Sylvester

I always admired Athenian Democracy, and John Stuart Mill. So by rights i am quite a Liberal, or Libertarian if you prefer.

I disagree, i think in a proper democracy everyone should have the right to say what they want, that is free will and freedom of speech, in a democracy everyone is (or should) be equal to say what they want or choose to say. The vast majority will fall in line of their own accord because of the fear of social disapproval. What i do hate are those (like Mr Blair) that rant on about the importance of democracy and then go about trying to limit people's rights, including their freedom of speech. So i'd ask Mr Blair, is freedom of speech and equal rights only good when it suits him? I don't like racism myself and i think those that are, are bigotted, uneducated morons, plebs if you will. That is my own personal opinion of them, that's my freedom of speech on the matter, as far as i am concerned racists can say what they like, just don't be shocked if i don't have any sympathy for them. As they say democracy truely is an awful system of government cos power can get in the wrong hands, Mr Churchill certainly had a point. But of course i'd be blind to think we live in a true democracy, what we actually live in is a political system of meritocracy with a facade of democracy. Why not just drop the facade it's insulting to us all? Blair pushing 'democracy' on the one hand whilst trying to make everyone carry I.D cards, or go to war against Iraq without the people's consent.

Running CP is a full time job Stu! Wonder, did it take over as your full time job without you noticing?

More eloquently put that my reply Custard. I was in two minds whether or not to edit Master JMD's post there to prevent any offence to anyone, but i realised that i'm not moderating this part of the forum. Plus Master JMD has the right to express his opinion even if i don't agree with it myself. Although reading his post it sounded alot like he'd pasted it straight from one of the aforementioned tabloids.

There are gypsies out there like that for sure, but just as there are gypsies out there with those traits so there are many other people out there that do similarly cruel things for little to no reason, look at these people recently that have been shot and stabbed in the street for no reason. Plus drive by killings. You can't be too careful with anyone these days. And i'm sure not all gypsies are like that, sounds alot like a classic case of scape goating to me, blaming more obvious targets because they don't fit in with society's 'norms'.

Well i'm in a Lib/Lab marginal seat, Cons aren't in the running in my area, so i've decided to play it tactically and hopefully help win the Libs a seat so that it'll weaken Lab.

I've been giving it alot of thought lately, i think i might throw my vote with the Lib Dem. I wouldn't be surprised if the Lib Dems didn't win it this time, it'd be a nice change (how these words will come back to haunt me), i don't think either of the other two main parties are fit to run a country... a long spell out of power for both would do them both good. Parties that have long premierships tend to begin to think they deserve to be there and that everything they do is untouchable. They begin to neglect the public and forget why they are really there, that is to run the country on behalf of the people, not expecting the people to bend to how they think the country should be run. As you can tell i just don't like governments, any of them.

Have some of those been cleaned?

Excellent!

I used to have one of those in BU, infact i sold that to Chris.* *I'm beginning to think there isn't a British coin denomination i haven't sold to Chris at some point or other...

There was some controversy over the image of the queen used, it was thought by some that the coin made the queen look foolish due to having such a ridiculously small crown. As for the Queen herself if she disdn't like it then that's because she was quite vein and was not too impressed that her young head portrait that had been in use since 1838 had been replaced by one which made her look older than 21. Other than that though, the minting authorities paid no attention to any complaints, at least not until 1892 when they started planning the replacement for this design.

Hi JMD I totally understand the coursework! I'm up to my eyes too. If i remember rightly you're doing the copper right? I'm happy for you to continue on in that area at your own pace. As for deadlines, i would like this done for September though, i dunno whether or not i'll be keeping my internet connection or not, hopefully i can persuade my parents to kep it on, but now that i've all but left uni there is no incentive on them to retain it. Hence why i'm trying to sort stuff out whilst i can, as long as i can get all the areas covered and the major issues sorted out, i can then hand it over to Chris to pull it all together. (Most of it is actually together anyhow) I just can't do it on my own that's all, time is running out. I've finished for good after next week which means i have a few weeks of nothingness at my disposal to get this sussed. After that it'll be job seeking time and board paying, end of active coin collecting and maybe end of internet. I really wouldn't want to leave somthing with as much potential as this out in the cold. I don't have the bmc. numbers, Chris might.

