Rob

My collecting habits were first stimulated around the age of 4 when my father asked me if I wanted a New Zealand 8d red export NZ lamb stamp – I still have it. Like many collectors, my first foray into coins was the jar of worn pennies given by my parents or grandmother to keep me quiet on a rainy day - no internet or games consoles in those days, in fact we didn't even have a TV. Date runs followed with the obligatory spaces left in the rows for dates that nobody thought to tell me didn’t exist, though I remember being told that a 1933 was very rare and that only 6 existed. Like every other person, I checked each penny carefully in case I found one. Some hope. Nobody told me they were all accounted for and that I was wasting my time looking!! Herein lies a useful lesson because novices pick up information, but usually only half the story, hence the rare 20p undated mule, or the Queen's necklace, or the unbelievably rare £2 coins that can only be found on eBay. All mythical "facts" that can be easily disproved with a modicum of research, but no kid of 6 or 7 does research. Collecting stamps and coins ran in parallel throughout my time at school. The first coin I actually bought was a high grade 1946 sixpence. I hesitate to say uncirculated, as I still have it and it certainly isn't, but was described at the time as such. Stamps took up much time because I had a neighbour who had the best collection of British and Australian stamps I have seen to this day with less than half a dozen gaps for both countries. He also had sufficient duplicates to run a business had he wanted and so one or two visits every month to look at the collection were rewarded with industrial quantities of cast-offs. This rather favourable arrangement was pursued with enthusiasm because there was no way I could afford the quantities given to me. When I left home, I donated my coins to my father as he was in a better position to do something with them and the stamps were far more significant due to the above, but I got them all back with interest when he died 20 years ago. Indecision reigned for a short time, but knew I had to make a decision and so knowing a good friend of mine had a serious collection of halfcrowns and pennies in high grade, decided to expand my collection (which now lagged the stamps by an even wider margin) and I settled on shillings and halfpennies as denominations. At the same time I made the conscious decision not to collect low grade material without a very good reason because I liked proofs and patterns as well as currency pieces and clearly there was no point having near uniformly FDC proofs alongside uniformly worn currency pieces. Trays of legible high grade material had considerably more eye-appeal than the grotty pennies of my youth. By this time I also appreciated the question of provenance because the best pieces are frequently well documented and so the library was born. The stamps went into hibernation. About 3 years ago I became disillusioned with the denomination collections because it was proving difficult to add pieces in a suitable grade, particularly hammered halfpennies, and the fact that full flan examples are difficult to find, let alone read, made me reconsider my aims. The serried ranks of full lustre or nearly so halfpennies and shillings also began to look monotonous and so I decided to expand the sundries department of the collection and go for a completely new set of targets encompassing the entire history of British coins with an example in the name of each monarch or (arch)bishop, every denomination produced, an example in each metal used, of every minting technique, from every mint location, by all the attributed designers and with every initial mark used. This eclectic list should ensure that there is always something available to add to the collection. More than a few coins are unaffordable, but there is sufficient scope to add to the collection for many years to come as the above list gives upwards of a thousand boxes to tick. By avoiding type duplication wherever possible, it means that I should end up with a broadly representative sample of British numismatics. I guess that makes me a mad, sad eccentric.

For Charles I shillings you want Michael Sharp's article in the BNJ 1977. BCW is the best reference for Elizabeth I silver as it differentiates the dies with reference to the punches used for the various components. What it does not do is list all the individual dies within a type, so different legend readings such as ELIZAB, LEIZAB, ELIZB for the samemark and issue are not noted - and there are a lot of different readings. Still worth getting, though I would recommend a hardback copy as the paperback cover soon becomes a bit distressed with use, certainly if it gets as much use as mine has.

Send Seuk a PM. He's about fairly often.

There aren't any obviously wrong indicators. How much bigger is it? Could it be struck on a flan designed for something else? If so, is it silver?

