VickySilver

Looks not, cleaned and retained. Looks a bit uneven in strike and die prep more like a currency.

The Hercules crown pattern is much more available in bronze form. I even got the ex-Norweb for about 800 quid. Simply beautiful, though I'd like the silver as well; believe that was the cover of a Spink auction catalogue 15 or so years ago.

1860 penny not proof, but nice choice anyway. 1817 Three Graces Crown Pattern I would pick.

That '34 is as rotten fake as they come. Metal quality and surfaces are awful.

Yea, pretty much a moot point I suppose. The garb is "Gothic" and also I do remember that a puncheon was used by the Royal Mint for a pattern crown (though of about florin size by memory) in ~1966 and sold in an SNC. They referred to that piece as Gothic. I think what happens on those other boards is that there are some real blowhards that must be heard, no doubt a bit frustrated in life. PS - A couple of the 1848 patterns have the Gothic bust depiction but are "Godless" as well.....

Well I do rather know the series as you might guess. The lettering post-1851 is Gothic as well, but IMO it is the depiction of Victoria in her garb that is Gothic and makes it so....

There is currently a bit of an unpleasant conversation cross the Atlantic on the PCGS boards as to whether the 1849 Godless florin should be considered Gothic or not. What say you readers?

The 1853 1/2 crown is over 47 quid now....

And I have looked at all of my 1887-1902 crowns and seen seemingly not just "either-or" but somewhat of a spectrum; some appear to have an empty mouth and others various amounts of, uhh, content and others full set of dental.

Well, if we remember that the "Ansell" coins were struck because of issues of gold alloy for the sovereign and that these were marked for RM followup and study (evidently) I would imagine none were carried over unless someone were to strike up some sport coins there at the midnight shift...

I agree that the obv. appears a bit less well struck than reverse but what is hard to tell is if there are any hairlines from wiping or cleaning. If so, 58 and if not IMO guess is 62.

Wow, only 39 quid also gets you an 1841 and 1843 AND 1848.

And 1843 a scarcer date. Quite attractive there!

Not my series but there certainly were many barbarous imitations of earlier "popular" coins....

Well, no "Tokyo A Collection" is a rather fabulous one - perhaps one of the finest collection of milled crowns EVER assembled. I have a couple but that particular collector, now deceased had a legendary collection; the family still holds some of the finest bits. Believe Steve Hill knows a bit about this collection.

That 1841 is quite a nice specimen. Is that the piece coming up in Heritage. I bought an EF many years ago from DNW and then certainly upgraded to a PCGS 63 specimen that has PL surfaces but overall perhaps not quite as nice as this piece. 12k quid a bit much as I was thinking maybe 10k - will watch. I think it quite rare and the 1843 on sale there is also very nice and likely much cheaper...I am quite shocked at what decent common variety 1839 2/6s in proof fetch these days. The "King" of all is of course the legit 1839 currency bits, the PCGS64 as their lone graded specimen perhaps one of the nicest currency Vick silvers out there.... PS - Rarity at this level very high, and as they say "must surely be amongst the finest known". I would estimate nicest you'd see in a decade. This coin is scarce at lower levels of preservation up to VF and then goes ballistic in rarity and value after that as you've seemingly surmised...

But that leek is thrusting on up there - "who's de man?". Overall an attractive design certainly.

Obverse style especially gives this one away. Looks like a couple of bidders contesting. I might have been in it for 20 quid.......

Yikes, nada for me....GO early hammered crew!

Looks a bit like a fouree (sp?). Base metal core with silver plating....

I've learned quite a lot about these half sovs lately so may be able to help out a bit. PM with pictures if that is any easier..

Post Independent Costa Rica (1839-1857) whilst under the reale/escudo system saw shortages of coin and foreign coins considered of good weight and metal content were stamped. This included GB sixpences and shillings - I think the shilling was considered the equivalent of 2 reales, or a quarter of the "piece of eight"/dollar/peso. See Baldwin Sale NYINC 7 January, 2015: Lots 1074 & 1075 for examples of 6d and shilling

A bargain at only 1200! Run, Forrest, run!

There are some Brit coins with Costa Rica lion ?? counterstamps - I have an 1843 shilling with one somewhere...

I have an PCGS AU50 that I would sell for reasonable, unfortunately to only the Left side of the Atlantic. I'd have to dig for it and will give the PCGS cert number if interested.