wlewisiii

I have more often had sellers who went "oops, I can't find the coin I sold you. I have X if you're interested in it instead". Nothing expensive (most recently a 1981 Bailiwick of Jersey "Square" Pound and offered a Guernsey Type set in it's place) but annoying nonetheless.

I'm new to this game and so the 2025 was my first real book about English coinage. It actually confused me at first when people referred to it as Spink 🤣 I've got no complaints about the quality of the information that is presented though I do wish they'd had mintage numbers in it like the no longer produced Krause books.

The King's Speech about George VI is excellent as well.

Plus if you get into some type of silver coins - I have a thing for shillings especially - there are English Silver Coinage since 1649 by Maurice Bull British Silver Coins since 1816 by Peter J Davies The Identification of British 20th Century Silver Coin Varieties Paperback by David Groom that you can add to your library as well. I find them and my 2025 edition of Coins of England to be great references.

I'd enjoy it but it'll be two weeks before I could do anything about it if you're interested.

If you have any scruffy full crowns, I'd like to buy one as a pocket coin. If that 1817 had been an 1816, I'd want it as a placeholder. I could see that 1723 as a placeholder for that date in my shilling run to save it from the smelter.

Oh, I understand it's hardly practical. Just struck me as a humorous idea, especially since I do use a fair bit of currency and coins in commerce here in the US.

I had these coin folders for most of my collection that I didn't trust the plastic in. So I bought new binder and some better sheets like I've been using for my shilling run and transferred everything over today. While moving the Elizabeth II sets - both l/s/d & decimal - I noticed something that struck me as interesting. Back when the UK changed to decimal, the new 5p & 10p were made the size and weight of the shilling and florin respectively. That ended in 1990 and then over the next couple of years the 5p, 10p, and 50p were made physically smaller. Also in there though the £1 coins and the £2 coins were introduced. The bi-metal £1 is essentially the same diameter and just a bit heavier than a shilling was. The bi-metal £2 coin is almost exactly the size and weight of the florin. I looked at the value of the 1966 shilling at the Bank of England's inflation calculator and even more humorously, the shillings buying power then was £0.82 in December of 2025 - a florin equaling £1.74 now. Not too far off from £1 & £2 pound coins! Perhaps the UK should introduce a circulating £5 coin of 32.5mm and 14.14 grams... ? 🤣

I never trust any AI answer to be even 1% accurate.

Oh, that's a dangerous website. It makes me remember and think about Japanese mon, ichibu-gin and other such Meiji era coins 🤣 I really don't need _Another_ rabbit hole!

I probably paid too much for my 2025 definitive set, but the simple fact is that they are SO much nicer looking coins than anything the US has made since 1947 when they stopped making the Walking Liberty Half Dollar. Even that was a straight lift from Oscar Roty's La Semeuse but at least they had the good taste to steal from something good . Still, the Salmon, the bees & the four plants are such exquisite designs to my taste...

Beautiful! But I am happy with the one I have, if anything, I'd like to get a scruffier one to carry as a pocket coin 😇 I just noted it with interest while looking for something else considering the conversation in this thread.

Speaking of Crowns... https://www.sovr.co.uk/products/george-v-1935-silver-jubilee-crown-raised-edge-letters-ngc-pf63-cameo-km39433?_pos=3&_psq=1935&_ss=e&_v=1.0 One of the 2500 proof with raised lettering on the edge inscription rather than embossed lettering. I love that design anyway and if I could, I'd get it in a heartbeat. But my regular one, in AU condition that I got for $31.50 will just have to do 🤣

The numista entry does refer to them as NIFC so perhaps calling them patterns is too far. But an issue of 8000 means that the scruffy collectors like me don't see them much less own them! LOL! Just like pattern coins...

That's interesting to hear for the perspective. For the modern UK coins, it's generally only the £5 coins I find interesting. But even then, like you imply, I'm only interested occasional ones - last year's coat of arms, this year's Elizabeth centennial, perhaps the Angel in base metal. I imagine that they'd be hard to get rid of for a dealer.

Yes. 1847 non gothic was the last circulation Crown till 1887. The circulation ones were not exactly common but the Gothic ones were just patterns. https://en.numista.com/23740 describes the Gothic Crowns

Truth. My favorite remains my 1818. Got it cheap due to rim damage (possibly jewelry at some point) but AU+ details. Lovely coin.

I got a really nice 1902 Crown thanks to an estate sale but the prices of Wreath Crowns made me decide I liked shillings better 🤣

There is this: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0307090469 though Whitman's have their limitations. I did use one to make a gift for my son with family birth years to fill in the various types. Dansco makes a much better one but you'll have to search Eprey and it'll be expensive.

Oh, that's that [multiple words censored] Apple image format that nothing else can easily use. You're using an iPhone? See if there is a setting to save it as jpg instead.

Yup. I have a gorgeous 1818 crown for example. But my shillings are far easier to find and much easier for my budget overall. I've stretched my timeline into more expensive territory (Charles II, James II, W&M etc) but one at a time, here and there, & they aren't as bad as the crowns.

Look for microscopic scratches (hairlines) (sometimes not so microscopic) that catch the light, or a "flat" look where the natural frosty luster is gone, losing the original "cartwheel" effect of an original coin. Comparing it to an uncleaned coin is often the best method. This is when a loupe and a strong light are useful. I don't mind gently cleaned coins - it can be done carefully with little to no damage. OTOH, sometimes for some coins I've happily bought more heavily cleaned ones because that brings the price down to a level my budget can afford. As an example I have a cleaned 1873 Bordeaux mint 5 Francs coin that is XF/AU details. Without cleaning, it goes for $125+; I got the cleaned one for $45 - less than melt. I'd love to find, for example, a cleaned but otherwise nice 1905 shilling because they tend to be quite expensive as _the_ key date in the 20th century. A cleaned one that is otherwise nice might have a price tag my budget allows more easily. Some collectors won't touch them at all but only really harsh cleaning with scratches and totally destroyed luster are the ones I avoid. Hope this helps.

An Ariel Square 4! Lovely machines. My first, a long time ago was a '77 Bonneville 750. Still love Triumphs to this day.

I find them beautiful. Big enough to see all the detail yet small enough to get lots in a small space. The art of them is also a really huge plus for me. It's like the best of all worlds when it comes to English Silver Coinage 😇

Oh I know that and I won't be changing what I have. If I could afford that, I'd be a very different kind of collector than I am. I enjoy what I am doing though that doesn't mean I don't appreciate the aesthetic joy of that design.