1949threepence

The best 1921 I saw was posted on the forum nearly 3 years ago - here

The reverse is especially sharp.

Yes, I saw it. Be foolish to buy such a coin, as you never know what horrors lurk unseen on the other side.

It is weird isn't it - and that's far from the only instance.

Considerably more !!!

Yes, they're obviously very expensive. But in truth they're not desperately rare. You wouldn't have to struggle to find one, or wait very long if you couldn't.

In literal logical terms, that principle is identical. We know what they mean, but it's very clumsy wording, and the inference is that a metal detector is only used for criminal purposes. It would have been better if they'd said "The metal detector he carried was used for nefarious purposes". But then it is the BBC who these days don't seem quite the impartial body they once were.

Agreed. If he was just carrying a metal detector then surely that's a slur against anybody who carries a metal detector for perfectly lawful expeditions.

I think you might be right. It would certainly account for why many coins from that era show so much wear. Conversely why the majority are in such good condition, as most of the public just didn't try to spend them after 1869.

Couple of questions which have been intriguing me. I'm not entirely sure anyone can answer them with any degree of true certainty, but I thought I would throw them out there for the sake of interest if nothing else. The first question concerns the 1827 penny. Clearly they are a scarce item, but why are so many porous/corroded? That seems to be a commonality in many (although not all). I read one report that the porosity was incurred on a sea voyage to Australia, where the pennies had apparently been produced for. But this was an unofficial account, although it sounds plausible enough. If seawater had breached the hold where the coins were stored, the corrosion is easily explained. Is it true though? I've also noted that it appears virtually impossible to obtain one in very high grade. ********************************************************************************************************************************************************* The second question concerns the 1860/59. Over 32,000 of these were minted and I've now read in two sources that they were never issued for circulation. But if that was the case, then what happened to them? Where were they kept and how come they are in the public domain at all? Moreover, I've seen a few - one was posted on here a while back - which had quite obviously been in circulation. From the state of it, you'd have been forgiven for thinking it was for longer than the 9 or 10 years possible maximum before demonetisation.

There are indeed. One of the best I saw was inside a dummy radiator. Same design as the rest of the house, but with a secret opening. Although that wouldn't be a suitable solution for coins. Another was a specially upholstered sofa, again with a secret entrance to a hollowed out section. Most thieves are opportunists and they're not going to be long inside any property. They'll go for the obvious. It wouldn't include such things as an opening in the floor midway underneath a living room carpet. The loft idea was only ever meant as a very short term means of storage if you were going to be away from the house for a couple of nights. Not really time to do any damage. especially if well protected. It's definitely a factor for strong consideration with regard to your collection. After all, you wouldn't leave £50k in notes in a briefcase on the sideboard.

I've heard that one of the best places to leave valuables is the loft, as thieves don't want to get caught stranded up there if the owner returns, as they're in just about the most vulnerable spot escape wise. Especially if there's no ladder attached.

Yes, it was, I thought he must have made an error when pricing it. Certainly too good not to buy immediately. I think you've vindicated my original point about slabbing premiums though, Pete.

I'd say it's a/UNC with lustre, problem free. I've got a 1909 almost identical in terms of lustre and overall appearance, which was slabbed as MS63. So I'd say it was about that. What about yours. What was it graded at and what did it sell for?

This is my ordinary 1926, unslabbed and bought as a BIN from e bay seller Mason 8374 in December 2018, for just £30, which I thought was a bargain.

Great idea for slabbed coins in particular.

Thanks Ian. The Gouby R seems to be attracting a fair bit of interest.

Meant to say I kept an eye on this pairing, out of interest. They didn't sell. Not entirely surprised though. As Richard says, the estimates were a bit pricey.

So saddened to hear this news. She was a really likeable person with an infectious smile. I believe she was touted as a possible Top Gear presenter at one time (maybe when Clarkson had just left the role) RIP Sabine.

I think there's FUK U and WAN KING Chinese restaurants somewhere as well.

Probably some bloke down the pub he saw three of when blotto. Pubs are full of experts on all sorts of things I've noticed over the years - kind as well, all willing to give you their expert opinion free of charge.

I should hope not Ian. Once Pete had pointed out where the sold listings were, I had a look and noticed you got quite decent prices for most of them, and some were very well contested. Although somebody obviously got a bargain with the F105, which is a nice specimen. Looking forward to the next sale in the Autumn.

Brilliant - cheers Pete.

How did the sales go, Ian? I know there were bids for all of them, but I missed the final hammer, as it were. Now only the two buy it now's left.

Yes, very interesting. Three observations:- 1/ I agree with Neil that many UK collectors prefer not to have their coins slabbed. They appreciate the aesthetic beauty of the coin in the raw state, where it can be handled and seen as it should be seen, not through plastic. 2/ This video made me realise even more than I conjectured in the thread I started about the issue a few months back, that slabbing places a steep premium on a coin, and that the subjective difference between say MS63 & MS64 can mean thousands of pounds difference in price. 3/ I'm not sure I necessarily agree with getting a professional to remove a coin from a slab. If you take care you should be able to do it yourself without damaging the coin. There are instructional videos on you tube as to how to do it. I've removed quite a few now, without damaging one coin in the process.