VickySilver

OK, I bought it from Steve Hill whilst he was as Spink at the time and may not have made the SNC then. It was a two coin lot with the new type (for 1927) shilling in proof and also a variant, though minor.

Related to this, was wondering if anybody had access to the April, 1997 SNC. That was the month I bought the 1927 shilling and crown, but it may have been a pre-sale. As an addendum, I am unaware of any publishing of the contents of the Pretoria Mint before it was deaquisitioned - does anybody know of source material?

Ridiculous there...

OK, don't get excited as it is only and primarily an edge variety with bevelled edges although there are some other differences. I got this from Spink in 1997 along with a pattern shilling that came from the Pretoria mint collection (did they retain anything?).

Yes, glad you mentioned it. I was in a pitched battle with the site for registration as well and only got on after the first 100 or so lots had gone. Fortunately I was looking for a proof half crown that came up later on (I blew my budget on that one!).

There was once much discussion on this topic. LA Lawrence sale(s) - hell Rob - had a number and then Norweb did. The former seemed IMO a bit unsure as to status whereas Norweb sales cataloguer more convinced of Proof status. Steve Hill has weighed in on this on a number of occasions as well. I have to say that sometimes determining proof status is a bit difficult; I will try to post some pages on writeup of proof vs. specimen vs. currency that came from the Eliasberg Canadian sale & might need a bit of help. I'll try on the weekend if there is interest.

Looks buffed/polished to me. I think legit though.

Ah, a few pirates breaking the thread. May I join? IMO, the Regnal LVII 1893 is pretty scarce as are a coupe of others.... I just like seeing fully struck and unmucked with crowns of any date. I still lack a few and have been lazy. Seems like I do better with Vicky shillings and 6ds.

Yes. Garbage. The obverse badly done, the reverse a bit better. A quick cue: check the hair and braid "detail" - very crude!

Here is an encapsulated 1928 proof that was bought as part of an original 1928 Six Coin Silver Proof Set in a Spink auction late 1990s:

Pretty much. This appears to be a proof-like relatively ordinary coin here. The PCGS shot is a glamour version....The rims indeed are not all that sharp, but the big issue is the obverse portrait which is softly struck and has massive marks to the cheek and jaw areas (at least for a "65") whether or not one agrees to it not being a proof. Unfortunately the 1932s and 1934s which have the lowest mintage also have a greater percentage of Proof-Like currency strikes. My grade is Uncirculated 63 (Proof Like), and not proof or even specimen. Actually my point was for potential buyers to beware of Wreaths other than 1927 offered as proof.

Guesses? An unloved series but unimpeachable (like that one?) rarity. I would have to think that 50k would not be out of the question. Right up my wheelhouse as far as the coin, not the price!

Yikes, I feel relatively experienced in this wreath series and have conferred in earlier days with many of the experts and when I see such offerings I cringe. I don't blame Heritage, but rather PCGS. What say you (item 30870): Pr

Could be my eyes, but I still on looking several times very little sign of wear but with plenty - or lack thereof - soft strike (a common malady in the larger E7 florins and half crowns). There is a huge fingerprint overlaying most of the obverse. Actually there are very few bag marks. In support of this, look first at the reverse and you say not only a decent strike, but critical areas such as the three angles of the shield are very nice indeed and the surmounting crown also relatively nice but for the bottom portion at shield which is softly struck as is normal. The edges are quite decent as well, what look like ticks on this and other Eddie half crowns and florins are in fact most likely bag damage to the planchet after upsetting the edge which occurs before striking - many mistake this for post strike handling damage. The rim from 5 to 8 o'clock on the obverse is nearly pristine, even accounting for the pre-strike rim damage (we call the pre-strike planchet preparation "upsetting" on this side of the Atlantic). I would imagine that even the relatively obverse will look better in hand. What I am saying is that I see how they might get a legitimate "63" on this coin, and that it is downgraded already as a result of the soft strike. I still would not like the coin. Interesting that this is a 1908 dated coin - I have had trouble locating a decent 1908 florin and even shilling, and especially for reasons given above for soft obverse strike and have several examples that I am always somewhat dissatisfied by as a result. I think the obverse dies were used excessively by this time and that the dated side fared somewhat better and required at least the yearly change.

Not a coin that I would want, however if top MS grade - 70 - reflects how close the coin is to the state in which it left the dies, then it could be a "technical" 63 in that there is little actual wear. In other words, not far how off it left the dies. Again, best seen in hand with the above caveat which is why the coin should be purchased and not the holder even if it may be accurate.

I never thought of it as such, although higher grade ones don't seem to be around much...Certainly not on the order of the "biggies" like 48/6, 50, 51, 54, 63, 63/1, etc.

Oooops, sorry for the ugly paste there...

