argentumandcoins

She is a Tornado woman methinks..... Wet and noisy when coming but when she leaves she takes half of your house, possessions and kids with her!

At last we get to see what Peter looks like!!!!!

1. I don't think you will find many if at all on these forums 2. Grading isn't a precise science anyway - even professionals would differ by up to half a grade I do agree with your 'live and let live' attitude to slabs, but please don't assume that a professional grader is necessarily any better than a serious collector who's been learning it for years. Let me put it to you gently - I'd sooner trust the judgement of Rob and Derek (to pick just two) than a TPG who is mainly in it for the money, to sell slabs. I suspect lot of members on this forum just don't understand CGS grading process. Yes, a professional grader is not necessarily any better than a serious collector - but the difference is, that in CGS 2 graders have to refer to the extensive benchmark set of coins (I have seen some of these benchmark sets - they are stunning), each of which is allocated a unique number. When looking at such factors as striking, lustre, problems (for example, contact marks, stains), hairlines, haymarking, adjustment marks, cabinet friction etc, each grader compares the coin being graded to the relevant section of the benchmark set. When the benchmark coin that matches the aspect of the coin being graded is found, its unique number is fed into a computer. When all the factors have been entered, a programme that weights the numerous factors produces the numerical CGS UK grade. That is why their grading is so consistent and I exactly know what I can expect from coin graded UNC80, 85 or 88. Obviously nothing is perfect, however IMO this is by far the best attempt to reduce subjectivity when grading coins I have come across.. The sad fact is that most of the coins described by professional dealers as UNC will never make even the basic UNC80 grade... With the plethora of faked coins coming from Far East, the fact that CGS guarantee that the graded coin is genuine (or to pay the submitter the full market value of any non genuine English Milled coin that they may encapsulate) is quite reassuring for me as well. Thanks for that Mike - I bet I'm not the only one here who didn't know CGS went through a process so thorough! Mike, as most on here know, I used to be a traffic cop. We used an in car speed detection device called a VASCAR unit. It is basically a stop watch and distance measurement unit. At the start of each shift I had to calibrate the unit using a measured half mile on a main road and a stopwatch to ensure it was working correctly. Two questions were always raised in our office "Who calibrates the measuring wheel for the half mile and who calibrates the stop watch" A long winded way of asking "Who determines the bench mark set of coins?????" As a professional dealer does it matter a toss if you buy a coin from me that I have called UNC if you think it is only GEF or vice versa a GEF that you think is UNC? You have bought the coin NOT my little paper envelope with my opinion of grade written on it. I have been a London Coins customer for many years and have been left a little peeved with 2 very expensive coins that were certainly not up to the grade given in the catalogue, not exactly reassuring that they are the founder/owners of CGS. Just as a little aside why don't a couple of the collectors on here that believe CGS are ultra accurate conduct a little experiment; Submit 10 run of the mill coins to CGS for slabbing and await their graded return. Wait a few months then crack them out and re-submit via another forum member and see what the new grades are. I'll wager a nice coin against a similar offering from you that at least half come back with different grades on them (ie EF 75 changes by one point or more etc).

The only wet feet will be from most of us P****g ourselves laughing at your perceived market trend. As a full-time dealer I am not exactly inundated with requests for slabbed coins from my customers (I am sure that Chris, Rob, Bob and Derek will bear me out on this). I buy them and sell them but only if the price for the coin under the slab is right. Any CGS or US slabbed coins bought for the collection are cracked straight out and nestle snuggly in my mahogany coin cabinets which are much more attractive storage vessels (as Peck has already stated). If you think the market will be driven by slabbed coins you are either of the below options; 1) Bill Pugsley 2) Steve Lockett 3) Living in the States 4) Living on Mars Good luck with your chosen area but please don't try to tell people on here how to suck eggs!

I keep banging on about sellers that make their listings private. I may be a bit thick but the ONLY reason I can see is so that the seller can "help along" the bidding. Yes, the price is quite high for this coin.

Thanks all! After going on at my wife for ages she finally relented and let me have "a nice little 18 year old" for my birthday Unfortunately it was a bottle of Glenlivet and not the blonde from down the road

Lockdales will invoice you Stuart and the 3% admin will be included. Theyu are usually pretty sharp.

