Gary D

I got my scout collectors badge with my coin collection, I remember I had to take my collection along to the local museum and show to the curator who signed it off to collect the badge. Does that mean I get one.

I see the winning bidder has a feedback of 1000 so surely not a fool.

As someone who collects world copper and bronze, I find the Krause books invaluable. My set is a few years old now, so I just use the prices as an indicator of scarcity David I think all the current price guides are next to useless in the modern market which is so volatile. Spink is ok for insurance valuation unless you collect varieties then everything goes out the window.

There are much better strikes out there, wait until one comes along Gary D

Dave, no luck yet, is there a manufacturers name on the microscope anywhere, so I can try and find an alternative supplier Mine I think is called X-Cam although all references on the box just say USB mocroscope. I got it on offer from Maplin. Gary D

The area where the one should be looks very uneven. Post mint damage I would suggest

Brilliant exercise Declan! It's late in the evening for me so I will study this at greater leisure. But as you say, the number of 1904 halfcrowns, compared to 1906/08/10, is positively alarming. The was word on an american site that a load of Chinesse 1903 and 1904 has turned up here in the UK

In the eighties we were on a rugby tour based on the West Coast of Scotland...they locked us in There might be a few half English roses up there...we all did our bit I still get the xmas card and a big grin she is now probally a 20 stone munter ....I could and would of married her...then I met Mrs Irish Peter I know we are gradually drifting off topic but do you ever show your collection to other collectors or are we all a bunch of Billy no mates when it comes to coin collecting.

At least you won't have to worry about damaging them when removing from the slab, there's every chance you might even improve the coin.

807 BM (8)+ 1719-Obv. large letters. [c]

I keep my collection in my Peter Nichols cabinet and insure with Stamp insurance. The cabinet is very heavy and quite robust, I have it chained to a wall with a snatch alarm fitted, although it all goes into the bank if we are going to be away for more than a day or two. I have a flight case that is converted to take the cabinet trays which make life much easier. Here in deepest Suffolk you can't be too careful. Gary D

I want to know what 'NEMATUT' means. Something like 'draugefas'

I stand corrected, but I don't actually remember them being available that far in advance. Of course you couldn't spend them... I'll have to go and find mine, for some reason I 'm thinking it is in a red folder. No it is Blue and as about as saleable as a Churchill crown.

It does seem ridiculous to try and sell a 1p for 99p and you would think that it was a bit of a scam as you live in the uk and can just pick one out of your pocket. What do you do if you collect uk coinage and live in Asia or somewhere else that doesn't use sterling as their currency.

Hi Marc, Welcome to the forum. If you refer to an item on say ebay please post a link to the item so we can all see it and give an opinion. Gary

My misses the other day accused me of acting like a 5 year old, does that count

WOW! That microscope of yours certainly delivered some very clear results. I think that you may have hit the proverbial nail on the head there Azda. It does look like the R has been double struck, and although my knowledge is limited, that is how it at least looks to my eye. To my eye the curle sticks out too far to be part of a B, I go for the double struck theory Gary

Just doesn't look right link

I had Peter make the stand for it at the same time. I've also installed a steel cable to an eye in the wall just to slow them down, mind you it's about 30kg which would make the average scrote bend at the knees. Gary

Do bear in mind that even mahogany CAN cause what is called "cabinet toning". I have two Peter Nichols cabinets, and the smaller one (with punched coin recesses) causes no toning. The larger one with flat felt-lined trays (no recesses) causes some toning on silver. Which ones are they from the range he provides, Peck ? I find my Peter Nichols is toning my copper. I have just installed a dehumidifier pack to see if that helps. By the way Peter has just sold his cabinet business. Gary I know I shouldn't do this everytime someone mentions coin storage, but hay.

Do bear in mind that even mahogany CAN cause what is called "cabinet toning". I have two Peter Nichols cabinets, and the smaller one (with punched coin recesses) causes no toning. The larger one with flat felt-lined trays (no recesses) causes some toning on silver. Which ones are they from the range he provides, Peck ? I find my Peter Nichols is toning my copper. I have just installed a dehumidifier pack to see if that helps. By the way Peter has just sold his cabinet business. Gary

Maundy money is enjoying quiet a revival at the moment. Their price has doubled in the last 12-18 months Gary

Just did a seach other items which brought up general household goods and the 1934 crown that was the only coin. Gary D

Mmmm, sells shoes and coats oh and a 5 grand coin.

There are others more knowledgeable than me, but my understanding is that blobs of weld are laid into the die and then ground down but this does leave a couple of problems in my mind; 1) When patching the bodywork of a car, a skilled automotive welder can lay blobs of weld into the interface between old and new metal in such a way that you have no idea there is a patch there. That being the case, why couldn't the mint make a better job of it? 2) When did they invent welding anyway?* * Just searched the internet. In the Bronze Age apparently... Welding may have been around since the bronze age but it was carried out by a blacksmith who would heat the two component parts to white heat and after laying them together bash brutaly with a big hammer, not the sort of treatment conducive to repairing coin dies.