1949threepence

Neat find. Metal detecting is something I might take up.

Yes, absolutely. Unless it's an error like "BBITANNIAR", which has occurred on a batch of coins, there will be no interest, because the error discovered is not well known and is indeed, unique to the finder. It has to have limited marketability before a collective interest is sparked. Witness the 2008 20p debacle for an example of collective interest sparked by a moderately high number of error coins of the same type. Incidentally, I actually got one in my change the other day, but as is always the sod's law case whenever I get something unusual, it's got a weird stain on it.

I'm not terrribly enthusiastic either, although it is a nice design. Needless to say, I won't be buying it. Surely such a commemorative event is best left to Germany itself ?

Peck, do let us know what response you get. It'll be interesting to know what they have to say about the issue.

I only collect coins as a hobby, and don't trade. So it falls a bit flat. Once I have the best possible coin I can get for the date concerned, it's there for life, and I will never part with it. The rest go into my old fillers box. Probably some snippets of good advice for those who are interested in investment. But I suspect as with most other things in life, the advice is soon forgotten, as people find their own way, and develop their own best practice, personal to them. Their coins are a ridiculously high price, and looking at some of them on the website today, I think many of them are slightly overgraded. Moreover, the standard of photography is dreadful in many cases. Quite painful to look at.

Well, by definition, serious collectors are going to look after their coins. I doubt they would be any different from the photo at the point of re-sale. Agreed that there is the possibility of a later fingerprint appearing though. I can see the attraction of the type of servicce you suggest, Peck. But I suspect the reaction so far would be typical of that prevailing throughout the numismatic community. So I don't think it's going to happen anytime soon, if ever.

Declan, I have three 1948 threepences, two average grade fillers which appear to be rounded, and one BU in my main collection, which has sharp edges.

Personally I don't like slabbed coins, for the simple reason that I like to handle the coin itself, even if only by the edges. Also, if all your coins were slabbed, they would take up an inordinate amount of space. I do, however, quite like the idea of a "slabbed photo". Something with a CGS internet site catalogue number/date catalogued, to verify the coin concerned, with a unique hard copy matching certificate number and date, issued to the owner. But it would obviously have to be a damn good photo, and as you say, include a part of the coin that is unique. It's a pity that internet high definition isn't more widely available. Let's hope that CGS start to diversify their services as per your suggestion, Peck. Well done

Book price of a VF 1876H halfpenny is about £10 ~ so you got a bit of a bargain there, Scott. Nice work and nice coin.

But how can you ignore those prices? You have to ask yourself, who is a £20 1967 halfcrown or a £15 1966 penny aimed at? It can't be the likes of us, as you would hear us laughing all the way from the moon. So who, then? Gullible novices? I would have said London Coin Auctions were too reputable for that kind of scam. So who, then? It makes no sense, none at all. The more I think about this, the more baffled but also more annoyed I become. It's like they're either taking the mick, or trying to con someone as yet unidentified. I wish one of their representatives would come on here and give us the benefit of their thinking. I suspect that what you are paying for here is not the coin, but the plastic that surrounds it and the grade that it has been assigned. Here in the United States such nonsensical pricing logic has become the norm rather than the exception. Here's one of our more extreme examples... a penny for your thoughts Well I don't know much about US coins, but for such a modern coin, that does seem expensive.

Mr McEnroe's reaction would be entirely apt ~ the only difference being that this time the ball wasn't on the line, and chalk didn't fly up Totally beyond belief, and I would have said a surefire p***take, except that I know they are serious. I realise that place is ridicuously expensive, but that is really stretching credibility to the far end of absurdity. The only thing I can imagine is that they are trying to con novice collectors by offering extremely commonplace coins at ludicrously inflated prices, in a cynical attempt to boost their own profits. I wouldn't even buy that at a very low price. It's no more than a flat thin metal disc.

BU set here for £17.00. I never did receive a reply from the Royal Mint

Same here, Mat. There is no way I would pay £19k for any coin, even assuming I had that kind of dosh to throw around in the first place. It is a phenomenal sum of money to pay for a variant penny in not particularly brilliant condition.

