Sylvester

12mm hey? Well it's no sovereign/half sovereign as it's too small. I don't know what it is i'm afraid. Have you any ideas Chris?

I do that already Chris. I'm going coining (like shopping but better!) sometime next week hopefully, or maybe the monday after (as soon as i get some cash), and i've already decided what i'm getting, hopefully he'll still have the coins, that's why i've got to be quick! Plus i've got those from you too. I think i've already spend 80% of my money before i've got it! Come on what are student loans for? I've just got to stop myself buying that St Gaudens or that king stephen penny. (I have a terrible feeling i'll come out with that penny instead of the sixpences!) But under the circumstances that might be a good idea...

See Chris my biggest problem is i just can't seem to focus myself. But i am trying very very hard. But if something really interesting comes along as you said i'd take it regardless of whether it was my field or not!

Everything you said does make complete sense... (and you felt this coming along) BUT... I agree that collecting all the die numbers would be near impossible, so i had that as the last option on the list, (as much as i'd like to try it), but collecting by date would prove to be far too many coins for my budget of AEF+, So i was seriously considering collecting only those coins that had a die number. That eliminates alot of coins to start with. And i'll even knock 1879 off the list because at £200+ in VF...well. The reason why i said 1864 Florins as an example of collecting by die number is because only 26 numbers are known to exist. However 1868 has a total of 14 known die numbers to get, beaten by 1867 with only 9, but the latter is far more expensive. I think the best method of approach would be to collect the major varities from 1864-1878, then branch out into getting the '68s by die number. Or try to aquire an example of die numbers 1-20 regardless of the date. I really want something with a die number focus though, since the sixpences are all being collected by date. I feel i have to try something different and i'm not particularly bothered how long it takes. I want it to be a truly absorbing collection, a specialist field etc.

Of course i could also collect all of the reported die numbers for 1864 Florins. Which could then lead to the embarrasment of... As the question goes, 'so what do you collect?' "1864 Florins...in fact i'm specialised in the area, but i couldn't tell you a thing about an 1865 one..."

Chris i am in a dilemma here... Well i'm thinking of reducing the focus on the Sixpence set further, (for now at least) to just collecting the Charles II-William and Mary in as higher condition as i can, doesn't mean i won't get the later ones, but i'll not go out of my way to find them. But i'll snap up any of the rarer stuff as i come across it. And i'll definately not say no to other sixpences like the one currently residing with your good self. By doing this i can focus on all the minor varities of this rather small series 1674-1694. (Alright 24 coins). But i have three of them already. One the 1693 is a stand in, the 1674 is definately staying in the collection, but the other C2 one is borderline, it may stay, it may go. However i might not see another one for some time... Now i think that would be more manageable that all of them to 1787! But as time goes on and i finish off that set i can pick up the rest where i left off. Now this is where i need your advice... Regarding Gothic Florins. Which is the best approach do you think cos i've got three methods but i'm not sure which i'd like to try. Firstly the good old collect by date approach. Secondly the collect by date and die number approach, Thirdly collect by die number only, i.e try to pull together a set of die numbers from 1-261. Regardless of the date. (Bearing in mind there are some gaps in the die numbers so it won't necessarily be 261 coins.) Which of those approaches do you think is best? Might be better on the other hand to pull a collection together of 1864-1878, with as many of the minor varieties and what not as possible, but not all the die numbers. Whatever it is i want them all in AEF or better. Might grudgingly settle for a GVF if no AEF-UNC are available. The sixpences will still be the key focus of my collection though, regardless. Some advice would be nice here...please...

I agree with you Chris. I like music from singers/bands that can 1) sing! 2) play their own instruments, 3) Don't sound like everyone else...or follow everyone else. And i hate Hip-hop and those manufactured bands that have no talent what so ever. The one that springs instantly to mind is that Hear-say rubbish. Not to mention all those others. If they can write their own music that's even a start!

Iron Maiden - The number of the Beast. Although i don't really follow music as such or groups for that matter, i do listen to lots and lots of different types of music, but i've always liked a bit of Maiden... Ah 'Children of the Damned', and 'The Prisoner'. I used to have some Deep Purple somewhere but i seem to have misplaced it right now. But my parents were mad on Purple (amongst other things...) so i could always borrow their stuff.

One thing that has been puzzelling me Chris about thee new 'bridges' £1 coins. Why did they not pick London Bridge for the English design rather than that monstrosity they picked? Afterall London bridge is far more recognised than that Millennium bridge...! I mean there so many other bridges too, like the humber bridge...etc.

I agree wth the Churchill, as long as it's not 1965 all over again!

Yeuk copper/bronze not my favourite metal... But i'll have a look. But i'll warn you now i usually only tolerate the really lustrous stuff... Much prefer silver myself... Actually that's not bad for bronze! Did i really just say that?

Yeuk copper/bronze not my favourite metal... But i'll have a look. But i'll warn you now i usually only tolerate the really lustrous stuff... Much prefer silver myself...

Ah the mighty Una and the Lion... hmmm But i quite like HIGH grade hammered groats with a nice light blue tone too! And yes i have seen the odd one in my time! I also like shield reverse sovereigns. Indifferent to St George, but the G5 and E7 obverses when in high condition look pretty neat! But my favourite 20th century coin goes to the Edward VII Florin, pure genius. One gorgeous coin.

