Peckris

Not BU, but about uncirculated !!! Thanks '49! Here's my own 1926ME dream ... note the 1927 reverse! (Literally in this case - thank you Photoshop )

When you do a new post, or a reply, there's an Attachments section just below. Click 'Choose File', go to where it is on your computer and select that picture. (You may need to resize or compress it as there is a maximum of 150k per post. A JPEG is usually the best bet.) Then there is what seems a completely unnecessary step of 'Attach This File', followed by 'Place in post'. (Why those last two can't be combined into one I have really no idea). Thank you, it should enlarge OK for detail - I hope! It's a downloadable item, not quite an attachment. But I can see it, though not large enough to make out the legend. However, your description is probably enough to guess that it goes through a list of British monarchs? In which case I would think it is a teaching aid, which there are many different types of in the 19th Century. OR, and this is perhaps less likely, it is a vain attempt by our worst monarch ever to establish himself in the pantheon of monarchy, as a foil to all the satirists who'd quite rightly lampooned his outrageous behaviour and obesity. I say less likely because he'd have to commission a private engraver to make it, and after that, who would distribute it? No, I think it more likely that it's an educational thing. Maybe someone else here has a better idea?

It's most likely to be in average condition, but the range of values would go from around bullion value in Fair (£2?) up to several hundred £ in Mint condition. Here's mine. Looks impressive huh? Actually, it isn't even EF - that's how critical grading is, and how important to get right. Nice coin Peck. I sold mine because it didn't cut the mustard...yours would. Oh don't get me wrong - I've no regrets about owning it! But it is the most worn halfcrown I own of that particular series, not surprisingly

I've searched the net for an image of a BU 1926 modified effigy penny, but there isn't one anywhere I can see. Sorry! (That would be my dream coin).

OMG, you must be kidding! Two 50p's, three £1's and three £2's, in one year? What are we "celebrating" - the "Year before the Olympics"? And who is the big-eared gonk in the middle?

When you do a new post, or a reply, there's an Attachments section just below. Click 'Choose File', go to where it is on your computer and select that picture. (You may need to resize or compress it as there is a maximum of 150k per post. A JPEG is usually the best bet.) Then there is what seems a completely unnecessary step of 'Attach This File', followed by 'Place in post'. (Why those last two can't be combined into one I have really no idea).

It's most likely to be in average condition, but the range of values would go from around bullion value in Fair (£2?) up to several hundred £ in Mint condition. Here's mine. Looks impressive huh? Actually, it isn't even EF - that's how critical grading is, and how important to get right.

Welcome to the forums I'm afraid what you're looking at there is an example of the Great (<- irony) British Coin Redesign of 2008. This involved replacing the serviceable though hardly inspired designs from 1968-71 by throwing open a competition to redesign the coins to a group of 3-year-old kids living in an Essex postwar council estate. For some reason, a design that featured a single Royal Coat of Arms split over the reverses of all denominations which refused to make a coherent whole when assembled because the designer in question was too young to realise that coins by their nature are round and will not tessellate, won. We are doomed to live with these for the forseeable future, unlike the recipients of the Victorian Jubilee Head who only had 6 years to put up with that particular misfortune.

Interesting comparisons. Just out of interest, how much would a (very common?) 1885-O Morgan dollar fetch in absolute brilliant sparkling UNC condition? The fields are virtually mirror-like, and the raised design has a frosted appearance. Probably not very much? I'd say around $60-115, or perhaps more. Though Morgans are perhaps the biggest example of grading influencing prices. A coin rated as MS-62 might fetch $75, if the coin was rated MS-64 it might fetch $100, and if it is rated MS-66 it might fetch $300 or so despite there being small differences in eye appeal from MS-64 to MS-66. Thanks. Oh well, I won't retire yet then! (Mind you, it only cost me £12 in 1978 so there you go)

That's AHorrible+ / NHorrible

Unless of course, you mean the Milky Way lander.. or was it Snickers? STANDARDISING?? Don't get me started!!

