1949threepence

Indeed, that's another variation of the same thing. You can't use a phrase like that descriptively.

From what I've seen of AI so far, it's utter rubbish. We have it at work for certain very routine operations, and it was initially touted as the best thing since sliced bread, since it would supposedly take away the need for us to do most of those humdrum repetitive tasks, and we'd be able to reduce staff. Well guess what, it can only operate succesfully between two very narrow parameters of simplicity. Anything even a tiny bit out of the ordinary, leads to that now all too familar note in the case diaries: "robotics failed". Scans of these are being dished out to staff for them to clear manually. With any sort of chat function, such as on a bank website, the "Hello, I'm Robbie the robot, how can I help today" type "assistance", can only ever handle the very simplest of enquiries. Most queries a customer has, it cannot even hope to comprehend. So inevitably you get transferred to a live agent. As far as algorithms, if they're anything like the ones on facebook, for example, they get stuck on the difference between a legitimate dictionary word used in its proper sense, and the same word as racial abuse, for example. Using the term "a chink in the armour" gave me a 3 day ban for race hate - the offending word being "chink". It's pathetic. I dread to think what might happen if TPG is given over to AI.

That seems very true. There are some varieties - not the true rarities - that you should theoretically be able to, but in practice just cannot get in high grade. No matter how wealthy you may be, they just aren't coming up for sale. In many cases I would like to upgrade, but can't. In the penny (currency) range, I'd cite:- 1843 (with or without colon) 1845 (only with great patience) 1849 (only with great patience, and at great cost) 1856 OT - never seen one for sale in high grade. Mine is fine only and no more than a gap filler. 1860 F 14, F16, F17 (got all three in high grade, from a number of years ago, but only one occasion for each in now 12 years, and opportunities taken, not seen any since). 1861 F18, F20, F25. (got all three, but the F20, fine only) - the F18 EF courtesy of a private sale by Ian Fall, and the F25 from the Hiram Brown sale Feb 2020 GEF with lustre (for £1200 hammer) 1864 plain 4 - got a VF specimen bought in 2012. Not seen a better one on offer since 1874 F68, F77, F78 (got all three, the F77 courtesy of a private sale by Ian Fall, the F78 GVF, and the F68 EF, but looks as though it's been scratched along the pavement under someone's foot. Would like to upgrade the F68 & F78, but again, they don't come up. 1879 narrow date - one only seen and bought from DNW September 2018.

I certainly don't believe that the thinking of many is entirely rational. Moreover they seem to be placing "party politics", for want of a better expression to describe the bizarre, ahead of their consitituents. Almost certainly a few of the constituents of all the MP's will have been affected to a greater or lesser extent by vaccine side effects. So even those who had an initial bad reaction are going to be in sympathy with others who suffered more long term damage. So any of them could be forgiven for wondering why their MP (be they Tory, Labour, Lib Dem, SNP, Welsh, Green, or whatever) does not appear willing to acknowledge their problems - quite the reverse in fact. I really do think this needs addressing. MP's are there to represent their constituents, not treat them like simpletons, based on collective dogma. As for net zero by 2030, it manifestly isn't going to happen. That is blindingly obvious. So why keep up up this idiotic pretence? (2050 maybe). Parliament should already be drawing a lesson from the ULEZ protests and the civil disobedience/vandalism of ULEZ street furniture currently ensuing, that the public will only put up with so much nonsense.

Just been watching Dr John Campbell on his you tube channel showing another speech on the same issue, this time by Sir Christopher Chope, with only three other members (including Bridgen and the Minister) on the Tory benches and the Labour benches having once again emptied. Chope made reference to a rather dismissive statement given by the PM when told about one of Chope's constituents who had suffered vaccine damage. Vaccine damage payments are being made, so logically, there is a factual acknowledgement that this does occasionally happen. So I'm not quite sure what the issue with MP's is here? What point are they making by walking out? If it's a denial that the vaccine cannot cause damage then that's patently absurd as vaccine damage payments as a result of the covid jab, are being made - that is hard fact. From the POV of some consituents it may be perceived that their MP has some sort of weird problem with their physical predicament. I think I will write to my MP and ask for an explanation as I think the public are entitled to know.

