Gary D

I'd agree about the 1864 (both types) and the 1875H from the Victorian era. Even 1869 is easier to get in a very high grade than those two. Also, I agree with earlier comments about the fallibility of the Freeman rarity estimates. Obviously they were never really any better than inspired guesswork. Nonetheless, that doesn't really explain why there are so few 1926ME's in high grade. For a coin a lot younger than the buns I referred to, and only 45 years old at demonetisation, it is hard to explain IMO. If I had to put a guess on how many of the original mintage were modified, I'd say 15-20%, something of that order. Again though, pure guesswork. No real way of knowing. Thanks for all the comments & opinions, chaps. Surely rarity figures are all nonsence now due to decimalisation. I would guess only 10% of pennies exist now and all the so called rarities were stripped for circulatiion beforehand. The playing field is much levelled now a days and H and KNs are as common as 1967 pennies.

I totally 100% agree. If I was the vendor, I would honour the sale, even at £1.00. The seller made a silly error, and Accumulator won it fair and square. As the seller I would take the hit and preserve my reputation for integrity, even in the face of "the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune". Piece of good luck for the buyer, piece of bad luck for the seller. But these things tend to even themselves out over time, in the coin market. Reluctant as I am to leave negative feedback, this is one occasion when, as the buyer, I definitely would. No buyer would be acting unreasonably to do so, and to be frank the seller is completely snookered when it comes to a meaningful reply. His honesty is well and truly compromised, and everybody would know it. Just trying to provoke discussion here not take sides, but isn't the seller just making an offer for sale and is not under any compulsion to accept a buyers offer. It's a bit like goods in a shop labelled incorrectly, you go to buy the goods and the shop keeper can refuse to sell the item to you and unless they take your money there's no sale. I can see the problem with the likes of paypal but by sending the seller your money you are only offering to buy, if they turn your money around no sale has happened. Now if they spent your money the sale would have been accepted.

Bernie, I noticed this 'raised dot' version in your son's sale. It made a good price too! What I struggle with, though, is why this is any more desirable than, say, my very obvious 1922 die flaw pictured above? I'm not trying to add value to my coin (I only keep it as a curiosity), just trying to understand the rationale from a collector's perspective? Sorry, I know I'm getting slightly off-topic! It would appear that dot die cracks are more desirable than linear die cracks, perhaps because a dot doesn't look so broken die as a crack does.

That only appeared in the 2010 catalogue, I have also wondered what it means.

I was at the London Coins auction when the 1922 ME went through. I'd mentally prepered myself to go to £2500. It opened at that and went for £3800 hammer. Another good identifier of the 192a is both 2s are to tooth. I think I will have to put up with my GF for now. Gary

Ditto, decimals never rocked my boat. The coin collection I made as a youngster languished for 45 years in old albums and coffee jars. Only starting collecting again when I discovered ebay about 6 years ago David ditto

Unfortunatly rare coin and small budget don't appear side by side in the same sentence.

Operation Hide-behind-the-Northerners! Hide behind the northerner phah. Picture this, a bunch of burly scots tribesmens all pained blue (Rangers supporters) coverting the south as they had heard what a fair green land it was full of milk and honey. They get as far a Middlesbough and think "what the f..." and all go home again. Job done. Gary D

The conclusions that I have heard regarding the last W & W auction is that their estimates are kept low to encourage bidders to take part. I put what I thought was quiet a hansom bid on a piece in the last Baldwins auction, ummed and arred about attending but would have needed to pinch a days holiday from next year, this was before Christmas. Didn't get the win although I wasn't a mile away. Been kicking myself ever since as it was a unique piece. Gary D

It was interesting, yes. Inevitably, collectors will think more and more in investment terms given the recent steep rise in coin values. Yes, interesting, but I couldn't help think of the three times previous we have "been here before" - once in the late 60s with all those "investment opportunities" involving mint-sealed bags of 1967 pennies etc, then in the mid-70s when inflation sent investors flocking towards alternative forms, and then again in the early 80s with that silver fiasco and all those auction highs for rare coins. I can't help feel that, like property prices, the "eBay phenomenon" (i.e. prices craze) won't last forever, and that it's always best to enjoy our collections, while at the same time trying to avoid paying top dollar during a rising market. Remember the long stagnation from the mid-80s to the late 90s? A couple of years ago I bought a maundy set from the State from I beleive a widow selling off her late husbands investment portfolio. With the set a document arrived giving it's investment valuation from when it was purchased. I think it was for about just over $400, I paid just over $100 for the set on ebay. Coins as an investment, not for the faint hearted. Gary D

Brilliant find!! Struck on a two shilling planchet, must be worth at least £500 Seems a bit much for a wrong flan coin. My Eliz.II florin on an underwight flan (possibly a Burundi 10Fr) cost £1.79 (including postage). Get it slabbed and it'll be worth at least £1000

Up North, wasn't that put there to keep the scots out.