The Lindner ones are the best in my opinion.

I can send you the coin or the pics as you prefer Stuart? Well and busy thanks.

2.16gms ex Spink so assumed okay!!!!

Whilst I am no fan of slabbing coins I do not see any particular problem with the fact that CGS are London Coins and vice versa. The spiel they write in their auction catalogues is no different to that of any other auction house and they are merely acting with the best interests of the vendor at heart (irrelevant as to whether or not they are the vendor or the middleman). You seem to forget that the only buyers at London auctions are the very sort of people on this forum and they SHOULD know better than to pay an exorbitant price for a coin just because it is encased in a "monstrous carbuncle" The only time that there could ever be a conflict of interest is if Steve grossly overestimated a lot, stopped taking bids or ignored the book on it just so London could acquire the lot on the cheap to slab and flip it. To the best of my knowledge that has not and will not happen. I have been a client for many years and have found them to be totally transparent in all of their dealings, a little disorganised and veeerrrrryyyyy sloooooooooow post sale, BUT totally transparent.

So nice to see that the seller sv1954 is such an honest seller..... no mention of the fact that he/she has been told it IS NOT GOLD. Uses my favourite "private listing style auction" as well, just so that bids can be "helped along" if need be! Ebay are even better. Report it as a fraudulent listing and they do sweet FA.

Except the tw*ts at the bank won't take them, or £5 coins either.....................

The seller will be so pleased with you argent NOT <<< LOL better disguise yourself now The seller had better try not being a dishonest tw*t then. No need for a disguise, I prefer standing toe to toe with people.

I have contacted the seller and pointed out that it is brass not gold. The seller is either away or chooses not to reply/alter/end the item. I have therefore contacted ebay and told them it is a fraudulent listing.......................

Commonly but incorrectly. Technically an evasion has some legend alteration so that it stands out from the official coinage,eg "GEORGE RULES" This is certainly a contemporary forgery halfpenny based on the mint dies.

1858/3(2), 1858/6, 1858/7 and 1858/8 shown below in 2 separate posts

I have examples of 8/3(2), 8/6, 8/7 and an 8/8 and will retake and upload any pictures of the various re-cuts you want Rob.

Unfortunately the thing most needed to be a BNTA member is most lacking, an entrance exam! I have seen quite a few BNTA members that know nothing about coins or coin grading but are members purely because they are in the old boys club.

I should get a platinum medal the size of a dustbin lid for the pain it takes to hit 10k on there!

Not the same coin Dave, the Lockdales one was not an ex-mount (you can see the edge problems in her second picture on the bay). The 1666 crown is probably the commonest of all elephant types and is available fairly often if you keep your eyes open.

You only need a modicum of sense to realise that Rayner is miles off in the rarity scales on 99.9% of the coins listed. ESC was compiled long before the internet was a common everyman/everyday tool and he had to make educated guesses based on a limited collector/museum contact list and previous works. Trying to work out rarity on coins you own is almost pointless unless you are a pure investor rather than a collector. Your time would be better spent trying to track down the coins that you don't own and then trying to find the best examples available for purchase.

i think hes not scottish at all....ive a feeling hes french and is trying to say There is a mental hospital just on the outskirts of Dundee called Liff, i wonder if he's escaped. Oh and BTW i really did understand Cantonnas Seagull trawler quote lol Bollocks! I watched the interview that was done with him last year where he stated that he made the line up on the spot and it meant bugger all. It still means more than the lines that ebay tool is using though. Where do you all find the time or self restraint needed to actually communicate with him? Anybody with enough spare time and patience to converse with a looney please feel free to contact my wife as it may take the heat off me

The obvious answer would be to ask Steve Lockett if your coins are all entombed by his company. I know that most of the Wreath "Proofs" sold by London have a Coincraft reference so there is another research area for you. A final suggestion would be the Royal Mint as they would surely have records of proof strikings? As a dealer I rely on my experience of handling coins to differentiate proofs from currency strikes but quite often I am left scratching my head and opting for "proof like" which has already been pointed out by Peck as possibly just a very early strike or a coin from proof dies.