1949threepence

Received today. Thank you very much. Interesting piece, and one I will value.

Unreal. Someone with more money than sense.

Not sure, but you don't want to 'peon' a live rail. I'll get my coat... Post of the thread Classic (Incidentally, I think a "peon" is an American expression describing a lower working class person ~ maybe equivalent to "pleb" over here)

Weight, surface detail, multiple examples with identical marks, incorrect die axis, edge quality, counterfeit references (of which there are many but people can't be bothered to read), quality of strike, sharpness of detail. Where are they ? Chris doesn't have this book, so here is a link to my site. This is an invaluable reference which covers counterfeits from all eras. It can never hope to cover every article written, but it's a very good start. Many thanks Rob

It's a great idea in theory, but very difficult and somewhat impractical to produce in practice, 1) because pretty much impossible to know all the fake examples, and 2) the dynamics are constantly changing. We could do with a thread on here somewhere, drawing attention to all the fakes we encounter, either (unfortunately) bought, or just spotted on the web.

Weight, surface detail, multiple examples with identical marks, incorrect die axis, edge quality, counterfeit references (of which there are many but people can't be bothered to read), quality of strike, sharpness of detail. Where are they ?

Congrats 1949 (walks away mumbling to himself) :-) It was a very nice surprise, as v rare for me to win anything. Thanks Huss. I'll look forward to receiving it

Actually shutting e bay down is impractical, as they don't just sell coins. Surely the way forward is to target those sellers who are correctly identified by buyers, or potential buyers, as being responsible for passing on fakes, whether deliberately or by default. The problem in the case of very good fakes is that the buyer may not even be aware of the fact that he holds a fake, until he comes to sell it, or some dealer looks at it at a much later date. I've no idea what UK law is in this respect, but it would be prudent to never buy from China, and I've noticed that many e bayers refuse to sell to China, as well. I suppose the only true 99% safe guarantee, is only to buy slabbed coins from e bay. Athough I'd guess that 99% + of the coins on offer, are actually genuine ~ especially the worn ones lol.

Well an image of it can be seen here~ I uploaded a screenshot to imageshack. The reverse looks fantastic true BU, as does the obverse to some degree. But I'm not sure whether they are bag marks, or actual score marks at the base of the King's head, not to mention what look like a couple of carbon spots on the reverse, notably between the N & Y of penny, and some dirty marks round the chin on the obverse, plus extensive slight pitting, or looks that way to me. I don't think it's quite worth £195, although it might be if it were truly perfect. I'd say £150 would be nearer the true resale value.

Pretty much what I thought, too. Curious nonetheless, given that you very rarely see the KN pair offered in such good grade. Thanks for the advice ~ hopefully I don't have the brain of a blancmange, and I definitely don't have the resources of a Roman Abramovich !!!

Just idly scanning through USA e bay, when I came across this delightful pair of beauties Price as a buy it now roughly £2,200 for both. Not quite UNC, but given the extreme rarity of these coins at high grade, are they worth the asking price ?

Very difficult sometimes to discern fakes from the genuine article. Quite worrying really. I often wonder if I've got some in my collection.

No, but I can still kind of see, that in the hand, it would look great. Thanks Peck

Yes, despite the small images, that's a good point well made. I have two 1901 Unc pennies - one almost BU with that pale straw toning to the lustre, and a fingerprint on the reverse. The other is also technically Unc, but has an overall rich dark tone with some lingering lustre that is such a deep red colour, it's utterly gorgeous. When I get a chance I will try to post scans. Here's a slightly larger image of the nicely toned 1900:- Yes, very nice. My 1901 is similar, but imagine the lustre slightly redder and deeper in colour. After saying that, you really do have to post a pic

Yeah, not sure where they've gone. I'm sure they were still there last time I looked (in February).

Yes, despite the small images, that's a good point well made. I have two 1901 Unc pennies - one almost BU with that pale straw toning to the lustre, and a fingerprint on the reverse. The other is also technically Unc, but has an overall rich dark tone with some lingering lustre that is such a deep red colour, it's utterly gorgeous. When I get a chance I will try to post scans. Here's a slightly larger image of the nicely toned 1900:-

I've certainly never received one in my change. It's difficult to know about the mintage figures. I suppose you could always e mail the Royal Mint. But if you do, don't hold your breath waiting for a reply. I'm still waiting for a reply to one I sent last Summer.

Credit where it's due, although I think I've bought very little from Cambridge Coins, I have generally thought their grading stood up to scrutiny. Run by a guy called Dave Allen who, as far as I know, is absolutely no relation! Well you're the undoubted expert on grading, Derek. I certainly wouldn't argue with your conclusions

Nice coin which I'd grade as NEF/EF, with the reverse being marginally the better. The three lions show what looks like some very slight wear, but this may be due to a soft strike. Not sure. I don't think the coin has been cleaned either. I've noticed that cleaned coins tend to have many, many hairline lines, all going in one even direction. The scratches on the coin shown are not overly numerous, and they look random. As ever, it's all up for debate, and I may be wrong, as may others.

I think many of the online coins look slightly overgraded, as well as overpriced. That's when a photo is even available. Good choice available though. Yes If you can point me to a seller who does not overgrade and overprice I would be grateful, it seems a bit of a minefield out there. Where do you buy your coins? If you don't mind me asking. Oh, they don't all do that. Many dealers are very punctilious in ensuring a fair grading and price. A few positively undergrade on some of their coins. I mostly use e bay and some dealers I've got to know over the years. I have bought one coin from online coins (Cambridge coins), which was good value. Not saying that all the coins on there are overgraded/priced. It's just a general observation.

Yep, and he wants £500 for it as a "buy it now" or best offer ~ see it here I'm not sure it's worth it. Over 6 months have elapsed, and it's still for sale @ £500 Evidently not perceived as a bargain.

my snipe was 20th bid .. £26 David Just as a matter of interest David, was it touted by the vendor as a wide/unusual looking date, or just put up as an ordinary 1895 ?

I think many of the online coins look slightly overgraded, as well as overpriced. That's when a photo is even available. Good choice available though.

Well spotted gap between 9 and 5. Was there much bidding for it ?

Gordon Bennett Never thought I'd read such weird script on a coin forum.