Peckris

That's an interesting looking piece. It does seem to be right for a halfpenny that's had its legend removed, but a double header? Are there any signs that it's two 'heads' that have been not only treated (legend machined off) but then stuck together? There would be a faint join along the full length of the rim.

Yes, there's quite a variation in date spacing - especially the final digit - between 1896 and 1899. You have one of the wider ones there - unfortunately although of interest to micro-variety collectors, it's not worth a great deal more than a regular example, and probably only pence more in that condition.

You can certainly have linked pages on a blog (the 'pages' are nominally dated entries, but you can name them what you want, and have them as a 'Contents' on your home page); you maintain or change copy as you like, probably even easier than a website. The difficulty I suppose, would be if you were selling stuff there - shopping cart etc - as I imagine the people who supply the facility (Google, WordPress, or whatever) would look askance at that and probably close it down? However, if your 'shop' was on eBay, you could probably link to it from a blog and have better pictures and sales patter.

Great minds think alike! I was just going to reply to Tom's earlier post with "Just a cotton pickin' moment there Muskie - wouldn't Coincraft just LOVE to feature them in that there Phoenix newspappy? Along with the slogan We Just Found A Very Limited Supply Of This Flawless 'Bun Farthing' - RARE In This Condition!! At Just £49.99 each We Are Letting Them Go At Just Half Of The Spink Catalogue Price!!!". Many many years ago, I did a small lecture tour on the "history of British Coins" to some of the more deprived schools in the East End of London..I jazzed it up a bit, I think it went well...I kept in touch for a while with some of them who really got into it and I tried to help them with their new found interest...(I suppose now I would have had to wear a hi-viz jacket or have been accused of being a paedophile). Anyway I contacted all the main dealers at the time and told them what I was doing and asked them if they could send me any pre decimal coins / cheap hammered / roman, anything really that I could distribute to the kids after my talks....they all responded..some brilliantly like Roy Norbury (West Essex Coins)...who gave me so much stuff ..the Royal Mint sent me a huge package of display materials...everyone chipped in....dear old Richard Lobel, sent me a price list...(perhaps he misunderstood!) ...or perhaps he didn't

EF+

AUNC

F / GF

VF

GVF (+)

GVF(+) / AEF

I'm absolutely no use at guessing, especially CGS, so I'll just give my own opinion on them. This one: GVF, or even GVF+

I'm a bit confused. If you can create a blog page exactly how you want it to be, what's the difference between that and a website, except it's free?

There is a micro variety of 1860 where the lower stop appears to be missing (almost definitely due to die fill), but it is more of a curiosity than a variety that will add any premium. Regarding the others, I can only see the images of the 1860 farthing. Advice I would give about these types of varieties, is that many things can "appear" to exist, I have several coins that I have noted as probable varieties or possible varieties, some of which look very convincing but it is imperative that they need to be confirmed with a very high degree of certainty from a high grade example before I get too interested in them....and even then it does not necessarily mean they will attract a premium...there are only a few of us micro collectors about And they are all on this site

They had the same with 1873s in the 90s. That's where I got mine from. BUT - they cost less than £10 each, and 1873 is a comparatively early bun date, and whatever CCGB says 1886 is just about THE most common date for high grade farthing buns, along with 1884 and 1885.

Looks like there's still a problem. Some of us can't upload an attachment anymore. We get a "Sorry, the server encountered a problem during upload" message, or words to that effect. Anyone able to upload an attachment?

Testing upload since all the problems ... : Ah, it's not you. I've just got the same error. It's since the site had serious problems moving to a new server. Chris, who owns the site, ought to be told about this. Most people use an external host such as Photobucket and then post the link here, but I find a 10-step process like that (EXCLUDING the initial registration bollox) is really tiresome compared to a 3-click attachment within the post itself.

Great minds think alike! I was just going to reply to Tom's earlier post with "Just a cotton pickin' moment there Muskie - wouldn't Coincraft just LOVE to feature them in that there Phoenix newspappy? Along with the slogan We Just Found A Very Limited Supply Of This Flawless 'Bun Farthing' - RARE In This Condition!! At Just £49.99 each We Are Letting Them Go At Just Half Of The Spink Catalogue Price!!!".

