which should be fine.

Evening all, Just had my 1826 proof farthing come back from NGC with the PF64 BN grade that I was expecting. I don't normally send things for grading, but I do with any proof that I get. However, they haven't noted it as Bronzed on the label which they have with my 1831 proof farthing. So I had a look on the NGC population report and NGC have two separate entries for 1826 proof farthings: 1826 BARE BUST and 1826 BARE BUST BRONZED I've just emailed NGC to ask them what's going on, as Spink only has a Bronzed proof, yet Peck says there is a Bronzed AND a rarer Copper proof. Seeing as NGC have graded more of the 1826 BARE BUST than the 1826 BARE BUST BRONZED I think it's highly improbable that they are the copper proofs. Does anyone know anything about these proofs at all please, as I don't really expect NGC to have any explanation if they've made an error. Cheers

I successfully nabbed a Peter Nichols Pheon cabinet off eBay a couple of weeks ago for almost bang on to the penny what I had budgeted for. Lovely little thing. Very pleased with it. I'm just now getting organised to get everything organised. Great success.

I had the same problem with the proof Memorial Sovereign I ordered from the RM. *Three* times the coin had to be returned for replacement as each replacement had marks in the fields. The return postage was paid for by them on their returns page, but I was extremely disappointed with them. In the end I complained and told them to cancel the order and refund me. It then took a whole month to get my money back. Quite shocking really. I won't be ordering from them again as a matter of principal.

Indeed. I've seen both sides of the grading and there's quite some variance. Some coins I look at and think "how did you get that as choice uncirculated" and others I look at and think "that's far and away better than you think". But what do I know?

I have a few in the same situation. I reckon the people at NGC must eat their sandwiches whilst doing the grading. It's very off putting, especially when it's a really nice coin. That and all the strands of felt randomly attached all over the show.

Thanks both. Yes, looking at them, the pennies are far more convoluted than the farthings, with only around 7 or 8 O's and R's at best. I probably paid over the odds for mine with BP, but it was a lovely coin and I wanted it. Sadly, it's been graded by NGC with a lovely piece of white toot sitting slap bang in the middle of Victoria's chest. May have to free it from the tomb as it bothers me.

Evening all, Just cataloguing some bits here and checking out the die pairings on some of my farthings. I've got an 1880 farthing (4 berries variety) which Freeman has as F541 with dies as 5 + D. Looking in Peck, he seems to mention Obv 5 as only having 3 berries though? Or have I got this all wrong? Not sure what to make of it, so any clarity gratefully received. Ta.