1949threepence

Didn't actually see that, whats the number or link? It's this one Dave: 170735096854 I've been wishing all day I got it! Never mind. Quite unusually, I didn't see it either, so thanks for that reference No.

A rare and welcome treat. Makes all the difference to your experience of the event.

Good luck, Mat

Not much I can add to the excellent posts above, but price always comes down to the supply and demand equation. Even in relative boom times, that can adversely affect areas in which there is a dip in demand/popularity.

Really ? Even old, long since demonetised ones ? Never knew that.

Don't know if I've just been lucky or not, but on the 6 occasions when I've had a coin from abroad (4 USA, 1 Germany & 1 Canada) I've never had to pay any import duty, and the coin has just been delivered as normal. The ones from the USA were variously described, as "gift", "token", "numismatic item" & "British antique coin". Don't recall the other two being marked or described on thr packet.

It doesn't look like a worthwhile investment to me, Dave.

It was. He seemingly had everything to live for. Great job, well off, massively respected, gorgeous wife, and 2 kids. What more could any man want ? But the mind can play strange tricks.

I've noticed that, certainly as far as the years immediately preceding them are concerned. Usually this will be due to the metal mix. The example that always springs to mind, is the 1918 and 1919KN being a very distinctive tan coloured shade, even when well worn. No blackening whatever. When it comes to rim width, there are differences which occur. My 1881H seems extraordinarily thick, compared to all of its peers in the bun series (in my collection, leastways). Also, a thick rim acts as a protective barrier against wear, when the obverse and reverse fields are set, as it were, concavely into it. Conversely, a convex effect on one side, can lead to greater wear and a distinctive difference in obverse/reverse grade on the same coin.

Welcome back, John

As far as I can tell, you just e mail your details and bid. I don't think you have to register.

Welcome to the forum, Christoph. My user name co-incides with the image you are looking for !!! What you are attempting to produce will inevitably have taken a lot of painstaking work on your part, so well dome on that. You might find some more outstanding images in Tony Clayton's website He has a remarkable array of high grade coin photos, some very rare. Good luck with your venture.

Hmmm...."The Royal Mint".....what cheapo gimmick will they dream up next ?

Very true. All borders are now open in the mumismatic world. I think it's pretty much inevitable that the American market will move into the British one, quite substantially over the next few years. This may be perceived as either a positive or negative trend, depending on how you look at it. It will certainly enhance interest and place coins into a higher investment league. Existing private collections will be re-valued upwards, and collectors with money will continue to buy. I imagine ~ although I readily concede that I may be well wide of the mark with this assessment ~ that the US influence will widen the gap between UNC and the rest. Or between the very best available and the rest. So we may have a two tier market with very distinct boundaries. The first will be for wealthy collectors and investors, both UK and US based, who will compete for the high quality end of the market, and the rest will be the small time collectors who will be increasingly confined to a mid grade, and even sub mid grade world. Meanwhile the percentage price differentials between EF and UNC will continue to steepen, while those between mid grade and EF might narrow. Grade chasing will be commoner, even of less scarce specimens. "Rare in this grade" will be the stock phrase.

Same here.

Don't get me wrong, I am not casting aspersions(?) on Chris Taylor's grading at all, I just suspect that some bidders may have been bidding the grade, not the coin. Oh absolutely. His grading was spot on IMO, but bidders were chasing the grade, not the coins themselves, which is a pity.

I don't know. Not encountered such a crown before. Intriguing though.

Unreal

I absolutely agree with you. It's definitely undergraded.

Anyone see anything interesting ? link here

Totally agree with that. Simplicity is definitely best in situations where people want straight facts and no superfluous frills. Unfortunately all too rare in an age where everything has been made ludicrously long winded and needlessly complex.

I noticed that. In fact I bought the 1878. Looked like a bargain - let you know when I get it... £200 for an 1894, however good is way over the top. A quick search of the internet should get you an equally good coin a good deal cheaper. Looking at the images, there didn't seem to be a lot between these coins and I rather felt people were bidding purely on the strength of the quoted grade rather than looking at the image and assessing it themselves. Well done on that 1878, Derek. I think you got a stunning bargain there. I bought my "very high grade" 1878 for £137.00 back in February this year. Here are the reverses of the two, side by side. Don't think there's much difference:- I reckon you will make a good profit on that. You are definitely right about buyers being attracted to the quoted grade, between what were essentially very similar quality coins. Shows the fundamental gullibility of buyers who are unable to make their own mind up in the grade/attractiveness equation.

I know Steeple Bumpstead. It's a village near Braintree. Chipping Sodbury is in Wiltshire, I think (or Gloucestershire) ~ one of the two.

Just as a matter of interest, why do you blame e bay for the lack of bargains ? Some excellent points in all the posts above above, and I'm not going to argue with any of them. I think there is merit in all our arguments, for different reasons, and maybe covering different types/eras of collections. One thing is certain: the top grade is outing everything at the moment. This was illustrated tonight when a group of high grade buns were auctioned on e bay by buckscoins. An 1878 described as EF, but good looking and with lustre, went for just £86, a much less scarce 1879, described as AU went for £90, and an UNC 1894 went for £200.

I suppose the bottom end of the market will mainly be kids who are just starting out on the hobby and collecting gap fillers along with the occasional slightly better coin. The top end of the market is for those with money, or those who have a little less money available, but are prepared to save up for the odd quality piece to painstakingly (eventually) assemble a half decent collection ~ I place myself in this letter bracket, and have a second part time job to fund this. The middle of the market ~ the collectors of mainly mid grade coins ~ well I'm not sure who they are, or what category they fall into. Presumably keen collectors who just don't have the bucks to spend big, but nonetheless want to assemble a collection. There will surely always be folk in this slot, but at a time of severe economic crisis, when money becomes very tight, then other commitments will take over to swallow up all their remaining income. Maybe the wage freeze is partially responsible for the middle sector bombing.