Didn't see this originally due to the site going down, but I love that bacon token

I have absolutely no idea. But if you look at the bidding, it all went from £75 to what it finally went for in the last 10 seconds, so I'm guessing a few bidders got caught up in a frenzy. Or, it's not a penny, it's a "shilling", and will shortly reappear...

"Ewe got a light, mister?"

It's absolutely impossible to tell without seeing a picture. When replying, below where you're typing, there's a section headed "Attachments". 1. Choose File (that lets you browse to where the image is on your computer) 2. Attach This File 3. After upload Add To Post At which point do you get the error? And is the picture a jpeg?

Usually the coin is milled out inside the rim and the second obverse dropped into place. Without a picture though, we still don't know if the obverses are from currency coins though as you haven't said. You will ahve to either reduce the image size to under 150kB or alternatively use a hosting site such as Photobucket. If the size is under 150kB, it is likely that you have selected the file, but not attached it. It will tell you when it has been uploaded. Yes - there are essentially 3 stages : 1. Browse for the image on your computer 2. Upload it as an attachment 3. "Add to post" Step 3 seems totally unnecessary, as step 2 should do that, but as it's done as 2 separate steps, Step 3 is easy to miss doing. Also - do bear in mind that the image has to be a jpeg.

Well & truly and I'm very grateful for all your input. Shows how a novice can be fleeced I suppose. But that's why I asked.... John Argentum asks why would I want it? Because it's what I like/collect/am interested in - why else? As you say - each to his own. Anything wrong with that? I don't collect proof or pattern Soho types or Moore patterns or even Victorian pennies so why should I look for one just because you think I should? I can't be happier with something that doesn't float my boat. I just saw this (so called) 1963 proof and as it's relevant to what interests me and what I collect, I thought I'd enquire about it. And also why I asked my peers - because I wanted to know if I was doing the right thing or not and as it turns out, (obviously) not. So mission accomplished for me. Anyway, an FYI for all, this is the dealer concerned. http://stores.ebay.co.uk/THE-BAY-PEDDLER/3-British-Coins-/_i.html?_fsub=12784226&_sid=214798585&_trksid=p4634.c0.m322 Nothing wrong with that. It's just that a proof should stand out. Rarity alone is not relevant in this case, as the example you are looking at doesn't look any different from a currency specimen. As for that dealer - over £1000 for a GEF 1797 penny ... !!

Thanks for your comments to my post - as a novice It's better to ask than get burned. I got the guy to send better pictures so can you cast your eye over these and let me know if you still don't think it's a proof. I doubt these pics will make any of you change your mind about it. Even to me it looks like a good ordinary penny. But why is he so sure (probably in all good faith or am I being naive?) it is? So a question; If there are only 2-5 known, how many people have ever had one in hand to know what they should look like? Even the '37, '50, '51 & '53 proofs are never like the 1970 for example - which to my eye always looks like something out of a Lucky Bag - too blingy in modern parlence. I've seen a few of the older proofs and they often need tilting or turning and a good looking at to be sure. No names of course but I quoted him some of the forum comments......he replies: "We're known off of eBay (and aside from our international sales company Prestigious Sales) as GBC coins (Great Britain Coins). We may be the largest British Coin Dealer in the World - working with coins now for nearly 65 years. . . but what would we know?" I doubt very much I'll buy the coin anyway - he's asking $1500.00 !! To be honest, even if it was definitely a certified proof, I still wouldn't want it. A proof should be noticeably superior to a currency coin, and that penny just isn't. Why would I pay $1500 for a definite proof that was absolutely identical to a very common example? You're absolutely right about proofs between 1937 and 1953, but it should be pointed out that those proofs are relatively common, and comparatively cheap especially their differential to non-proof examples.

I'm off as well, a week in North Wales. I have my oversized wellies for harassing the sheep , then a week in North Devon. Not sure what precautions I will need for there. Bragging again! Oh "wellies". You said "wellies". Yes wellies, to stick there back legs down to stop them getting away