Oh and one last thing, unlike the modern coins book this time we actually have the templates done and ready to fill in, so i can email you your blank template and you just fill in the blanks. Then mail it back to either Chris or myself, with this done the description editor's texts can be added, any issues can be brushed out and the main section of the catalogue is done. Price listings come in three parts, Regular issue coinage, proof issue and errors/oddities. So if you're doing Charles II - George II Crowns you'll get three templates, a big one (for normal coins), one half the size (for errors, thanks Bill III) and a diddy one for the proofs.

Well i'm still working on the maundy listings, and a few additional ammendments to the copper to go through. The crowns to sixpences are done and i now need price researchers for these areas; 1) Crowns 2) Halfcrowns 3) Shillings 4) Sixpences 5) Description editor* Anyone willing to step forward to take on price research for one of those areas will be credited in the book as usual. I would do some of it myself, but i'm busy with other work at the moment as well as thinking of brushing up on the introduction stuff, needs a bit of work doing to it. * 'A description editor?' you say, what on earth is one of those? Well as you may realise in coin books at the beginning of the price listings (or in the price listings before each monarch) there is a chunk of text introducing the main themes, types of coinage, explaining the design and any important historical info that might be needed, thinking stuff like the meaning of 'Lima' and 'Vigo' on coins, things to watch out for when grading, rare dates, scarcity of the series and such. Well i've got some preliminary example texts to help you out should you want to take on this challenge. The person that takes on description editor status will have to ensure that they don't plagerise, i will assisst the person doing this should they request any help, but since it's not exactly a small job i think you'd deserve top billing in the crediting. This book is entirely new and taking a 'new' approach i therefore need your help if we're ever going to get it off of the ground, a new part of history, be part of it!

We still use paper and pencil, with a mark going through either a [P] for present or an [A] for absent. If a pupil is late, both [P] and [A] are struck through. It depended upon the teacher with us. Usually the old /\/\/ for present, either 'O' or 'A' for absent and 'L' for late. Having been called upon to do the register myself on the very odd occasion i know how they worked. The teacher must have had some trust!

Interactive whiteboard? Kinda like powerpoint projection things? I'm beginning to feel quite old now... we had a blackboard.

What you mean school's don't use the books anymore with the grids in that you ticked off in /\/\/\/\/\/\ format? All our registers at College and Uni were still done by hand. I didn't even knew there was such a thing as an electronic register until now!

hehe...thats where our school electronic registers are made. well, good luck with it What the hell's an electronic register?

Patience is a virtue, one i have seriously not grasped... that and my internet is running slow and costing god knows what by the minute (pay as you go now!), that i'm not venturing back there till i know what's going on with this internet malarky.

I believe copper is indeed poisonous. The germs on the copper wouldn't help either, silver's no worry in that respect though.

I don't use any of those nicknames. Quid is as far as i go, i haven't heard of most of the others. I was always wondering what a Monkey was! I like the Maggie for the pound.

I shall have to inform one other forum of this as i believe some members on there may have dealt with Colin over the years.

Other Hobbies? Well i just bought a model of KITT from Knightrider (come on i used to watch that programme as a child, well that's my excuse). So yeah models of anything really. I haven't bought any railway stuff in a while. I would like a tail-light lantern but i haven't seen any knocking about. Antiques and old stuff in general, anything silver. I'm also a bit of a Titanic enthusiast... i love ships more than any other form of transport, love the seaside too, i think i just like the sea. I once tried to put together a 1912 coin set just for that Titanic year thing! I would like a momento from one of the Olympic class ships though just for the sake of it, even if it's a teacup. Although a pocketwatch stopped at 02.25 would be moving. Oh i'm a fanatical tea drinker too. I like general science and history reading, plus Terry Pratchett and Charles Dickens' books. I also like watching TV somewhat, generally the Simpsons, Eastenders and Corrie. Actually i know far too much about the latter to be good. I also seem to be collecting all things 1980s... got a pile of tapes and records and CDs and rubix cubes and the betamax... never did quite leave my childhood. Tetris!!! Space Invaders, Frogger and PacMan. Oh good stuff.

Mahogany is the one, the best by far and the only one many people trust (many other woods emit oils and this can harm coins, pine being a definate no, no) Another important note, when making the cabinet it's fine to wax and finish the outside and all, but when doing the coin trays themselves and the inside of the cabinet it's best to leave it natural. No stain! Staining the outside is fine.

You know i think the tone will have kept it out of the higher grades anyhow. Anything beyond MS65 is pure fabrication anyway. If i were you i'd forget the US grade altogether and just go with UNC.