What an investment one of those would have been........

Incidentally, with specific regard to the 1839 proof penny itself, I couldn't help noticing that the majority are not in especially good nick. Often spotted and scruffy looking, with a few quite distinctly impaired. Of course, this is one date you can be certain they are all proofs, and not currency strikes masquerading as proofs.

Not done any exact analysis, but purely from observation, and ball park estimate, I'd say that even in the last 2 or 3 years, prices have increased at all levels of the market. For example, what was £180 in 2020, is now about £240. Quite ordinary, or not desperately uncommon pennies are now routinely being offered at £200 plus. Although there are still bargains to be had. One exact price I did notice was when looking at the change in prices for 1839 proof pennies last night, on Noonans site. I noticed that over the years three separate complete 1839 proof sets had been offered (with the Una and the Lion £5 piece included). In 2004, one went for £16,000. A year or two later, another went for £23,000. Then in 2011, yet another went for £60,000. But at the Noble auction last July - in the Verene Collection of proofs - just the Una and the Lion £5 coin itself went for £421,000 (converted from Australian dollar exchange rate). That is a staggering increase which is way beyond inflation. How long will this continue? Maybe - very probably in fact - coins are seen as a safe haven in these economically turbulent times. Especially rare gold maybe.

Never seen one, no. Why, do you think you've found one?

40 watching apparently....

It's the elephant in the room which eco warriors bend over backwards to either not talk about, or make excuses for. Global warming is precisely that: "global". So unless the major players, such as China, also join in with the net zero effort, the whole net zero movement will be utterly futile. That doesn't look like happening anytime soon. I've said before that as a long term aspiration, net zero is great - and those from all sides of the climate change debate can surely agree we would all benefit from the cleaner air. But this should be evolution, not revolution. Work towards it, but stop setting unattainable targets, of which 2030 is manifestly one, and shooting ourselves in the foot, whilst making the attempt. When XR start demonstrating outside the Chinese embassy (and others) I might accept they mean it, and are not just a band of shouty, inarticulate, metropolitan middle class leftie luvvies whose true motive is that they can't stand the UK.

Yep, that was a bit pathetic wasn't it. I'd have made a point of stopping, not the least because I can't stand being expected to act in groupthink ways. Even if I disagreed with all that he said, I'd still have stopped. On a personal level, even though I do think his holocaust remarks were stupid, I stand and applaud his personal courage and commitment in the face of ridicule.

Interesting you should say that. We can all only speak from an infinitesimally small cohort of personal experience, but I received a booster on 8th December 2021, and developed covid symptoms on 14th January 2022, testing positive. I know of others who had covid more than once (the omicron variant), who were fully vaccinated. The argument on this is such that the jab is not 100% protective, but prevents severe illness. I also know of two individuals who never had any covid vaccine shots. They both escaped covid entirely, and remained well throughout. Both in their 40's, and one is a bus driver. Not sufficient to draw any conclusions from, as all could be pure chance, but worth mentioning.