One of Only Two Known Surviving 1945 Silver Threepence Coins Surfaces Posted on 12/10/2019 The silver coin, the “rarest British circulating coin in 200 years,” was one of 371,000 minted that year, all of which were supposed to have been destroyed. The “rarest British circulating coin in 200 years” has been certified as genuine by Numismatic Guaranty Corporation® (NGC®), the world’s largest third-party certification, grading and encapsulation service for rare and collectible coins. The tiny silver coin — only the second known example — was not discovered in a buried hoard. The 1945 Silver Threepence was found in an ordinary Whitman folder, the type of cardboard booklet that young coin enthusiasts have filled with coin collections since the 1930s. This 1945 Great Britain Silver King George VI 3 Pence was authenticated and graded NGC MS 63 by the third-party grading service Numismatic Guaranty Corporation. It is scheduled to be auctioned in March 2020 with an estimate of £15,000 to £25,000 (about $20,000 to $30,000 USD). Click images to enlarge. The coin had been removed from the Whitman folder and placed in a similarly humble plastic envelope, or flip, when it was brought to Baldwin’s of St. James’s, managing director Stephen Fenton said. But it caused an immediate sensation even so. “It was a coin I’d looked for for 50 years,” Fenton said. “I regard this as the rarest British circulating coin for 200 years. “You see lots of rare coins, but this is something I’ve always hoped to see someday. It’s amazing proof that the rarest coins can emerge from the most humble of places.” Though the Nazis showered London with V-2 rockets in 1945, it was a more mundane reason that led to the 1945 Silver Threepence coin becoming almost extinct. The Silver Threepence had become unpopular because it was very small — a diameter of 16 mm (six-tenths of an inch) and a weight of 1.4 grams (five-hundredths of an ounce). A bigger, heavier, 12-sided nickel-brass threepence had been introduced in 1937 and was being minted every year. The King George VI Silver Threepence was minted from 1937 to 1945, with a peak production of almost 8 million annually in 1940 and in 1941. But the wartime issues of 1942-45 all were shipped to the British West Indies. And the output of the coin’s final year of 371,000 — apparently deemed redundant because of public acceptance of the 12-sided nickel-brass coin — was ordered to be melted down, its silver used in other mint products. Every 1945 Silver Threepence was supposed to have been reduced to ingots, their inscriptions and profile of the king on the obverse and a St. George’s cross over a Tudor rose on the reverse, destroyed. But at least two coins escaped the crucible, and more of them might be sitting in jars or Whitman folders, waiting to be recognized for the rarities they are. One survivor came up for auction in April 1970 at a Glendining & Co. of London sale. Its condition was described in the catalog as About Very Fine and it realized £260 (about £4,000 pounds in today’s money). Its buyer is unknown, and the coin has not resurfaced publicly since. The newly found coin was certified by NGC and graded MS 63 on the 70-point Sheldon Scale. The condition of the coin found earlier is thought to grade a much lower 20 to 35 on the scale. “I had no doubt that this coin was genuine,” Fenton said. “But NGC certification will ensure that everyone has the same confidence.” The new example is being offered at a Baldwin’s of St. James’s auction scheduled for March 2020, with an estimate of £15,000 to £25,000 ($20,000 to $30,000 USD), Fenton said. How did it survive? The owners, who Fenton declined to name, said they received the Whitman folder containing the coin from a relative who worked at the Royal Mint. For more information about Baldwin’s of St. James’s, go to bsjauctions.com/ Viewing at %

Well, you could go for the 1911 Canadian Dollar that would run about 500k + quid!

Yes, I remember that sale and have saved the catalog even though I don't collect halfpennies especially. I did manage to get the nickel 1920 pattern, and I think either the 1869 or 1871?? I like it as a reference.

Interesting that there is no crown and had not seen the before. I remember letting that lot go as it seemed the price too dear.

Yes, and those marks appear to be in relief and so die changes regardless of the specific cause (but clashing IMO).

I really like overall the 1920-1922 half crowns when well struck. Some are extremely so with even a matte proof like appearance in the case of the 1920 and '21. Please have a look at the PCGS census and the PCGS # 512833 e.g. XXX.XX/12345678 Need Help? Verify Sponsored Ads (1920 1/2 Cr Satin) (Proof) 1 / 1 (1920 1/2 Cr Satin) (Proof) PCGS PR61

Yes, thanks Sleepy for posting your pictures. Not VIP. I have three or four proof 1953s, but even the one that is ex-Norweb (set) is the ordinary one as are the others. Richard has a stellar example there - was that ex-Spink SNC? I just missed one "back in the day".

Can you post pictures of the crown or penny, even if it be the more common type? I actually have a 1953 penny in proof ex-Norweb, but sadly is the more common type as well even if especially choice.