Thanks for your time and effort with those uploads, Scott. For the bun pennies, a testament to the amount of hammer they received in over 100 years of circulation. A quite remarkable innings if you think about it. The 1908 date spacing question might be better addressed by someone with more specialist knowledge than me.

Really interesting about the 1826 shilling, Dave. Clearly been through the hands of a few people with no numismatic interest whatever, After being found somewhere, before fortunately ending up with you. Yes, fair point Peck. Different age & completely different mindset and priorities compared to later. Still, the same kid would have had plenty more time to develop his hobby over the following years. My thoughts about the scarcity of old silver seems to have been vindicated, anyway. Makes you wonder if the present day high grade ones were in collections even then

I think these are good, and will hopefully not damage your coins.

Interesting, but no doubt a one off flaw. Collectable as a curio, but to be honest, probably not worth that much. But that's just my opinion, which may well be wrong.

Even if there is no overstrike, it is still a superb coin for the price.

So many of those older bun pennies still in circulation, were just worn away to a flat metal disc, with an unreadable date. Even so, it'd be interesting to see them if you have the time to upload, scott.

Thanks for that, chaps. Very interesting. Obviously it was difficult to find high grade older coins direct from change, as might be expected. You just wonder where those older ones in high grade had actually been before being placed back in circulation by an individual with no numismatic interest or knowledge. Had they been at the corner of an uncleared drawer, in an old suit pocket undisturbed for decades, an old wallet or purse. Or even brought back into the country by foreigners, to spend, after their first visit many years previously ? The only "free find" I ever had was an 1890 penny in about EF with some lustre remaining round the lettering, which was at the bottom of a Victorian grandmother clock I bought as recently as 2006. I made the discovery whilst shining a torch inside, checking for woodworm holes. It was slightly stuck to the floor for some reason, which I presume was why it hadn't previously been discovered, and has what I think are oil stains ~ but not too badly & I've still got it. It was a real thrill finding it though, and I speculated that it might well have been in the same spot for over 100 years

That's how I started out, collecting from change, 40 years ago. I would love to have been around in those days of circulating lsd. Not that you had that long. It would have been good to have been 12 about 1950, with about 20 good years of collecting from change, possible I may be wrong, Gary, but I would bet that only the older bronze remained in active circulation, and that you hardly ever got older (say pre 1920) silver in your change. Not sure why I say that ~ just a strange hunch. Did you ever get a pre 1860 young head penny from your change ?

It looks like the kind of effect you get when you leave a coin on a wet surface for a prolonged period. The one side is normal, and the other side goes a funny colour.

and in the case of a properly circulated coin, like say a 1919KN penny, I would agree with that. The cache of finding a perfect specimen transcends the relative ease of obtaning a worn example, and so the coin acquires a "rare" categorisation. Indeed, a fine example would be "rare". Not for proof sets and non circulation coins, though.

Nice capture for £25, Gary No I didn't got to Coinex, and from what you say, I'm glad I didn't.

hopefully this link works 1916 penny Sadly I'll never know - just got this from the seller "es gibt leider ein Problem mit der Münze - ich finde diese nicht mehr. Möglicherweise wurde sie von mir doppelt eingestellt, jedenfalls ist sie nicht mehr auffindbar. Ich habe Ihnen zudem keine andere Ersatzmünze von 1916 anzubieten. Gerne überweise ich den Betrag umgehend retour, falls Sie schon überwiesen haben. Möglicherweise haben Sie auch einen Ersatzvorschlag aus den von mir eingestellten Münzen, es können dann als Entschädigung auch gerne 2 Münzen sein. " My German isn't good, but I think he's not got the coin he advertised. I think this has pretty much been answered already, but just to add some fine detail FWIW:- "There is unfortunately a problem with the coin - I no longer have it. Possibly I sent two coins (sic: to someone else), at any rate, it is not to be found. Moreover, I have no other replacement coin from 1916 to offer. Gladly I transfer the sum immediately by way of refund if you already transferred. Possibly you might want a replacement from the coins suggested by me, and as a compensation also, gladly, 2 coins from the suggestions". Hope that helps