Gary D

Sorry Rob, I didn't record that lot (was having a beer and sandwich prior to the slabbed pennies!) Did you happen to record 1877,1900 & 2210? Regarding the max postal bid, of course these will be pre-sorted and the auction will start at the maximum postal bid as at the start of the auction they will be winning the bids. The floor will then get the opportunity to bid up from that point until the highest postal bidders max is reached or exceeded.

The wear to the reverse looks very flat as though it has been rubbed against a flat surface. Apparently coins are artificially worn by rubbing on a piece of leather. The colour doesn't look right either. The middle eastern fakes tend to tone to a very flat grey.

Try this from Microsoft on the XP (http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows/downloads/windows-xp) Image resizer. Load it then right click over the picture you need to resize, select image resize and off you go. Once loaded it's always there at the click of a button, right click that is.

I'm never sure if it's wear or a weak nose. The problem is that the nose is the highest point so will be the first to go. If there is any rubbing to the front paw I always assume the nose has worn.

I'm in two minds about going, it would be Sunday though. I've got three lots in the auction so please bid freely, I mean feel free to bid.

Sweet Mary mother of Jesus! For the first time since I graduated, I glad of my Chemistry degree! Everything from acid baths to re-plating! And on the subject of verigris - two lines... "Rub with a fine cloth which has been treated with copper soap. Copper soap can be obtained from drugstores." ============================== Having now googled 'copper soap', all I'm coming up with is a fungicide... I wonder if that is what they mean?! Must be available on ebay

These are my main grading aid

Your insurer will also require any coin valued over £500 or £1000 depending on the insurance company, to be listed seperately. I get my few revalued every year.

I'm hoping there maybe one to examine at the Prinz publications table at the London fair on Saturday. If any good then Chris's price seems more attractive! I see they are readily available on the bay for about £180. What I haven't see is the nice cradle that appears on Chris's link, don't know if that included.

Looks good, what is the biggest coin you can get under it and see the whole coin?. The built in ruler sound useful, shame about the price though. £40-50 would have been more realisic by the looks of it.

This is an educated guess type of reply, rather than scientific but ... I have often cleared 'film' (i.e. grease, some dirt, or caked condensation, etc) off coins by immersing in surgical spirit and then wiping that off GENTLY using a microfibre cloth. I wouldn't use olive oil for what you plan to store in a plastic envelope, though a very thin film of it might do for coins in trays, but make sure you reapply every now and then - either annually or when you judge it's needed. But if olive oil is reportedly 'mildly acidic,' wouldn't a continuous film of the stuff eventually have a negatory effect? I seems to vary from manufacturer to manufacture. The stuff we have at home at the moment seems to be completely neutral

Right foot, best thing for cats.

we went metric long ago Peter, do you mean cm's ? We haven't any now, just spent an hour sweeping it away. Not quite up to the the window sills here in Suffolk.

Erm and are you trying to tell us something ? And there's me thinking that life was something you went through will you wait for something better to happen. And on a completely different note, I've just had this lovely letter today from Works and Pension telling me I've got to work another nine month before I can get me pension. f~@#ers

I'm think the whole of the united kingdom should get a vote.

Thanks Gary, that's wonderfully inconclusive as it quotes rates of both 5 & 20% without differentiating which should be which. Little wonder there is so much confusion. I had assumed that with Spink et al charging 5% for years that was the rate, but clearly it depends on which line is used from the list. So folks, if you get charged 20% VAT, refer customs to commodity code 9705 00 00 20 and then 03001 and point out this is what all the auction houses use and have done so for at least 10 years or whenever the rate was enacted. As it refers to gold and silver coins, there is a danger that copper/bronze/tin etc could be subject to 20% import VAT. Perhaps a call to HMRC Tariff Classification Service Enquiry Line 01702 366 077 for clarification is in order. I got passed around a bit but the concensus was 5% Have a read here. 3.4, 3.5, 3.6, 11.3. And if you can't sleep there plenty more. http://customs.hmrc.gov.uk/channelsPortalWebApp/channelsPortalWebApp.portal?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=pageVAT_ShowContent&id=HMCE_CL_000199&propertyType=document#P452_59689

Thanks Gary, that's wonderfully inconclusive as it quotes rates of both 5 & 20% without differentiating which should be which. Little wonder there is so much confusion. I had assumed that with Spink et al charging 5% for years that was the rate, but clearly it depends on which line is used from the list. So folks, if you get charged 20% VAT, refer customs to commodity code 9705 00 00 20 and then 03001 and point out this is what all the auction houses use and have done so for at least 10 years or whenever the rate was enacted. As it refers to gold and silver coins, there is a danger that copper/bronze/tin etc could be subject to 20% import VAT. Perhaps a call to HMRC Tariff Classification Service Enquiry Line 01702 366 077 for clarification is in order.

The HMRC site is not the easiest to navigate, luckily it's the Businesslink website you need businesslink.gov.uk. If you search coins you will come up with chapter 97 heading 9705 and finally the comodity code 9705 00 00 20 (for gold and silver coins) Follow this link and all will be explained. http://tariff.businesslink.gov.uk/tariff-bl/export/commoditycode.html?export=false&from=heading&id=9705000020&simulationDate=22/01/12 When you purchase a coin from outside the EU just ask the sender to put this code on the customs declaration. Of cause if you don't want to pay any duty don't use the code

But that still doesn't explain why coins in UK auctions that are sold by non-EU residents attract the 5% VAT instead of 20%. As I said before, the 5% rule was in force last December, so barring a change in the law over Christmas/New Year, this should still apply. I still suspect that someone somewhere in customs or their agents doesn't realise that coins are taxed at a reduced rate. I vaguely remember someone saying it is something to do with them being classed as collectables or artefacts, but can't think where I read it. As far as I'm aware coins fall into the same catagory as antiques and are only subject to 5% VAT. no customes duty. Rather than just put coin etc on the customs form you should put the customs comodity code for that artical on the form then no confusion. The codes are available from the IR website.

I bought one sometime ago and wasn't able to see a whole coin with it.

Nor me, just the 2010, but did get a super 2010 Florence Nightingale in my change today, 1st one I've seen David I'd have preferred a nice Katy Perry or Beyonce in my change, Florence is getting a bit old and wrinkly now for my taste.

Grained edge means the same as milled edge. Your's is a belter of a sixpence, but I don't have any clue whether it's a specimen or not. I would say not. If you look at the obverse rim it wider than the specimen and uneven width, wider at the top than botton. The whole idea of a specimen strike is to take extra care when striking and use specially prepared dies.

Well done. I haven't heard anything from them, so I'm guessing I was unsuccessful. Pity as I left quite a few bids. My invoice arrived in the post out of the blue so may not be too late.

Is that a dot in the middle of the trident shaft to Bob? I heard of a dot being on a penny there, can't remember if it was the 1922 or not, but never seen one on the prong before.It needs a bath of olive oil Dave, What you see on the trident shaft is a light contact mark. I do need to somehow contain the staining...it is also on the reverse. The last time I used olive oil, it darkened the coin, which I don't want to do. Any other ideas?..... Try a different brand of olive oil, something slightly more acidic.

Well I got my two lots, one at my max bid and the other at £5 over estimate. The first lot was maundy coins so they should be UNC but the other lot of sixpences are described as generaly EF or better. Will be interesting to see what turns up. Hopefully a couple of upgrades amongst them.