Sylvester

It's still a very nice coin to have around!

Yes they are worth exactly what they say on them, either 1p or 2p. If you look all coins dated from 1971 to 1981 say 'New Pence', from 1982 all coins say the value followed by pence, e.g 20p's say 'Twenty Pence', 2p's say 'Two Pence', pennies say 'One Penny'. The only coin that is worth anything of value is a 1983 2p(note the date), that says 'New Pence' rather than 'Two Pence', since it was struck after the 1982 change it should have had the new wording, but due to accidental use of an old die it came out with a pre-82 reverse and says 'New Pence', but considereing that no 2p coins dated between 1982-1984 were released for circulation these rare ones are only found in the year sets that were sold to collectors by the mint in 1983. Therefore your chances of finding one in change are nigh impossible.

Well it's cheaper than the normal proof, or the copper one, so i guess more of the CuNi ones exist.

Interpret that as not 1887 or 1893 which are common in comparison. I think you'll find it's much the same scenario with Elizabeth II, you're tripping over 1970 proofs, but 1965 proofs... well i hope you saved up.

As moderator Chris i think i should be donated a nice Decimal specimen set don't you? Oh and good luck with the moving! Always a stressful time...

Well then yours makes even less sense cos nowhere is cupro-nickel anywhere near as important as silver (or not as the case may be, cos i'm not sure which way round you've put them). I'd say copper was better than bronze, and copper/silver better than bronze, cupro-nickel and nickel-brass put together. I'm a purist, i like my metals pure, the purer the better. It's all very subjective that way though cos i would list them like this; most important to least (interpret expensive to cheapest, in general terms, high grade nickel-brass coins tend to cost slightly more than cupro-nickel ones, only cos some of those threepences are scarce though)... Silver, Copper, Bronze, Nickel-Brass & Cupro-nickel.

and there was us thinking that you could never specialise... Well i'm not ready yet, so i've decided to try again after i've bought stuff from left right and centre... I'm semi-specialised at the moment, i stick to serieses but i have alot of them, it's a compromise.

I'm usually reaching for a dictionary at that point...

spink say's that all victorian proofs are ext. rare...but i would not no a specific rarity ALL Victorian proofs rare? I think you've read it wrong or they're lying to you...

Erm i think Chris has them listed in the order the metals make their appearance. I haven't got a clue why you've arranged them like you have JMD... Why have them like that, if you wanted to change them why not put them in alphabetical order, or even reverse alphabetical order if you want to get adventurous... But if Chris reverse the format next year then the silver would be first and the bronze last.

I was thinking of doing these collections i've got on the go now to the best of my ability, so get my sixpences and what not sorted, and once they are done, i think i'm gonna take a leaf out of the Wreath Crown guy's book. But instead of collecting 1934 crowns, i'm thinking of just collecting Stephen pennies... see how many it is possible to get. (Although William I, II and Henry I coins are the rarest of the four Normans... i think Stephen ones will always be slightly more popular and i find them more interesting). It's just an idea i've been having for a while but it'll probably change. There is also that Quarter Noble collection i've been thinking about... i've got one and i like them! I wouldn't mind another 20 or so.... But sixpences &c first... proper specialisation later.

I don't need a copy... ever. (Well unless i do decide to do an extremely advanced collection in tin anytime soon... but i'm thinking of something else).

Sometimes when you're having a really bad day where everything is going wrong and it's like some divine force is just trying to upset you... i'm sure we've had days like that Well i was having one of those days when i first heard Blasphemous Rumours, by one of my fave non-rock bands... Depeche Mode, an' it goes a little like this... (a very depressing song actually, but sometimes it gets you thinking) 'I don’t want to start any blasphemous rumours But I think that god’s got a sick sense of humor And when I die I expect to find him laughing' And that day i really thought... 'you know i think they've got a point'. That and my edited version of that awful Weathergirls song... my version 'It's raining Women' need i say more?

Oh i didn't look at their grade... i just looked at the pic. But i'll have you know i doubt it very much that many have made it to MS66 let alone MS68! Not an easy grade to get, whether we agree or not. Personally i'd call it Gem UNC, which to me is MS66-MS69 (I don't think there's any need to distinguish further between those grades, as it's only a few minute scratches, hairlines that make the difference between those grades really).

My limit on sport watching is confined to Snooker (rarely), and occasionally winter sports such as bob sleigh and ski jumping. Otherwise i don't bother, and it's rare i watch those. Cricket and rugby are the most boring, cricket more so than rugby. I don't like darts either. I must check out this Russian tennis player... (i never watch the men but sometimes i check out the women)

Well i haven't got my catalogue on me at presenbt cos i'm not at home... But + EDW R ANGL DNS HYB I believe that reading is a later one, from classes 10 onwards, so it could go into Edward II, or even III. I can't tell you more than that till this evening. Apart from it being London mint, but you knew that anyway...

I hate both so i really couldn't care less, i'll be happy when the TV goes back to normal... Roll on Monday.

looking good! (I haven't been able to read it at home cos my computer crashes when it has anything to do with acrobat... dunno why, i think the dial up freezes), so i've been looking at it from Uni, not bad at all!

Yeah that happens... i don't think they are supposed to be in any particular orientation. You get them starting in different places around the edge... one has the cross at 1 o'clock, another at 6... And they you can also get them where they are just the other way around, one is the right way up from the obverse but another is the right way up from the reverse if you know what i mean...

Oh well it'll give me something to do... I still think Edward I pennies are some of the hardest to identify.

i think it is as struck that why. It's sure the best one i've ever seen anywhere...

now this IS investment material... http://forums.collectors.com/messageview.c...threadid=301310 (i nearly fell off my chair).

I would recommend one oft overlooked area of British numismatics that is probably a good investment... high grade tin farthings and halfpennies... Especially 1689 farthings, and anything James II. If it comes to that James II coins usually appreciate comfortably anyhow, the higher the grades the better.

You got any older hammered coins that need identifying cos i've got my North catalogue ready for action now, but it's volume 1 the c.600-1272 So any pennies pre Edward I and i can help you... big time. Oh and Tom my Stephen is Shaftesbury mint cos only two Richards were moneyors during the reign one at London and one at Shaftesbury. And mine reads RICARD ON S... (London does not start with an S, so it's either Shaftesbury or an unrecorded moneyor at another S mint). What i do find odd though is that the dealer i bought it off put RICARD OF SCA... (I can't see an A but there might be a C) The Coincraft states the mint should be SCIEFT, North states SAFT. I wonder if there might be a SCAFT?

I've got an 18th century book that smells much the same, not pleasant... currently being aired. I think the term you are looking for Chris is foxing... it tends to affect the plate/picture pages most. As my First Edition Silver Coins of England has...