Rob

Pictures have always been a lottery. When the offspring redid the site at Christmas, eldest set up youngest's Canon camera using a digicam program and something called lightbox. That allowed the proces to be automated, but then the camera started playing up. I reverted to the Nikon I used before, but that didn't support autofocussing through the camera control program. Then the basic lens had shutter problems so I had to put on the macro, which works but light is a problem. I wanted to standardise on a background, preferably black, but I can only get decent exposures with a light background for most things, particularly dark toned coins. A good example is the halfgroat I posted a couple days ago. LC's image is great, mine isn't. I don't know what they use as the background material, but there is no texture to it. I've spent days or weeks trying to get the lighting right, but my dark coins are not too far off the background colour, so lightening them, does the same to the background. Using the green offered the best contrast, because so few coins have a green tone, but the texture diverts your attention away from the coin. If the background is featureless, you concentrate on the subject.

That's mine. I'm having difficulties taking pictures at the moment. I haven't listed anything for weeks. I've got literally hundreds of coins waiting to be imaged and no time coupled with an inability to take quality pics.

G2 roses 6d.

Briot 1st milled issue penny.

They are a good source for misattributions as a collector. No idea about the quality of service such as turnaround times though.

I only know one person who does grading for them, so can't comment on anyone else.

I know Alex does some grading, but assume that there must be a pool of people used if you intend to show expertise in all areas. I don't know all the people involved, so thought a discount or exemption from any fees might be a suitable reward if the remuneration for agents postulated earlier has any basis. A gift of £500 is usually matched by a spend considerably in excess of that sum, so LC have to gain business considerably in excess of the income foregone.

Is goldguinea doing the grading for them? That might explain the exemption, which has to be predicated on some basis. It isn't as if CGS have just started, so there has to be a quid pro quo.

Being stung is a necessary part of the learning curve. They are only copied because people pay silly money for them. You have learnt a lesson and now you are wiser, so rather than throw in the towel on the basis of one occurrence, why not use the knowledge gained to guard against the future? You could always wait for one to appear in change. I've had two undated 20ps in my change this year. 2008-9 price was £300 give or take a bit. Today they trade at 10% of that sum. Patience.

If the seller is a genuine jeweller, he would know better

Grading doesn't depend on the quality of the dies. It is simply a means of quantifying wear. Die cracks don't come into it.

My only concession to pennies in this metal. P2149. http://

TTIP is a huge reason why we don't want to be part of it. Frankly, I don't know why they are so anxious to sign up in Brussels, other than every other advisor is ex Goldman Sachs. For those unaware, it will please the greens, not, by the forced acceptance of GM food which is currently very restricted in the EU, the unions can have the privatisation of the NHS in all but name that they decry the Tories for trying to slip in by the back-door (this despite being arranged by a nominally centre-left Commission) and it will lead to a free for all with unfettered access for all the corporations with the deepest pockets. Instead of being ruled by Brussels, it will be Amazon, Google, Facebook, etc all washed down with a healthy dose of Goldman-Sachs and J P Morgan to control your banking. Just as Philip Morris sued the Australian government for restrictive trade laws when demanding plain cigarette packaging, so you could reasonably expect free at the point of service healthcare to be considered discriminating against US healthcare groups who charge. Why play with fire when you don't have to? I would back the US and its companies to have the smarter lawyers (who incidentally will have a field day at taxpayers expense)

You get raised bumps from the surfaces rusting and the degraded metal falling off the surface as it powders. A more extreme example is this Henry VII angel http://

If they become ten a penny, the currency will have been revalued down by a factor of 2000. Your collection might be of less concern at that point

I guess it is the numismatic equivalent of the political establishment's insecurity of running this country's affairs. They prefer subservience to a faceless committee in Brussels rather than make their own minds up as to what is best, whereas the adherents to slabs feel the need to be told what to think when it comes to coins. It cuts both ways. A 65 or 66 is desirable because of the number, a 60 or 61 by contrast is undesirable. B****r the contents, think as you are told.

Verica Quarter Stater

Just back from a few days in Cornwall and have to say that there was virtually no conversation overheard supporting remaining in the EU, but much opining on the merits of leaving. Half the population appears to be keeping mum, but I'm sure they will vote come June 23rd. On the positive side, there was little Daily Mail style paranoia about immigration, and a lot of reasoned debate.

You can't tell due to the low res pic, but from what is clear on the reverse I would be amazed if the obverse isn't somewhere close to the rev and certainly better than fine.

1762 Quarter Guinea. Struck from a rusted obverse die.

They occur quite often. This is one I had a few years ago.

Looks iffy to me. The punch used was that for hallmarking at the time.

Keep on digging then

That must mean the market is thinner than you think

This has been discussed before if someone can find the thread. I think consensus was that anything you need to search or arrange are ideally in a database, but things like cost or say Peck reference are not usually searched and so can remain attached to that specific file. It keeps the database nice and compact.