Interesting comparisons. Just out of interest, how much would a (very common?) 1885-O Morgan dollar fetch in absolute brilliant sparkling UNC condition? The fields are virtually mirror-like, and the raised design has a frosted appearance. Probably not very much?

Also the fact that in terms of bronze issue, they were the longest running design by far, lasting for near 35 years. When you consider the nearest competition was the piffling 15 years of Geo V (1911-1926) and 11 years of Geo VI (1937-48), which are the longest running predecimal designs since (technically, the Eliz II design ran from 1954-1970, but effectively it's only a six year span), that's a hell of a long run. Plus of course, the mystery of getting that flat disc with perhaps a mere silhouette of Victoria on the obverse, and if you were lucky a CD on the reverse. Yet with all the rare varieties you scoured that date just in case! Pennies from 1895 seemed to occur more frequently in VG or even F, the same with Ed VII.

I emailed her 4 days ago to say it was a modern repro and only worth a quid or two. Needless to say with it already at £410 the silence was deafening. It's been withdrawn. Probably reappear in a few weeks time with an 'ambiguous' description .

Very cool. He seems to have missed the 1997 Crown though, with Prince Philip on More seriously he has missed all the lion-on-crown sixpences and shillings of Geo V and Ed VII, not to mention the lion shillings of Geo VI and Eliz II, the horse and dragon on 1935 and 1951 crowns, and the lion and unicorn on the 1937 Crown.

That was not my experience when small time dealing. The high grades were easy to sell, as they were either modern and common and therefore affordable, or they were snapped up by collectors wanting the best grades possible. On the other hand the Fine grades were also fairly easy as they went to buyers on a budget, or completing date runs etc. The ones I was often left with were VFs, too rich for the date-runners and too low for the quality buyers. Ok, I admit that's a generalisation but it's something I noticed. As you say, the 1980 rise and fall happened very quick : in December 1979 BU Geo VI silver florins were £2. A few months later they were £12 (not a great deal higher than their then scrap value), but by 1981 had dropped back to £2 again. The present situation is more complex as it is linked to the global recession and the fluctuation in metals and commodity prices, rather than one family's attempt to corner the market in one particular metal. FWIW I think the "long view" is always best. Remember how high gold was in the 70s and 80s? and how low it went in the 90s? and how high it has gone again? It's unwise to use commodity thinking to apply to coins, however erratic the coin market can behave at times. Yes, the older collector with disposable income returning to a schoolboy hobby has been well documented, and is clearly a factor in all this too. I guess the only thing we can safely say is that with coins, there are a number of different factors prevailing simultaneously, and if one was able to predict all of them and 'see the numismatic future', one would become very wealthy!

>>> I agree! A toned piece is unique, where a BU piece is like any other BU piece. >>> That's why bulk lots are so often bought by dealers, picking up coins at what amount to wholesale prices. >>> Metal markets only come in to play for low grade items - those St James lots were all GEF - UNC, and sold for many many times their metal value.