What's your's? Mine would have to be the Godless/Gothic Florin variants and the Gothic Crown...absolutely gorgeous coins. Sixpences follow not far behind...

No contest. Best by far is the £2 coin, or at least it is when it's not a commem. Second best is the 50p, that Britannia design is well thought out, Third would be the 20p. Fourth the 2p. Fifth the penny, Sixth £1 coin. They don't half wear bad for my liking. Last we have that ridiculous, evil 5p.

Oh i say... Well really... uhaha... Sorry couldn't resist it!

As part of the mediaeval course they had me counting in Marks...let alone £sd! But i came out top with the £sd mathematics, i actually find it easier than decimal, cos i go into panic mode when i see big numbers like 73+59, whereas i can cope with doing everything in 12s and 20s, it's easier to imagine, and i have enough fingers and toes to do the calculation on. Only thing i have a problem with is when farthings get involved, and you get daft things to add up or subtract like, £4. 3s. 8 1/4d - £1. 14s. 12 1/2d - 16s. 5 3/4d... Then i panic and thank my luck stars for decimalisation.

It appears we have some younger collectors on here... Who said coin collectors were middle aged? Actually that guy in the York coin shop... Then he saw me stood there... Boy did i feel out of place...

This is where i bang my head against the desk... Seeing George VI stuff was an everyday occurence so i probably didn't check it as often as i should. By the time i was checking i must have come across two/three silver florins in 1988-1992. I'm sure i saw at least one, possibly 2 G6 florins, i think one would have been 1939, not sure about the other if there was one. I think i saw these before i started so i didn't know they were silver, but i'm sure i saw one that was a good few years older than the 1947/8s i was used to seeing, hence why i have a vague feeling that i did get one. However this is where i know for a fact i definately had a silver coin. My mother sent me to the shop, as was just on the street from us, and i always made a point of looking at the 10ps she had given me. And low and behold what should i see but a George V florin, one of the latter design ones used after 1927. Well i really wanted to keep it but my mother had insisted i spent it, so being about 5 or 6 and no money of my own to swap it with, i didn't have alot of choice in the matter. And bye bye went the last silver coin i ever saw in circulation. I WASN'T BEST PLEASED ABOUT THAT! I'M STILL NOT...

I must have drifted into it a little later than you two, as i only remember recieving florins in change, that is as legal tender. I have recieved many shillings in change since the 10p reduced in size, but i don't remember getting any as 5ps whilst they were legal tender. So i guess it was those florins that did it. But what really kicked it off was my father giving me his old collection back in 1989/90 what little of it there was, mostly change finds, but five coins stood out that really caught me and brought me into the collecting fraternity. An 1887 Shilling in VF, an 1853 half penny in F, and my three favourites, 1882H penny, an 1807 penny, both well worn. And a 1932 penny. Now anyone who knows the penny series at all will know that 1882 (without H) penny is extremely rare, as is the 1933 penny. So as a child when browsing through my battered 1985 coin catalogue it was that feeling of being just off by one date, or having the extra H, i suppose that really sparked of my interest.

Erm yeah...something like that but not quite how you are inferring Chris.

Actually, erm i'm not sure how to say this but... I think i prefer that to the normal variety, nice change there. (I hate coloured coins cos they destroy all the workmanship and subtle design of most coins, but with the normal Churcher you really have to ask, what design? well now it's got one...) Erm can i borrow that image? Some people really need to see this!

That's the problem me and Eliza have been having. Anyhow where is Eliza out of interest?

I'll tell you this for nothing, i have a distinct feeling that there was more than 2000 of those minted. And why did they supposedly mint £100 worth, and not 100Gns worth?

I knew about Brian May using a sixpence for his guitar!!! I'm sure some other people have done this too? Ah well my next goal should this US collector choose to accept it is swapping a 2000 gold half sovereign, UNC variety, (not perfect as it was bought from a jewelry shop, and that annoying habit they have of putting the reference number/price tag sticker over the obverse...arrghh. Well you can tell something was there, hence i've been generous and knocked £10). But i'm hoping i can swap it for a roll of silver quarters and perhaps i can get some other silver out of him whilst i'm at it, $50 worth of Ag to be precise. I'm just hoping he'll accept it. Firstly because i don't collect modern bullion gold coins as such, i only bought it because i like the look of it, but i've gone off it now and i'm trying to consolidate my collection's focus, so all the odd bits and bats, like that half, and all the cheap junk i bought over the years can go to the US where they are all fighting for it, and prepared to pay over the odds for it, and i can get quality Morgans etc at the US price rather than the higher prices over here!) The Americans are amazed at how much Morgans go for over here. [supply and demand and all that]. I think i'll have to parcel off the G-F shillings over there next. And perhaps some of the Poor- F .500 silver rubbish i've been lucky enough to find over the years. At this rate i'll clear out my junk collection, giving more room for the sixpences/half guineas and Florins (Gothic and Edward VII). And instead of having to go through the nightmare of currency conversion when selling, (or in this country selling at a loss as the QE2 stuff can be found anywhere and everywhere), trading it abroad for some nice quality US silver, and making a tidy profit in the bargin. By doing that i can keep the Silver Jar topped up with decent quality silver that you don't have to pay over the odds for (unlike the special bullion coins Britannias/American Eagles etc, which are overpriced), and at .900 silver the silver content and price is easier to work out than the .925 stuff. And is more compact than the .500 stuff. Always nice to have a bit back for a rainy day, and of course i like the designs.