VickySilver

May I enter the fray as the loyal opposition? This coin has a very good strike both obverse and reverse. The rims show some sign of "bag handling" as do a few of the marks on the obverse - however, some of the apparent marks on the obverse are not. What do I mean? Look at the lines in and around the "V" in George's title; these look to be die scratches. There are some marks in the field to the left of George, but not severe. The only area that concerns me on the obverse is the field between George's bust and the "E" in the legend portion of "REX". G's cheek, nose, brow and beard excellent. IMO the area superior-most on his ear is simply not struck up all the way. Reverse as expected rather nice... Do post your pieces of 1923 superior to this at 75 quid. I will try to do so later.

Buried somewhere, will take a look in the AM if possible.

Jaggy, you are most admirable in your pursuit of those sixpences. I have lost a bit of edge what with the economy and the staggering prices, even in late milled predecimal. Every now and then if something is really special I will put us on budget and pray and can get a specimen at only crazy and not insane prices... I remember not long ago that the 1911 matte proof Halfcrown came up for sale and went to something like 8k pounds plus the juice - that was just too much.

Well, Rob guess I didn't answer the question too well: advertising not all that great and hard catalogues were delayed by the horrific mail over here - which used to be very good - and in fact I just got the group auction catalogue by Superior et al TODAY! I do not know any person that actually won a coin, and mercifully not too many I would have been after n any case. I think sales such as this really push collectors into the hole - I think soon there will likely be very few collectors that will attempt any sort of comprehensiveness. It is just now too damn expensive even in areas that used to be cheap (20th C. pre-decimal silver for one !). Just how many high pound/dollar coins can one afford to hold?

Hmmm, that does ring a bell - perhaps it was in a sale a while ago? Does this all mean the you have the coin? I must say they did come up with some concoctions in this era, what with off-metal strikes and oddities - I have a florin struck with the security edge which by recall is from edges for Mauritius and Hong Kong, maybe some of the African colonial series (?).

Nope. I only knew because of auction listings on sixbid.com as well as for some reason following Spink - I occasionally buy for them. But Jaggy may not be the semi-recluse that I am. With no actual NYINC, there wasn't the sort of floor bidding there would have been in normal years and to my knowledge the sale was not "pumped up". I have no idea who the buyers or dealers were that were pushing prices, Atlas in some years was held to blame by me but then it takes two or more to push numbers and the former mainly was buying at not so inflationary prices and them pushing them up considerably.

Not in Bull as I am sure you checked already. I don' t know what I did with my 2000 Coincraft Catalogue.

I think more of what I was getting at is the coins that may have been 500 to 1000 pounds 10 years ago may go for 5, 10 or 20x that amount now. And so maybe that is the new reality, but leaving many of old-time collectors out possibly. On the other hand, let us not be surprised if there is a setting in the market either. Also I saw with several lots an alarming trend to give more value to the slabbed coins and that even amongst slabbed coins there would be a large jump - USA style - in the price gap for a one point TPG grade difference (or so it seemed).

I wonder if we are getting priced out of our own areas? Did you see the 1685 plumes shilling went for 60k?

I was shocked to see some of the Pywell-Phillips coins going for double estimate - not all but MANY had been cleaned, and not too pleasantly. One example was the cleaned 1905 Halfcrown, and I believe the 1893 Jub. sixpence (can't remember for sure on that one). Also, the Churchill specimen crown went for 9500 - how on Earth did that rate a "66"? Also the prices these pieces went for really seemed to mirror the American situation - that top coins are now basically out of reach for the "commoner".

Yikes, check the prices! Just shocking IMO, and not just Gold proofs, etc. but includes silver coins. Will be interested to see what the 1850 shilling goes for in the next 5-10 minutes...

Wow, I will take a look, but don't recall this one....

Ah, hopefully to those that browse this. I have TWO already and really need to relax on the buying doubles and TRIPLES..... Please do PM me immediately if you get wind of either the Franklin Mint 1984 specimen (not proof) set of Jamaica, and for that matter 1984 specimen sets of Barbados and Trinidad

Looks PMD, possible liquid contact and then increased oxidation there - maybe the coin was in or had something spilled on the obverse.

I suppose olive oil with cotton bud GENTLE application would be relatively safe, with the residual oil removed with liberal rinse and soft detergent with more water irrigation and tamp dry with the high nap white cotton towel.... Don't blame you for being a bit nervous. Good score on that coin, and one I'd be happy to own.

I don't think a lot of spares out there!

I believe that the Baldwin cited March 2020 is NOT the one you have listed under die 88 as that used to be pictured on PCGS is my own PCGS55 specimen. The other pictured above is an NGC55 graded specimen.

As I look at this, the "medusa" head looks like it might well be a single die that was engraved, and somewhat crudely at that.

Ah, sorry mine are 88 and either 93 or 95

I will check tonite as I have two encapsulated AU55's, one each from PCGS and NGC.

Uggh, I think this has happened to many of us. I find it to happen when they are flying through the lots on different venues....

IMO, very poor offering and very, very little of interest...

Precisely, and I know that you have experienced the same in searching for your "goodies". To me, these quests are what collecting coins is all about. That is why collections such as the Hansen being formed in the States really doesn't mean much to me. So you have an enormous checkbook, big deal. I wish we could have a club of sorts with people of similar interests to "Mr. T" and me....

Mine in hand looks 0.500 but did not run a test on it. I believe the other NZ issues of smaller denominations went 0.500.

It is OK, not the most common of the later dated ones. I suspect, although the RM will not ever confirm - maybe under Freedom of Information - the actual number struck AND released is considerably less than 500. So, decent set but not that lovely to look at. LOL