Interesting that the responses so far talk about extreme prices for "highly desirable but sought after by relatively few collectors with very deep pockets" coins. I'd be much more comfortable following up the last post's argument about such things as Vic/Ed VII halfcrowns at the St James Auction. Also to hear from newbies like Patrick, 'modest outlay' collectors like Scott and Declan (nevertheless very enthusiastic), dealers like Derek and Rob, etc. The top of the market is something I look at with purely academic interest, knowing that it's an ivory tower which may or may not be an indicator of what is happening lower down for the vast majority of collectors. I too was interested in those halfcrowns at St James - I agree that the rarest Ed VII pieces performed below their estimates, but perhaps those estimates were bumped up rather in anticipation of a frenzy? It was salutary to see that estimates for other Ed VII and Geo V halfcrowns - quality rather than rarity - were exceeded, sometimes dramatically. As for grades <=> prices - it's always been the case that UNC prices for 75% or more of coins exceed expectations, while other grades fall more and more behind. Having said that, I find that for modern milled VF has always been the hardest grade to predict. Fine grade coins will always find a ready buyer among a huge number of collectors who simply don't have the means for anything better, and prefer a large collection, or date run. Current trends are driven by the economic situation I believe, though not exclusively. Prices were steadily improving consistently from the mid-90s onwards, all through a Bull market. The current Bear market is seeing a "flight to alternative forms of investment" such as was seen in the mid-1970s. Are these new investors / collectors? I don't have the statistical analysis to answer that one. The unknown factor in all of this is eBay. It's been a large factor among collectors for only around 5 maybe 7 years. Before that it was only a minority source. However there are still plenty of serious collectors who would buy from the old established auction houses but never from eBay, so in a way, the online factor may only be affecting the very large bottom sector of the market rather than the 'gilded elite'. Yes to 1. Very much so. As ever. As always. This has never NOT been true, 1966-1973 excepted perhaps. 2.? Probably only for the top pieces where it does matter, but not for 95% or more of what's traded. Yes to 3. - see my paragraph about eBay. Yes to 4. - but bear in mind that UK coins were seriously underpriced in the mid-90s and have been catching up ever since. It's not just financial volatility though that has a part to play also.

i dont know how i managed that, one of those mystery's of life, however it was probably a peabrain to cumberland finger error for sure karzi cos theres a pic of one in the link to salvaging silver. is karzi a london term? interesting, i live in west london and not heard it soo much, but then i cant explain why i used the term either..........back to the peabrain Used, as I recall in 'Carry On Up The Khyber' when Kenneth Williams played the Kharzi of Khalabar and Sid James was Sir Sidney Rough-Diamond. Charles Hawtrey was Private Widdle of the 3rd Foot and Mouth. They don't make films like that any more... Remember "Carry on Spying"? Where Charles Hawtrey is asked for his secret agent number and says "000". "000? You CAN'T be 000. No-one's 000." "Well, I am. The recruiting officer took one look at me and said 'Oh-oh. Ohhhh' ".

When I first read this, I just accepted it as correct. But it isn't. The current queen's coin portrait faces to the right. OMG. I'm losing my marbles!! There's no defence - just like Arsenal.

I used to have one of those but the big end went... Wasn't it just a re-badged Mini?

The key word is not toned, but monster. That's the word you invariably see when the toning is OTT and it comes from the States. It can be chemical, it can be heat, but which ever way you look at it, it ain't natural. The following for these coins has undoubtedly been underpinned by the TPGs slabbing them as genuine and untampered with. If they always came back as environmentally damaged, you would destroy a complete cottage industry. EVEN IF the toning wasn't as ugly as sin (which it is - really really horrible), you NEVER NEVER see natural toning anywhere resembling that on a coin as worn as that. It barely qualifies as Fine. From the total lack of response, it looks like no-one is fooled, thank heaven for small mercies.

Just for you Peck khazi and alternate terms David Most kind of you David Though I must point out that that was WIKI not WILI. OIC! didn't read your post carefully, too subtle for me! David No problem - though it was originally your typo

??? I must get my eyes tested. I'm sure it says EDWARDVS VIII, but all I can see is GEORGIVS VI. Or perhaps it's the wrong photo? You're one up on me then (or should I say "1") as all I can see is GEORGIVS V

It's definitely not a Royal Mint issue for the following reasons : 1. The portrait faces the wrong way 2. The portrait is not by a recognised RM engraver 3. The quality of the strike looks fairly poor ((low relief) though this may be the photograph There were very many privately produced medallions for the Jubilee, as there have been for many occasions through time. Pinches for example, produced several handsome pieces. I'm tempted to say it's probably worth no more than bullion value, but I confess I know very little about this item. If it is a privately produced medallion, it will have little more than intrinsic value I'm afraid, except to a collector of such pieces. However perhaps there is someone in this forum who knows more about these?