Don't get too worried about what could happen. Take simple precautions like good locks and an alarm and don't leave your front door open! Burglars tend to be opportunists and always choose the easy option unless they are aware of rich pickings to be had and have a means of disposal. They are unlikely ever to be stealing to order unless you have a collection of known, publicised desirable pieces, and the scrap value is minimal given the low weight of metal involved (gold excluded). Business premises are obvious targets simply because they have to have stock for sale, so that is usually a case of the burglar taking a punt on likely pickings. Society gets too paranoid about risk, as a few simple precautions will ensure most potential problems are unlikely ever to arise.

Hide them in a wall safe behind the calendar hanging next to the Picasso Then you only lose the picture.

I'm assuming the 'pearliness' is a result of the gilding and how the photo was taken. However, I agree it does look more like a replica than the real thing, due to the depth of the strike, it's ... too perfect. Without seeing it in real life it's impossible to be certain however. I concur re the depth of strike, though note that the reverse is slightly off-centre which does add a bit of credibility. Definitely needs to be seen in the hand though. If genuine, you tend to get an uneven strike on most hammered coins, so when you see a consistently well struck coin you tend to smell a rat. If it then proves to be genuine, it's a case of drinks all round, though gilding doesn't help.

You might have a buyer in seuk because he collects forgeries.

I can sense a plague of verdigris about to descend upon the bronze and cupro-nickel in your collection. Putting them anywhere like the above would be foolish.

I don't use ebay for selling.

At the lowest cost for a box, the break even point for a collection's value is about £20K. i.e.0.5% of £20K sum insured is £100, say £50 for the cheapest bank storage option and a reduction in premium of £50 arising from a reduced rate of 0.25% compared to 0.5%. With a collection value above this you are spending less money with the bank storage option subject to the price of the chosen box size.

It depends on size and can be anything from £50-300 a year, but the biggest problem is that most banks have stopped offering the service and so you have to find somewhere else such as a secure storage facility.

Fine reverse, the obverse nearly fine. Difficult to live with unless it's a hole that has to be filled.

And a real benefit of keeping them in a bank is that the insurance premium drops from 0.5% of the sum insured to 0.25%. That's another coin or two.

I think that's a fair assessment. Most of us are in 3. but working and dreaming for 2. I am in that camp as well!!! Ditto Rob, I definitely mentally placed you in 2. All those rare patterns and proofs... Maybe, but is it a definitive collection? - emphatically not. I might have a few hundred of the above, but I've also got a few hundred four letter expletives to counteract the quality.

I think that's a fair assessment. Most of us are in 3. but working and dreaming for 2. I am in that camp as well!!! Ditto

A collector is one who acquires items, coins or otherwise, for the pleasure of doing so. In the case of coins, most will settle on a given field and pursue it, picking up items where and when they can either by finds or by actively seeking out specifics on dealers' lists or at auction. Some will want to delve deeper and research a subject, and there are a few on this forum that do just that. Others take little interest in the history or background of their chosen field and collect simply because they like them. There is no right or wrong to collecting, but it helps if you have an appreciation of the items in your hands because knowledge is power and by using that you enable yourself to improve the quality of the collection and to recognise a bargain when you see one.

Don't do it. Everybody will hold you in contempt and treat you for the slimy, hand wringing and avaricious person you are. I for one shall lock up my 1959 dated coins - so there.

Insurance! That'd be funny wouldn't it. "and how do you secure your collection, Mr Magee?" "erm...in my bus..." Yeh, but have you ever tried getting onto a bus? Difficult, isn't it.

Cool - though I'm surprised at you not spotting mine was a twopence! But your picture is much better. I really must photograph even a few of my best coins. Have to confess I didn't check and just assumed with the penny being the commoner of the two that's what it was, but knew it wouldn't be a halfpenny. On another point though, I'd like to know why some of these obverses on KH6 (P1153) have the discoloured ring on the raised rim. I assume it must be something to do with the bronzing process, but can't see how it would come about. Thoughts anyone?

Just for you, here's a close approximation to your penny obverse.

Wot? Please post an unmodified version. Thanks.

I concur that the Victoria young head is well executed.

It's no coincidence that all the 1882 no H pennies offered also appear to be generally devoid of most detail. What price a no obv. portrait 1882?

Yes it is.