£400 for a Penny ?

Is there any chance we can be organised and mature enough to not bid against each other do you think ? Or is that a pipe dream ? Two caught my eye......

Excellent, that's my morning taken care of then.....

Technically, as you know, the bullion value of a sov is either .2354/1 or 7.315/31.103 x the spot price (£800) = £188.32 the problem comes with the premiums, start with 15% and work upwards as you go through higher grades and earlier examples. As of today, the Royal Mint will sell you a 2010 bullion sov for £245, although I think there is an element of short supply involved in that price. £205-£215 is probably a fair mark for an ordinary coin - but Red's idea of an ebay average is a good one, just make sure you average all the same coins e.g. Elizabeth II IRB's Christ, it wasn't that long ago you could pick up young head sovs for £70 Oh, and for what it's worth, I wouldn't take too much notice of Spink full stop, it's a guide, a coin could go for twice Spink or half, take each coin on it's own merits.

If I catch your drift correctly, you appear to be advocating a return to good old fashioned headhunting ?

I bought mine here; http://www.joanallen.co.uk/ A recommendation from me isn't worth anything

There are millions, but you need to get one that has an effective 'Iron mask' in other words you can set it to ignore Iron. Mine supposedly has this function but it doesn't work too well. If you don't do this, you will spend your afternoons digging up rusty nails and you'll never get to the earthenware jar of George IV sovereigns that's in the corner of that field you can see out of the window...

http://www.ukdfd.co.uk/ukdfddata/index.php?cat=1

It's an enjoyable way to spend a summers afternoon and you just never know what might turn up. I live a few miles from Biggin Hill and know of 4 Spitfire crash sites and 2 Dorniers. The most important Roman camp in the South East isn't far away either. Sadly, Kent was a centre of Iron smelting during the Iron age and the damn stuff is everywhere. People do get lucky, Roger Mintey and his Reigate hoard comes to mind, 6,700 Nobles, Half Nobles and Groats The Anglo Saxon verb for 'to hide' was Banken from which we get Bank. There is no knowing what's out there waiting to be found - now if it would stop raining......

I've dug it out again this morning and had another look in the cold light of day and to be honest, I'm appalled at the state of it, it's awful.

The Bronze in my set is on it's way to Palookaville, the Brass is ok, the 'silver' is mint and the medallion has toned in a very distinguished manner. The cardboard holder inside the acrylic has rucked up something rotten, moisture has definitely penetrated.

Are you telling me you don't have a metal detector ? No Verniers, no detector - call yourself an obssesive coinhead ?

Got a buy it now price on that Dave ? I only want one - not into collecting sets......

Any idea of the split/date for part II ? I know you're not Colin Cooke's and don't have to do their job for them, but would be useful to know ? By split, I mean is part I going to be, say, Buns from 1860-1894 for example....

Yes. I suppose the key is working out what the fashions will be in 30 years time from now and acting accordingly (catching the next boat) Easy to forsee a world in which cash has been long since redundant in 30 years time, probably conduct business using a retina scan or something. Of concern also, is that the more expensive an item becomes, the more it's worth forging

Which I find hard to understand. I hope and pray that all this won't impact on 'ordinary' Buns, but I fear it might....

Yes. You have until a certain date to register your interest in a lot and then after the closing date, it's between you and whoever else has entered the minimum starting bid. You then keep going backwards and forwards until everyone else gives up and you are the last man standing. Can go on for a week or more. Oh right, thanks for that. Presumably the winner is the one whose bid still stands after say, 24 hours, with no further rival bids ? ~ and that everybody is still in the race until that point. From memory, last time I got an email every time I was outbid asking me if I wanted to continue. I think there must be a time limit if they don't hear from you, can't remember what it is though.

Yes. You have until a certain date to register your interest in a lot and then after the closing date, it's between you and whoever else has entered the minimum starting bid. You then keep going backwards and forwards until everyone else gives up and you are the last man standing. Can go on for a week or more.

Is this to be another of their 'last man standing' format auctions like the Tony Crocker sale ? I'm guessing it must be.

The reproductions can be bloody good ~ just look at this one The photo in the Mail is probably of a genuine one. But it is the Mail, and not renowned for reliability !!! That's a bit worrying, how have they done that then ?

Please don't be discouraged, it takes a while to get one's head around the fact that condition is everything when it comes to coins. You're in the right place - I once had 30+ pattern 1888 bayonets, stick around and let us know your next move ?

Hello Ian, Well, Verdigris is often called 'Bronze Disease' it will get worse, it certainly is active. It's also contagious, so don't keep it anywhere near any other bronze. Can you cure it - well, Lazarus made a comeback from a similar position, but it's a bad case. Immerse it in an inch of olive oil, leave it in the shed for a year, maybe two and then see what you've got. Where did you get it ?

Lord Lucan last seen 7th November 1974. Pinged by the pedantry police, for introducing a veiled reference that he might have anything to do with a trunk unopened since the 1950's. Shergar and Elvis are similarly disqualified. They are full of 1933 Pennies, QED.

Full of 1933 Pennies no doubt

Everyone complains about that when they first come onto the forum, it's not you, it's just that the edit function is only available for a very short time after you post.

What does that say about the quoted Spink value, I wonder? At the risk of stirring up a hornets nest, another advantage of CGS is that your collection and archive pictures are stored online on a 3rd party site, together with itemised individual values.