1949threepence

I didn't even realise you wanted a reponse to be honest with you. As far as disputing TPG's, I couldn't give two craps either way. If someone wants to dispute them, it's their call. If they can back up their assertion with fair evidence, then I'd be with them 100%.

After - until I saw it in hand, I wasn't 100% sure it was a F76.

One here I've seen another somewhere as well, but can't recall where.

Another somewhat enigmatic penny, is the Freeman 98, 1879 narrow date. Often crops up in grades up to and including VF, but only very rarely at EF and above. They do exist - getting one is a whole different ball game. One UNC with good lustre (touted as possibly the best) went at the Workman sale in 2010 for £1500. Another went for £520 at the Laurie Bamford auction in 2006. There is also a very nice one pictured on Tony Clayton's website. At this moment in time, they're the only three I recall seeing in high grade. Although an EF speciment went at the Freeman auction in 1984, with a 94, 96 & 97, for £162. Really not easy to get in top grade, as rarely offered.

I've just tried it, Ian, and was able to get in OK. Having said that, the pages of LCA are not the quickest in the world, to load. May have just been a blip.

Hear, Hear.

That's the trouble with houses. Always something needs doing, and as soon as you have one thing done, it shows up deficiencies elsewhere.

My latest acquistion is courtesy of Richard, and is a Freeman 105. It's the ex Laurie Bamford (DNW auction June 2006, lot No 109). Really nice specimen. Thanks Richard.

Catalogue now on line. Highlights for me are the 1877 Freeman 90, plus the exceptional 1918KN and 1919KN pennies, as well as a high end 1926 ME.

No doubt they were looking for something else but needed to eliminate the DNA source once it came to light. Wonder why they suspected it was him? Unless they had a sample already on file. Very unpleasant business. i can understand why.

Right thanks. No idea how that eluded me. Anyway, it does appear that it was indeed amalgamated with the (then new) Museum of London in 1975. So that may be a starting point for you, Richard. From the information in the link, it seems that the museum only had use of the basement at Lancaster House (St James's) in 1946.

Very interesting. Always great to see old notes such as the one in the photo. But with regard to ID, where to begin? Does the London Museum exist now. Does it have any connection with the Museum of London, which was established in 1976? If so, might it be worth contacting them to see if they have any archival record of an employee named W Henderson from around 1946. Moreover, was Mr Gale another employee, and what we see is an internal memo, or was he someone outside? I must admit, I can find absolutely no reference whatever to the London Museum on the internet. But it obviously existed back then.

GVF at a pinch.

Not really sure. Can only assume that it's due to a badly placed re-struck 4 in the die. Not dissimilar to the sloping close and far 1's in the 1861 pennies. It only seems to occur on crosslets, not on plain - and sometimes the distant 1 is poorly struck, which detracts a little, especially on a high grade specimen.

I don't much like either of them to be honest - Michael or his son Rendell. I have spoken to both of them on the phone at various times, and they come across as not very humourous and somewhat pedantic. With that said, I have actually sold a few spares to them and got a very fair price, and I bought a really nice F26 from them in late 2016. But generally some of their stuff seems (to me anyway) a bit overpriced, and my biggest criticism of all is that their photography is abysmally poor with often dark images. I could do better than them just using my tablet. No exaggeration. Here's an example:- That's an 1864 crosslet 4 penny in EF taken randomly from their website. If I was thinking of paying the £695 they wanted, I'd be looking for better quality photograph than that.

GF/NVF.

I agree Bob. Whatever is being done by e bay, is for the benefit of e bay - if there is any positive spin off for sellers, then all's good. But their primary focus will be on themselves.

In a move to cut costs for sellers, and to offer an integrated payment solution, e bay have signed a payments contract with Adyen, a Dutch based company. Paypal will still be available on e bay as a payment option up to July 2023, but given the seller costs, I'd imagine it will not be offered by many vendors, if Adyen is cheaper. Unless they have no choice. Interesting ! link

Very often, for whatever reason (be it Amazon or something else), the pages on here don't fully load. Fortunately, that doesn't prevent you posting. But it is noticeable.

Apart from a cannonball in the case of 1975 ! (I'll get me coat )

The taller helmet plume is the main giveaway, Pete.

Absolutely Richard. The guy who sold it had been a collector of bun pennies from change, when he was a kid in the 1950's, and put them away, only to be re-examined all these years later, and sold on e bay. No doubt most of the others were run of the mill, but as with other kitchen drawer collections that have been looked at, just very occasionally a real rarity shows up. He himself never realised what it was. I thought it only reasonable to tell him, but he was just pleased it had found a good home. Fair play to him.

Here it is - just freshly photographed a few minutes ago !!! (not the best, but beggars can't be choosers. I was damn lucky to get it for just £58.

No, Richard. Do you want a photo?

Incidentally, where I do agree with Gouby is in the distinction between the F17 and F18. Whilst Freeman has them both at R13, I agree with Gouby that the 1861 F18, is rarer than the F17, across the board.