The irony being that less than 50 years ago, the BBC were discussing whether a new ice age was on the way. I hope they will not be allowed to forget that, along with the long term succour they gave to sex abusers like Jimmy Savile and Rolf Harris, then sacking John Lydon (Johnny Rotten as his punk name went) for exposing Savile - meaning (shock horror), that the BBC do get it badly wrong, and most certainly can't be relied upon as a font of all knowledge and information. With regard to climate change "deniers" or "denialists", whatever, I think the term is open to abuse, since an increase in global temperature is a hard fact. The point at discussion is precisely why, and here the narrative is entirely one way, with all other possibilities deliberately squeezed out of the conversation. Commentators with alternative theories being disallowed any platform. That's not just the BBC, it's virtually everywhere. Although GB News did have a fascinating hour long debate between two opposing sides on the matter, last Summer. That was so refreshing. The vaccine issue is another matter entirely. I agree that at the start of the pandemic, a vaccine was essential, and that the benefits then outweighed the risks. Moreover, given the sheer mass scale of vaccinations, and the speed of development, inevitably there would be many people who were damaged and killed by it. Although the vast majority (probably > 99%), suffered no serious and/or long term side effects. But again, the term "anti vaxxer" is being badly abused and does not reflect reality, since those who are now questioning the efficacy of the vaccine, are not against ALL vaccines. Just the covid one. Personally I can't see the point in suppressing debate on the issue, especially now that covid has turned largely from tiger to pussycat. Just let people have their say. OFCOM/you tube don't need to exclude programmes discussing the vaccine. As far as "net zero", I believe the UK are virtually the only place on Earth pursuing it with such messianic zeal and imposing absurdly tight arbitrary deadlines on its introduction. If the advocates of climate change being 100% due to Co2 emissions, are so convinced of the scientific accuracy of their arguments, why are they seemingly so worried about other elements to the debate being allowed into the official narrative? I don't get it.

I've got three coin cabinets, one from the original Peter Nicholls in 2010 - among the last to be produced by him - and two from Rob Davis, one in 2019 and the other in 2021 . I can 150% recommend Rob Davis. The quality of his workmanship is absolutely first rate. What you see in the photos on his website, is what you get. All the trays are a perfect fit, with no locking or jamming whilst taking them in or out, and the wood finish is superb. Obviously, whatever wood is used externally, he always uses untreated mahogany on the trays, so there is no seeping of foreign substances onto the coins. Mahogany being the best wood for this purpose. Rob himself delivered the first cabinet I ordered from him, as it was pre covid days. Very pleasant guy. Much cheaper than Nicholls. I'm not sure what's going on there these days, but I wouldn't trust them any more. Not the same since Peter himself retired and production stopped at his St Leonards on Sea shop. As far as the phone, he doesn't always answer. I've found you're best to e mail. If you go with him, trust me, you won't be disappointed. Here's the post I made when I received my first Rob Davis cabinet in March 2019

Ah the good old rocking horse crown. A lovely coin as you say. Not my speciality but using our UK type grades I'd say UNC, as opposed to FDC, but I stand to be corrected on that. As for NGC, who knows. I'm not altogether sure of their consistency or accuracy these days.

Pleased with this Bramah 26a (no serifs to first I of BRITANNIAR) - quite scarce. This one is completely issue free aprt from a tiny blemish to the immediate right of the date. Just £64 best offer accepted.

I see they've corrected the F24 missing leaf to reverse F, but inexplicably still haven't noted it as an F24.

Not to mention Norway, Poland, Denmark, Hungary, Slovakia and Italy. Although no doubt many in Norway and Denmark subsequently made the passage to neutral Sweden if they got the chance.

It arrived today. Very pleased, looks as good in hand as the seller's pics. £170 odd is actually quite a decent price. I had already got an 1858 small date in similar grade, but scruffy looking with spots all over it.

Happens only very rarely though.

I'm not sure it's a mind game in the closing stages. The whole thing is over too quickly for it to be that. It might be more of a mind game in the earlier stages. I manually snipe in the closing stages in order to secure coins I want.....although if it carries on the way it is doing, there won't be much point.

Sniping, whether manual or automatic, can't operate properly if the e bay clock is all over the place as it was last night. Moreover, if the exact second is hidden from view, that is an added issue, as even if the clock were running correctly, if the time given was 21:30, but with seconds included it's 21:30:56, that would make a huge difference.

Thanks Jerry. Thought it was a very nice example of a small date 1858. Not entirely certain how scarce or otherwise they are, but either way, I still think it was worth it for the issue free condition alone. Did you notice clock issues? Incidentally, this has been flagged up by the e bay community. One or two have suggested switching to firefox - link. Not convinced, but might be worth a try.

Oh 100% absolutely. Gay people, gypsies, the mentally disabled etc. Some of them were early casualties. Anyway, I reckon this is a topic we're never going to get true consensus on, but thanks gents for a reasonable, interesting and civilized debate.