My 1937 3d is I believe on a nickel Irish 6d flan. Also here is my clacking penny by coinsidence also 1967, well it used to clack before I bent it. 1967 penny

Is it me or does this one look machined. Error?

Er... so have I (that was me sitting near the front wearing an appalling Lonsdale sweater). I was prepared to bid up to £1600 on lot no. 1 (est £1,000) but the bloody thing went for over £3k and that continued pretty much throughout! I bought a couple of nice individual lots and a sticky and smelly bulk lot that had clearly been in somebody's attic for decades. Hopefully there are a few bits and pieces in there to make money on. Anybody want five complete Elizabeth II halfpenny date runs? It may just be my imagination but I get the impression that the hammer prices at W & W are even higher than those at recent London Coin Auctions sales. Although I occassionally attend auctions ebay is my main source by far. I'm concentrating on my maundy run at the moment and prices have gone mad, a set that spink books at £115 will go for £185+ I,m getting blown out of the water on most occassions.

I bought mine from Michael Gouby then later I pulled two off of ebay. The first I respun onto ebay with disapointing results, I got about £30 for it. The second I put into a London Coins auction and got about £30 for it. In both cases about 1/3 what I paid for mine The only way that it may depreciate is if hundreds were found and the market was flooded with them. As pointed out they are uncommon, so I think that your purchase would be quite safe.

Is that a bit of distortion to the outer circle where the H would be?

I've got a Peck and a Freemans, oh Davies and Rayner as well all of which I rarely use. Spink, Allen and the two Groom are my constant companions. Gary D

Of course the other attribute possibly worth a mention is the I of IMP also points to a tooth on the Gouby X

It's conceivable that it could be a mint error although it sounds very unlikely. It may be that the mint make up more reverse dies than needed and keep some back with the final digit unstruck so they could use them in following years if not needed by just adding the final digit as required. Maybe.

Almost as interesting now would be to work out how it came to be in your aunt's possession (curiously I found a reproduction Elizabeth I 3d in my mother's effects). This type of facsimille is often used by film/TV or even amateur dramatic companies for period dramas, so did she have any connection with that type of thing? They're also sold by some museum shops I believe? And ebay

Got the first one Azda, thanks for that. Already done that Gary plus loads of other Dealer sites. Got a folder full of pics for comparision but so far only 4 examples of "I" to Tooth, including mine. I suspect you have at least one example, would you mind sending a pic over? Cheers. Mine is in the original thread.... When I get home I will send you the original..... I'll look to see if I also have the one that I sold..... If you go to the thread just below this one I in BRITT penny you will find pictures of both mine and Gary's 1911 penny

and now the picture with the right Date! That's interesting. I checked both my high grade 1911s yesterday - the one where the I of BRITT points clearly to a space has a slightly hollow neck. Whereas my non-hollow neck penny has the I of BRITT pointing to the left of a tooth. Just how many 1911 varieties are there??? I think there may actually be three. Freeman talks about there being a flat neck and a shallow neck but makes no mention of the I of BRITT pointing. It's such an obvious indicator that I can only assume he wasn't aware of this variety. This leads me to believe that he was talking about two seperate varieties of the commom I of BRITT to gap. Although he is dismissive of these intensionally being two seperate varieties there does tend to be variations in the so called flat neck where you can find examples where the neck is quiet rounded and others where there is a tendancy for the neck to start showing a shallow look. Gary D

You can still pay by cheque, but that's up to the buyer. Personaly I always favour PayPal as I can use my credit card. As a very occassional seller I find ebay not the place to sell varieties as the average ebay buyer is not that suffisticated, auctions are a better venue for that type of coins Gary Although, rare coin types have sold on ebay, the LCW under foot Penny late last year, sold for near 1000GBP also an 1849 Penny, 1250 quid, so there are intelligent ebayers out there, perhaps just very choosy The problem is getting two of them in the same place at the same time. I wonder what these example would have gone for at a bespoke auction?

You can still pay by cheque, but that's up to the buyer. Personaly I always favour PayPal as I can use my credit card. As a very occassional seller I find ebay not the place to sell varieties as the average ebay buyer is not that suffisticated, auctions are a better venue for that type of coins Gary